Day: June 28, 2024

Hearts of Oak midfielder Salifu Ibrahim is on the verge of joining Kosovo outfit FC Drita in the ongoing transfer window.

The former Techiman Eleven Wonders star’s current contract with the Phobians will elapse at the end of the month, and efforts to get the midfielder to sign a new deal have proved futile.

However, the Ghanaian giants have cut off the midfielder from their squad, and he will miss their upcoming Democracy Cup clash against Asante Kotoko.

According to Kumasi-based Wontumi FM, Salifu Ibrahim is expected to sign with the Kosovo giants to bolster their squad for next season.

Ibrahim, who joined the club in 2021, was instrumental in their 2020/2021 Ghana Premier League title win, even earning both club and league MVP honours. In total, he collected five trophies with the Phobians.

The midfielder is considered one of the best in the local scene, having shown glimpses of top performance for the Rainbow Boys.

In the recently concluded Ghana Premier League season, the 24-year-old racked up two g
oals and provided ten assists in 32 appearances.

Source: Ghana Web

Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) chairman, Dr. Nyaho-Nyaho Tamakloe, has criticized the corruption that has engulfed the Ghana Premier League.

Speaking to 3FM, the Hearts of Oak board member questioned how a club that lost just one home game out of 17, winning 16 of them, managed to achieve such a feat.

The renowned football administrator and politician suggested that this dominance hints at bribery and links it to the influence of betting companies.

“Unfortunately, the issue that we have in national politics has found its way into football,” he said.

“Very sad! You ask yourself, how can one unknown club win 16 out of 17 matches on their home ground? If you are a bit into football, ask yourself this simple question. And the 16 matches that they won on their home grounds gave them about 48 points, making them winners already. And this is through corruption and bribery.”

He expressed frustration that traditional clubs like Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko struggle because they supposedly refuse to pa
rticipate in such practices.

“That is why at the moment, clubs like Hearts of Oak, who will not give money – and people should listen to me very carefully – or Kotoko, have all fallen back, but I can tell them we are coming back,” he said.

“The two leading clubs shall come back in a different form, and those who have been creating this confusion that is destroying Ghanaian football… that is why we are nowhere on the continent. Football has been taken over by betting.”

Samartex FC won the 2023/24 League after amassing a total of 61 points. The Western Region side emerged with the most wins (19) in the season. They won 16 at home, making them the side with the most home wins.

By virtue of winning the Ghana Premier League, Samartex will represent the country in the 2024/25 CAF Champions League.

Source: Ghana Web

Asante Kotoko midfielder Baba Yahaya has admitted that Hearts of Oak will approach the Democracy Cup game like wounded lions.

This is because the Porcupine Warriors have already beaten the Phobians twice this season in the Ghana Premier League.

Kotoko won the first league game 3-2 and beat Hearts of Oak 2-0 last month.

“We beat them twice this season. They will come with a mentality that they don’t want us to beat them for the third time in a row this season,” Yahaya said in an interview played on Asempa FM.

“They will come into the game as wounded lions, and we won’t also agree for them.

“What I have to tell the supporters is that they should rally behind us to make it three wins in a row against Hearts of Oak.”

The inaugural event, scheduled for July 5, will see Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak vying for the championship title. The triumphant team will subsequently secure a chance to challenge American club DC United in Washington later this year.

This thrilling news was unveiled during the Cup’
s launch, an event commemorating the 30th anniversary of Ghana’s Fourth Republic.

Source: Ghana Web

Former Kumasi Asante Kotoko skipper, Richard Boadu, has made some claims against coach Prosper Narteh Ogum, alleging that Ogum was the sole reason behind his exclusion from the local component of the Black Stars, known as the Black Galaxies.

In an interaction on X (formerly Twitter), Richard Boadu alleged that other coaches and some players suggested he be invited to camping, but Dr. Ogum threatened to leave the camping base if he were invited.

Boadu, widely known as Agadas, claimed that he has a recording of some interactions in the Black Galaxies camp that captured the allegations against coach Narteh Ogum.

The Al Ahly Benghazi midfielder mentioned former Asante Kotoko goalie, Ibrahim Danlad, as someone who can vouch for the credibility of some of the claims he is making against coach Ogum.

“Playing for the national team is about timing, and I believe that at the right time, everyone will get a chance to play for the national team. But when a coach threatens to leave camp because of the call-up of a cer
tain player, then it’s not good. He said some of the players recorded it for me. There were players in the camp who wanted him to invite me, and he shut it down,” Boadu stated.

“He told Danlad that he refused to call me because I didn’t inform him of a trip abroad. So Danlad asked me to call him. I called him several times, and he never picked up, but when I called with my wife’s phone, he picked up, and I apologized profusely for whatever I might have done to offend him. Danlad is my witness. There are a lot of things, but I don’t want to say them,” he added.

“I made a stop in Ghana after my club went to Ivory Coast to play a match. I went to watch a Kotoko match at the KNUST park and decided to greet him. He frowned and rejected my handshake offer,” he recounted.

Richard Boadu’s comments come in the wake of Kumasi Asante Kotoko releasing 19 players following the end of the 2023/2024 Ghanaian football season.

Talented youngster Isaac Oppong, goalkeeper Ibrahim Danlad, and talisman Steven Mukwala are some
of the names who have been released by Asante Kotoko.

