Category: Sports

A private businessman with passion for the development of football at the grassroots, has singlehandedly sponsored the just ended colts league in the Obuasi East District.

Mr. Peter Armah Kpolly who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Big Peiro Company, a tailing construction firm, provided funds and other logistics including jerseys, footballs and public address system for all the 120 matches played during the U-13, U-15, U-17 leagues.

Football in Obuasi has taken a nosedive in recent years despite producing numerous talents who have represented the nation at various levels.

Notable among them were former Black Stars captain John Mensah, Jonathan Mensah, Mubarak Wakaso, Shaibu Yakubu and Abdul Issah Rahman, among others.

The downward trend of football in Obuasi, according to connoisseurs of the game, has been aggravated by the ban imposed on Ashanti Gold Football Club which had for many years been the mainstay of football in the mining town.

Speaking during the finals of the colts league in Obuasi,
Mr. Kpolly said he was motivated by the pool of football talents in Obuasi who needed to be unearthed to reach their potentials.

He said Obuasi had a rich history of producing football talents and called on relevant authorities and individuals to invest in the sport.

‘I want to throw a challenge to business owners to turn our attention to grass root football which serves as a breeding ground for football talents. Investing in football would give hope to the youth who would want to harness their God- given talent,’ the businessman stated.

Mr. Abdul Kadiri Issah, Chairman of the Obuasi East District Football Association, applauded Mr. Kpolly for sponsoring this year’s edition of the Obuasi East colts league.

He said the goal of the Association was to bring back the love of colts football and nurture young talented players in Obuasi East so that in the next five to ten years some of them would be part of the various national teams.

The Association is also adopting the ‘catch them young’ refereeing policy of
the Ghana Football Association as part of a broad strategy to develop football in the district.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Former Great Olympics forward, Maxwell Abbey Quaye, is back in the country on holiday after a successful first half of the season with the Saudi side, Al Tehami SC.

Abbey Quaye joined the club in January and was impressive during the first half of his season-long deal with the club.

To maintain his fitness and sharpness, Maxwell Abbey Quaye has enlisted one of Ghana’s foremost fitness instructors, Francis Totti Laryea.

Abbey Quaye and Laryea, who is the CEO of Train Like A Pro GH-one of the most popular fitness firms in the country-have been working out regularly at Teshie McDan Park.

Under the guidance of Totti Laryea, Abbey Quaye has been undertaking intensive fitness work with modern gym equipment and routines.

Totti Laryea has been putting Abbey Quaye through his paces, ensuring that he stays in shape ahead of the resumption of the Saudi fourth-tier league.

The training is also intended to keep him in shape for a possible Black Stars call-up as coach Otto Addo prepares his team for the June assignme
nt.

Quaye, who was part of Ghana’s squad at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, left Great Olympics in February 2023 to join Duhok in Iraq before later signing with Al Sinaa.

During his time in the Ghana Premier League, the 25-year-old scored 23 goals in 61 appearances for the Accra-based club.

Source: Ghana Web

The Director of Research at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Dr. John Kwakye, has claimed that both Manchester United and Ghana’s economic managers are clueless.

Dr. Kwakye highlighted the similarities between the English club and the West African country, stating that both are ignorant about addressing their problems.

‘It seems to me that the managers of Ghana’s economy are like the managers of Manchester United. Both seem clueless in addressing the problems confronting them, although the solutions are far from rocket science,’ he tweeted on X (formerly known as Twitter).

His statement followed Man United’s 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Monday, May 6, 2024.

The defeat deepened the woes of the 20-time Premier League champions, who have had a challenging season.

Man United is currently on a poor run, winning one, losing two, and drawing five of their last eight league matches.

As a result, they sit in 8th position on the league table and could miss out on European football next
season.

Regarding Ghana, John Kwakye’s comment comes at a time when the country is facing significant economic headwinds, with multinational companies exiting the country over high taxes, power crisis, the local currency – Cedi – depreciating against major currencies, increases in fuel prices and transport fares, high cost of living, among other issues.

Source: Ghana Web

Ben Nunoo Mensah, President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), has voiced his disappointment over the failure of Ghanaian athletes to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Despite the setback, he affirmed the GOC’s commitment to supporting athletes through their respective federations during preparations for the Olympics and other qualifying events.

The federations are tasked with sending athletes to qualifiers and competitions, with the GOC providing support throughout these preparations. Once athletes qualify, the GOC facilitates their participation in international tournaments.

The GOC has consistently sought scholarships and sponsorships for Ghanaian athletes, aiming to enhance their performance and qualification prospects for the games.

On ‘Total Sports Review’ on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Mensah revealed that eight Ghanaian athletes are currently on GOC scholarships.

“All federations receive sponsorship from the GOC. We do our utmost to support them during preparations for tournaments and games. This
year, we’ve invested over $55,000 in boxing alone, sponsoring athletes to attend qualifiers and secure their spots at the games,” he stated.

“However, to date, no federation has qualified or presented any athlete for the Olympics, which is deeply troubling. Despite our success at the All African Games, where we won numerous medals, not a single athlete has managed to qualify for the Olympic Games.”

Mensah acknowledged that some athletes have qualified through ‘wild cards’-a system where athletes are selected based on performance when additional slots are available. Ghana has previously benefited from wild cards, particularly in swimming and weightlifting.

While uncertain about the weightlifters’ chances this year, he remains hopeful that Ghanaian swimmers might secure wild card entries.

He also expressed optimism about the boxers’ prospects, noting their recent participation in a challenging competition in Senegal and upcoming events in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 20.

