Category: Sport

Accra, The Crime Check Foundation (CCF) has presented three television sets to Ataa Aryee and his fellow inmates at the Ankaful Maximum Prison to assist them in watching the World Cup taking place in Qatar.

 

The prison inmates, who are serving various jail terms for committing various degrees of crimes, were also given two desktop computers and a 4-horse power mower.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Alhaji Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, Executive Director, CCF, said the television sets were given to the prisoners in fulfilment of a pledge the foundation made in response to Attah Aryee’s plea for electronic appliances to help him and his colleagues.

 

He stated that the appliances were donated by Mr Stephen Agyare Jr., Chief Executive Officer of Agyare Real Estates, to commemorate his birthday, and urged the public to show love to inmates as Mr Agyare did.

 

He said: “Our dear brother pastor Ataa Aryee made a kind request for television sets so that he and his colleagues may watch the World Cup. We responded to his call and got Mr Stephen Ofosu Agyare Jr. of Agyare Real Estate to present three 43-inch TV sets.

 

“Pastor Aryee also obtained his other demands, a mower and two desktop computers. Many thanks to Mr Agyare for using the occasion of his birthday to help our brother and his colleagues.”

 

Alhaji Ibrahim urged corporations, religious groups, and individuals to contribute to the rehabilitation of Ghana’s prisons, stating, “Not everyone in jail committed a crime. Freedom is priceless, so remember those in prison when you’re out there having fun.”

 

“The prison is not a good place to live since your freedom will be limited.  So, let us come to the aid of the inmates to show them affection,” he added.

 

Mr Agyare expressed his gratitude for helping the prisoners, stating, “I am blessed to sponsor the gift, and I want you to feel the same. I am calling on corporate Ghana to assist CCF in improving the circumstances of convicts. Let us band together to help.”

 

Ataa Aryee and his colleagues expressed their gratitude to CCF and Mr. Agyare for their support, stating, “Many regard us as outcasts, but you have shown love through this donation.”

 

Alhaji Ibrahim, a Chevening scholar and Ph.D. student at the University of Ghana, re-echoed his appeal for the Ghana government to review the country’s criminal justice laws in order to curb the repeated violations of prisoners’ and accused individuals’ rights.

 

Over the years, the CCF Executive Director has been advocating for reforms in Ghana’s criminal justice system as well as for the rights of prisoners, the poor, and the vulnerable.

 

Ataa Aryee, who is serving 164 years in prison for multiple crimes, has completed 17 years, leaving 147 years, which human rights activists describe as difficult to bear but necessary because life must go on.

 

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, Saudi Arabia has pulled off one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history after beating tournament favourites Argentina in the Group C opener of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Argentina’s unbeaten run started in 2019, and they have scored 19 times without reply, but it was the Saudi Arabians who ended their formidable run.

Argentina started the game on a bright note as Lionel Messi struck them in front from the penalty spot after a foul on Leandro Paredes.

The South American giants were in cruise control of the game and did score three times afterwards, but all were disallowed for offsides.

 

Saudi Arabia started the second half in stunning fashion, scoring twice in five minutes through Seleh Alshehri and Saleh Aldawsari.

Argentina had dominant possession as they huffed and puffed for the equalizer, but Saudi Arabia defended well to secure the win that put them top of Group C.

 

Source: Ghana News Agency

The World Cup men’s football championship kicks off in Qatar Sunday with fans in Africa keen to watch five teams from the continent competing for the title. Cameroon’s national team, the Indomitable Lions, one of Africa’s most celebrated, will join teams from Ghana, Morocco, Tunisia, and the continent’s champion – Senegal.

 

Even poor and remote villages without electricity are pooling funds to buy TV sets and access power so they too can watch the World Cup.

 

The sound of a generator resonates in Ouli, a village near Cameroon’s northern border with Nigeria that until this month, had no power.

 

The Village Development Committee hired 47-year-old electrical engineer Dymbia Maurice to install the generator.

 

But he said the goal wasn’t to provide the village with electricity, it was to power a television so residents can watch the World Cup football games in Qatar.

 

He said the generator will produce enough electricity for lights, radio, and TV sets to function, but warned if villagers overload the generator with too many appliances, fuel consumption will increase. Maurice said he has installed six generators in six villages for people to watch the World Cup matches.

 

Villager Ousmaila Ttoukour said they bought the equipment because they yearned to see Cameroon’s national team, nicknamed the Indomitable Lions, compete at the World Cup.

 

Ttoukour said every villager contributed the equivalent of at least $1 to buy the gear, which included a 107-centimeter (42-inch) TV set.

 

Ttoukour said the generator, TV and a radio were bought from neighboring Nigeria. He said some poor villagers sold their fowls and ducks to contribute so that no one misses watching the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Ttoukour added that some villagers who wanted to contribute more money even sold their goats.

 

But some Ouli villagers complained to a reporter that one TV set will not be enough for the community of more than 300 people to watch.

 

They also said they worried the 20-liters of petrol, also bought from neighboring Nigeria, may not power the generator the full month of football matches if villagers want to watch them all.

 

But there is good news for these football fans in remote Cameroon.

 

Thirty-four-year-old veterinary technician Florence Wanja recently returned to the village from Yaoundé with a second TV set for the community.

 

She also promised to supply more fuel should the generator need it.

 

Wanja said she wants to join her parents, friends, village notables, and her entire community in cheering Cameron’s national football team. She said they’ll cheer up until the moment the Indomitable Lions win the World Cup. If Cameroon does not win, Wanja hopes another African team lifts the trophy for the first time.

 

No African team has ever reached a World Cup semi-final.

 

Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions in 1990 became the first African team to qualify for the quarterfinals of the World Cup. They were joined more than a decade later by Ghana and Senegal.

 

Ouli village is one of many in remote Cameroon that is getting power for the first time thanks to the World Cup.

 

Several local councils say they installed extension cables to scores of villages.

 

And Cameroon’s government has instructed the state power company, Energy of Cameroon, to make sure power cuts are avoided during the matches.

 

Meanwhile in Ouli, youths blast Cameroon’s team song, “Go Lions and Lift the Trophy,” as they wait to watch the games in their village for the first time.

 

There are five African teams competing at the Qatar World Cup – Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia.

 

Cameroon plays its first match against Switzerland on November 24.

 

Source: Voice of America

The exciting De-luxy Professional Boxing League returns with Fight Night 17 this Saturday, November 12 at the Bukom Boxing Arena with delightful cards and assures to be a page-turner as favorite musician Adote Tetor is back in the ring.

This is his third time on the show by popular request.

The night promise to be full of fireworks as the National Super Welterweight Champion and former member of the Black Bombers Musah Rahman Lawson aka “Senior Awoodade” is featuring.

Powerful Elvis Ahorgah aka “Soldier Boxer” from Fit Square Gym will also fight on the bill as well as National Super Lightweight Champion Faisal Abubakar alias “Poncho Power” of Charles Quartey Boxing Foundation.

Following the incidence at the last fight night 16, the promoters. Imax Media and the GBA have come out with new procedures. Tickets would be sold at the gate.

Three tickets categories have been introduced beginning from week 17 on Saturday, November 12th, which are as follows:

• 1. GHC 50.00-Ring Side
• 2. GHC 30.00-De-Luxy Stand
• 3. GHC 10.00-Popular Stand

The public is been assured of an effective security network.

Fans coming to the Bukom Boxing Arena should expect thorough security checks at the main entrance and must be aware of the installation of CC-TV cameras to check individuals or groups fomenting violence, hooliganism, and vandalism.

The De-luxy Professional Boxing League is sponsored by Renault, Imax Electronics, Techno, TCL, and Max Buy. The show is telecasted live on Max TV.

 

 

Source: Modern Ghana

The national youth boxing team, Black Rockets has been refused visas by the Spanish embassy in Accra.

All 8 boxers who were scheduled to travel to the International Boxing Association (IBA) world youth championship in Spain on 14-26 November were not granted the travel passes and this has affected the young boxers who have been preparing for this exposure opportunity.

A top official of the Ghana Boxing Federation said, “They claim our boys are not real boxers and that they are also minors. That is strange because the competition is for their age group.”

The morale and hopes of the future Black Bombers Ghana’s youth boxing team, who are called the Black Rockets have been crashed as they were aiming to excel and win the 3-tournament European tour, the IBA world youth championship in Spain.

After Spain, the Rockets will move to Germany to fight in the 2022 International Schwerin Tournament from 9-11 December, whilst the rest of the team not selected will also travel to fight in Malta on 10 December.

 

 

Source: Modern Ghana

Asante Kotoko are temporarily top of the Ghana Premier League standings after recording a fourth win of the season.

The defending league champions today played as a guest to Medeama SC in a matchday six encounter of the 2022/23 Ghanaian top-flight league campaign.

In what ensued as a closely contested match, neither side could score in the first 45 minutes and had to go into the break on level peggings.

After recess, Asante Kotoko played better and managed to cruise to victory thanks to in-form youngster Nicholas Mensah.

The forward went on a delightful solo run in the 60^th minute and fired an unstoppable shot from close range in a tight angle that found the back of the Medeama SC net.

Despite a strong display from the hosts after going behind, the team could not equalize and had to succumb to a narrow 1-0 defeat at the end of the match.

The win today has sent Asante Kotoko to the summit of the Ghana Premier League table with 13 points.

Things could change at the end of the Premier League matchday depending on the results from games on Sunday.

 

 

Source: Modern Ghana

 

Accra, Oct. 31, GNA – Accra Hearts of Oak coach, Slavko Matic, says their 2-1 win against Bibiani Gold Stars was a vital step in their progress in the 2022/23 football season.

The Phobians staged an impressive comeback to edge their counterparts, Gold Stars, as they bagged their first three points in the ongoing betPawa Ghana Premier League (GPL).

Two second-half goals from Gladson Awako and Isaac Mensah completed the comeback after Prince Kwabena Owusu gave the visitors the lead in the first half.

Speaking at his first post-match press conference, the Serbian coach lauded the mental resilience demonstrated by his players, especially after going a goal down, but prevailed by securing twice to get all three points.

“We played better today despite the negative football by our opponents in trying to waste time. The start of this season has not been good, and after conceding the first goal, things became complicated. I commend the players for showing character to get the three points because they demonstrated a winning mentality and I think we deserved the three points.

Matic further added that he was satisfied with the performance of the players but stressed the needed to work harder as they expected more stern games in the coming weeks.

“We must have patience, more belief, more confidence, and take more responsibility. I think it will come and things will change for the better as we look for more success.

“This match was my first experience of Ghana football and it was good for me and I know what to expect in subsequent matches,” he stated.

He urged the fans to support the players as they would work hard to earn their respect by getting good results.

Matic’s next test would be a game against newcomers Kotoku Royals in a matchday five encounter of the betPawa GPL.

 

Source: Ghana News Agency

 

Former President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama has asked the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo led administration to withdraw from hosting the 2023 Africa Games due to the harsh economic challenges facing the country.

Speaking on Ghana’s economic challenges dubbed “Building the Nation We Want” on Thursday night at the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA).

Former President Mahama said it was improper to host about 54 African countries considering Ghana’s current economic situation.

“If it is not too late, we can pull out of the hosting of the Africa Games as it would severely stretch our already precarious finances by hundreds of millions of cedis,” he said.

Ghana won the bid in 2018 to host the 13th edition of the Africa Games, after beating Egypt to it.

It was reported last year that Government would seek for a loan of $170 million towards the cost of sports and residential infrastructure required for the quadrennial Games.

In August 2021, President Akufo-Addo cut the sod for the start of construction of facilities for the Games to be staged at two centres in Accra; Borteyman and the University of Ghana campus.

While constructing sports facilities at Borteyman, the government would also complete the neglected University of Ghana Stadium which would be be used for athletics and football.

 

 

Source: Ghana News Agency