Source: Ghana Web

The Azumah Nelson Sports Complex, one of the nation’s premier sporting facilities, is deteriorating as weeds have overrun the complex.

The multi-purpose facility, constructed during the Acheampong regime and named after the iconic African boxer Azumah Nelson in recognition of his immense contributions to the country, is now in a state unbefitting Africa’s only boxing Hall of Famer.

A report by UTV depicts the facility in a deplorable condition, highlighting the poor maintenance culture that is prevalent in the sporting sector.

The footage shows abandoned renovation projects and overgrown weeds, rendering the complex-which was primarily used by basic and senior high schools for inter-school games-unusable.

Interestingly, the Azumah Nelson Sports Complex was listed by the government as one of the facilities under the flagship sports program, ‘One-Region-One-Resource Centre.’

The government had announced that the complex was to undergo a $4 million renovation to transform it into a Youth Resource Centre.

T
he expansion of the complex into a youth and sports resource center commenced in 2018, but there has been little progress since then.

Initially estimated to be worth $4 million at the start of the project, the renovation of the facility has now stalled, leaving it overgrown with vegetation.

Source: Ghana Web

Ace sports journalist Dan Kwaku Yeboah has raised some notable points about the impasse between the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the national amputee team, the Black Challenge.

Having delved into the issue that dominated the sports media landscape over the past weeks, Dan Kwaku Yeboah observed conflicting reports from both organizations and demanded further clarification.

Kwaku Yeboah noted the contradiction between the head coach of the Black Challenge and the president of the Paralympic committee regarding the jerseys used for the tournament.

“There are more questions than answers because I listened to the head coach of the amputee team, who claimed that they bought the jerseys for the tournament at Kantamanto. The president of the African Paralympic Committee, who also serves as the president of the Ghana Paralympic Committee, told me that they received their jerseys from the GFA. He even showed me a letter of their request to the FA, so I don’t know who is speaking the truth,” he said.

“When the m
inister met with the federation, he reminded them of how he hosted them last year and sent them to the presidency, where each member of the team received $2000. He questioned why they didn’t come to him first this year,” he continued.

“The statement from the amputee team is that they sent a letter to the ministry on May 31 and received no response. My concern is that Sampson Deen has a relationship with the Sports Minister and needs no letter to approach the minister, so what happened this time around?” he quizzed.

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, faced criticism during his address to the players and officials of the Black Challenge on June 14, 2024.

Ussif emphasized the need for the team to coordinate with the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS) before engaging with external entities.

“When you come after the successes and there’s an issue, the first point of contact should be this office [MoYS]. We’re not going to tolerate you using the state for your personal benefits,” he stated.

He
further criticized the team’s approach this year compared to the previous year. “Unlike last year, when you landed and came here directly, this year you started going from one place to another without any records for the government who sponsored you, and that cannot be tolerated,” Ussif added.

The Black Challenge recently triumphed over Morocco in the final, securing their second consecutive AFCON title.

Source: Ghana Web

Former Asante Kotoko midfielder Richmond Lamptey has completed his move to Rwandan League champions, Armée Patriotique Rwandaise (APR) FC.

APR unveiled Lamptey, the Black Stars midfielder, on Friday, June 28, 2024, after he penned a long-term deal.

Reports indicate that Lamptey has signed a bumper contract, making him one of the highest-paid players at the club.

The former Kotoko captain declined to extend his stay with the Reds and agreed to a mutual termination of his contract, which had just two months remaining.

A report by Kumasi-based Oyerepa FM indicated that Lamptey was fixated on playing abroad after spending ten seasons in the Ghana Premier League.

Richmond Lamptey played for three clubs during his ten-year spell in the GPL, including the West African Football Academy (WAFA), Inter Allies, and Asante Kotoko.

Source: Ghana Web

GhanaWeb Feature

It’s become very common to see players of Ghanaian descent play for countries in Europe but rarely will you see a Ghanaian player representing a South American country. However, that is the story of John Yeboah Zamora who plays for Ecuador.

As the 2024 Copa América kicked off in the USA, Ghanaians were stunned when a player with the name Yeboah on an Ecuadorian jersey in their game against Venezuela in their group stage game. Despite Ecuador’s 2-1 loss, Yeboah showcased his skills, marking his competitive debut with 65 minutes of action.

Yeboah’s standout performance continued as he secured a starting spot in Ecuador’s 3-1 victory over Jamaica. Operating as an inverted winger on the right flank, with his lightning pace and flair largely contributing to the win.

Early Life and Ties to Ghana

Born in Germany to a Ghanaian father and Ecuadorian mother, Yeboah spent his formative years in Hamburg. This multicultural upbringing offered him a choice of national teams to represent. Despite havin
g strong ties to Germany throughout his youth career, Yeboah ultimately opted to play for his mother’s country, Ecuador.

International Career

While Yeboah’s decision surprised some, his talent was evident early on. He rose through the ranks of Germany’s youth teams, featuring prominently in the U-17 Euros and the 2017 U-17 World Cup.

After 5-years of hoping for a senior call-up, Yeboah decided to opt for Ecuador after the German senior national team turned a blind eye on him.

The player made his debut for Ecuador in March 2024 in a game against Guatemala and scored on his debut. He later capped off his second game for The Tricolors with another goal against Bolivia.

Source: Ghana Web