“Our boxers are our current hope for q
ualification. With many of the world’s top boxers already qualified, the competition in Bangkok may offer us a better chance. We are hopeful for three slots for our male boxers at the Paris Games,” he said.

Mensah also expressed concern over the failure of both male and female teams to qualify for the Olympics, despite significant support from the GOC. He highlighted the need for greater investment in sports, akin to practices in other countries, to overcome these challenges.

Source: Ghana Web

Berekum Chelsea head coach Samuel Boadu and the club have been charged with violating Ghana Premier League regulations following their match against Legon Cities FC.

Specifically, they are accused of breaching Section 38 (8) (a) and Section 34 (6) (a) of the 2019 regulations.

The club allegedly failed to present Boadu for the mandatory post-match press conference, while Boadu himself is accused of intentionally refusing to attend, constituting misconduct that brings the game into disrepute.

The club and Boadu have until May 9, 2024, to respond to these charges.

This development highlights the importance of adhering to regulations and promoting a positive image of the game.

The mandatory post-match press conference is an essential aspect of the game, allowing coaches to share their thoughts and insights with the media and fans.

By allegedly failing to comply with this regulation, Berekum Chelsea and Boadu risk damaging the reputation of the club and the league as a whole.

It remains to be seen how they
will respond to these charges and what consequences may follow.

Source: Ghana Web

Ghanaian midfielder Abu Francis has signed a one-year contract extension with Cercle Brugge, keeping him at the Belgian club until at least the end of the 2023-24 season.

The deal also includes an option for an additional year, reflecting the club’s faith in the 23-year-old’s abilities.

Francis joined Cercle Brugge in the summer of 2022 from the Danish club FC Nordsjælland and quickly established himself as a key player for the Green and Black. In his debut season, he featured in 33 games, scoring two goals and providing three assists.

The versatile midfielder, who can operate both defensively and offensively, began his career at the renowned Right to Dream Academy in Ghana. His impressive performances for Cercle Brugge earned him a call-up to the Ghanaian national team, making his debut in a friendly against Uganda in March. He was also on the bench for Ghana’s friendly against Nigeria.

Francis’ progress was temporarily halted by an injury at the start of the current season, which kept him out of action
for six months. However, since his return in February, he has featured in every game, including the Champions’ Play-Offs. To date, he has made 15 appearances in the Belgian Pro League this season.

With his contract extension, Francis will look to build on his promising start at Cercle Brugge and continue his development as a top midfielder in European football.

Source: Ghana Web

Ghanaian sprinter Benjamin Azamati has responded to sports journalist Listowel Mensah over calls for the former to be dropped from Ghana’s relay team.

Listowel, in a tweet, suggested that the sprinter should be axed from the team, claiming it was the sentiment of all ‘serious Ghanaians.’

“I speak for every serious Ghanaian when I say we thank Benjamin Azamati for his services, but it’s time to go,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

The tweet was in reaction to Team Ghana dropping the baton in round 1 of the Men’s 4x100m Olympic Games qualifiers on May 5, 2024, in the Bahamas.

Benjamin Azamati was on the receiving end of the second exchange, which was not executed properly.

Despite the mishap, Team Ghana made their last chance count as they clocked 38.29s to win their heat on May 6, 2024, and as a result, qualified for the Olympics.

Following the magnificent comeback, Azamati, who ran 9.35s as the third leg, quoted Listowel’s tweet with a sarcastic video asking the broadcaster what he meant by ‘We’ in his
statement.

Source: Ghana Web

WINDHOEK: Katutura Lively Lions Black Africa suffered a significant setback in their league season when they lost 4-1 to Ramblers in round 18 of the 2023/24 Southern Stream First Division (SSFD) season.

The match played at the Ramblers Stadium saw Black Africa having a tough time from the start, conceding a goal in the opening minutes of the first half.

Despite their efforts, Black Africa could not find an equaliser by the end of the first half, which saw Ramblers leading by a single goal.

In the second half, Ramblers doubled their lead through a penalty kick, while Black Africa missed several scoring opportunities. But as the clock ticked closer to the 90-minute mark, Ramblers found the back of the net twice, while Black Africa only scored once, resulting in a final score of 4-1 in Ramblers’ favour.

With the win, Ramblers maintained their sixth place on the league table with 26 points from 18 games.

Other games played in the SSFD over the weekend saw Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) defeating Latinos
4-0 on Saturday and Blue Boys collecting six points with a 3-0 win against Davos and a 6-1 win on Sunday against Deutscher Turn und Sportverein (DTS).

NCS are top of the SSFD log standing and are level with Blue Boys on 47 points but have a game in hand, while DTS are in second place and have played 19 games compared to their opponents’ 18.

Eleven Arrows, who were relegated from the Debmarine Namibia Premiership last season, are third on the league table with 37 points from 19 matches.

Arrows collected three points this weekend, losing 1-0 against DTS on Saturday but winning 2-1 against Davos on Sunday.

Mariental Sports Club is in fourth place with 33 points from 18 matches, having only managed to collect a point on Saturday after a goalless draw against Dates Eleven. Dates Eleven occupy the fifth position with 29 points.

Teams that will be drawn into the relegation battle if they fail to collect points in their remaining fixtures are Latinos, who are in seventh position with 19 points, Davos, who sit in
eighth position with 18 points, and Oranjemund FC and Black Africa, both of whom are tied in ninth and tenth position with 16 points each.

The bottom of the league table is currently occupied by Try Again in eleventh place with 14 points and DTS in twelfth place with 13 points.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency