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Tag: Ghana Black Stars

  • I didn’t authorize the closure of the Accra Sports Stadium – Sports Minister

    I didn’t authorize the closure of the Accra Sports Stadium – Sports Minister

    The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, has disclaimed any responsibility for the National Sports Authority’s choice to lease the Accra Sports Stadium for musical performances.

    He said that he had not given the NSA permission to use the location for concerts in December of last year instead of football games.

    The Minister denied having any influence over the decision while testifying before the Public Accounts Committee on Monday, February 5.

    “Our sporting facilities are primarily for us to use for talent development and competitions, both national and international,” he stated.

    “No, I did not [give my approval for the sports stadium’s December closure]. I did call Peter Twumasi to inquire, and I am aware that the stadium was closed. I was really worried about the pitch.

    “My main concern is how much we are getting from these social events that we are giving these facilities to, even though the NSA is the authority having the powers to manage all the sporting facilities for us and to ensure they are in good shape once we have a major tournament coming up—the Africa Games—and the Premiership is still going on.”

    He claims that he requested that the stadium’s use for such events be discontinued in a conversation with Peter Twumasi.

    “I have discussed this with the Director General, and I think that going forward, this should not be done because, in the end, whatever you get from these social events might not be enough to sustain the pitch,” he continued.

    While the Ghana Premier League was still in play, the National Sports Authority closed the stadium for social events during the celebrations.

    Ghanaians took offence when Hearts of Oak, Accra Lions, and Great Olympics requested to relocate their home games from the stadium because it was unavailable.

  • Video: Angry supporter ‘attacks’ Chris Hughton after Ghana’s defeat to Cape Verde

    Video: Angry supporter ‘attacks’ Chris Hughton after Ghana’s defeat to Cape Verde

    A furious fan ‘attacks’ Chris Hughton following Ghana’s loss to Cape Verde

    Following Ghana’s defeat in their opening 2023 AFCON match, an enraged fan reportedly confronted Chris Hughton at the Black Stars hotel.

    On Sunday at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Hughton’s team lost disappointingly, 2-1, to lowly-ranked Cape Verde.

    Ghana 1–2. Cape Verde: The 2023 Black Stars are off to a losing start. AFCON
    After Jamiro Monteiro’s rebound, the Black Stars fell behind after just 17 minutes due to a lacklustre performance.

    With a header from Alexandre Djiku in the second half, Ghana recovered, and for a brief while, it appeared as though the evening might be theirs.

    But late in the game, Cape Verde surprised them when Garry Rodrigues scored the game-winning goal by taking advantage of a defensive blunder.

    Hughton is alleged to have been confronted by an enraged Ghanaian fan at the team hotel following the game, where he was pelted with obscenities.

    According to Joy Sports journalist Muftawu Nabila, security had to restrain the supporter and escort him away from the Irish coach.

    “Security removed a supporter who was acting furiously and using profanity towards Chris Hughton; he has not been charged.” Actually, there was no communication with the coach,” the reporter stated on X (the former Twitter).

    Group B now has the Blue Sharks at the top, and Ghana at the bottom, behind Egypt and Mozambique, who drew 2-2 earlier in the day and now share a point apiece.

    The Black Stars’ next match is scheduled for Thursday, January 18. They will take on Egypt.

     

  • Ghana and Cape Verde square off in AFCON 23

    Ghana and Cape Verde square off in AFCON 23

    Today, January 14, 2024, at 8 p.m. (GMT) at the Felix Houphouet Boigny stadium in Ivory Coast, the Black Stars of Ghana are scheduled to play Cape Verdein.

    After Egypt and Mozambique’s match, which is scheduled for 5 p.m. GMT earlier in the day, this game is the second in the group B matches of the 2023 TotalEnegies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) competition.

    Ghana and Cape Verde are playing each other at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations for the second time. In the 2013 edition, Ghana emerged victorious in their lone prior encounter, defeating their opponent 2-0.

    This is Ghana’s 24th participation in the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, the most after Côte d’Ivoire (25) and Egypt (26), according to the Confederation of African Football (CAF). In four of their first seven appearances (1963, 1965, 1978, 1982), the Black Stars emerged victorious from the Africa Cup of Nations; however, they have failed to win any of the next sixteen.

    With the exception of a 2-0 group stage victory over Guinea-Bissau in 2019, Ghana has only won one of their previous nine CAF Africa Cup of Nations games (D4 L4). However, they were eliminated in the previous AFCON’s group stages.

    Their Cape Verdean counterparts, on the other hand, are making their fourth CAF Africa Cup of Nations appearance, having participated in the competition each time since 2013.

    They have drawn six of their 11 games in the tournament thus far. Their two victories came against Ethiopia in 2022 (1-0) and Angola in 2013 (2-1), both in the group stages.

    Despite making it through the AFCON group stages twice before (in 2013 and 2021), Cape Verde has never prevailed in a match during the competition’s knockout stage. In nine group games (W2 D6), they have only lost once, and that was against Burkina Faso in January 2022 (0-1).

    The majority of Ghanaians and Cape Verdeans are excited to see this game because both teams are confident in winning because Cape Verde has never lost their opening match at a CAF Africa Cup of Nations (W1 D2).

  • “It is a great honour to represent my country” – Muhammad Kudus

    “It is a great honour to represent my country” – Muhammad Kudus

    Being chosen to represent one’s nation in an international competition is frequently regarded as the high point of an athlete’s career.

    Talented football player Mohammed Kudus, who feels that donning the national colours is not only a duty but also a unique privilege, aptly embodies this sentiment.

    Athletics The AFCON kicks off today, January 13.
    Ghanaian football sensation Mohammed Kudus is aware of the significant influence of wearing the uniform for his country. He stressed in a recent interview that serving his country is about more than just personal achievements.

    He thinks it is a privilege that goes beyond individual accomplishments, bearing the weight of pride in the country and the ability to motivate millions.

    He feels that the privilege carries with it an obligation to uplift society and motivate upcoming sports generations.

    “For me to be a part of the national squad is a huge privilege for me and my family and it comes with a huge responsibility representing over 30 million people who are inspired by you”

    “I am fully committed to it and I always do my best when I’m in the shirt. Ghanaians should keep supporting and praying for us and we will do our best in the tournament”.

  • AFCON 2023: Stonebwoy makes predictions about the Black Stars

    AFCON 2023: Stonebwoy makes predictions about the Black Stars

    African Cup of Nations (AFCON) champion in 2023, Stonebwoy, an award-winning reggae and dancehall artist, has issued a challenge to Ghana’s Black Stars.

    Before the team left on Wednesday, he said these things at the farewell dinner that President Akufo-Addo had arranged in Kumasi.

    The hitmaker of “Overlord” vowed to help the team and encouraged them to play well in hopes of winning the African Cup.

    “We wholeheartedly support them in every way. Yes, it will surprise everyone in the world and throughout Africa, but I have a lot of faith in my brothers and the technical team, so they should go out there and do us good and possibly win the African Cup for us in this tournament,” he remarked.

    “Dede Ayew, who we met in Qatar, is a brother.” He continued, “God knows how happy I am to be here with the players, the President, and everyone else.

    On Sunday, January 14, 2024, Ghana, who is in Group B, will play Cape Verde in the first game of the group stage.

    The Black Stars arrived in Ivory Coast on Wednesday afternoon, where they held their first practice before playing their first game at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on January 14, 2024. Four days later, they will play Egypt at the same stadium, and on January 22, 2024, they will play Mozambique at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium.

  • Ghana’s AFCON 2023 campaign lacks spark as Namibia holds Black Stars in final friendly

    Ghana’s AFCON 2023 campaign lacks spark as Namibia holds Black Stars in final friendly

    Ghana’s preparations for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) are raising concerns just six days before the Black Stars commence their campaign in the Ivory Coast.

    In their final friendly match on Monday evening, the Black Stars settled for a lacklustre goalless draw against Namibia at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi. The uninspiring performance left fans disappointed and questioning the team’s capability to make a significant impact in the upcoming tournament.

    Despite being ranked 61st by FIFA, the four-time African champions struggled to create clear-cut opportunities against Namibia, ranked 115th. The stalemate marks Ghana’s fifth game under Coach Chris Hughton, with only one victory against Madagascar and defeats to Mexico, USA, and Comoros.

    The 0-0 draw with Namibia is particularly alarming for Ghana, as it signifies the fifth instance where the team failed to score under Hughton’s management.

    The first half of the game which was not broadcast on television at coach Hughton’s insistence showcased an uninspiring performance, with a marginal improvement in the second half, yet the Black Stars were unable to put the Namibians to the sword.

    Despite substitutions implemented by Hughton in the latter part of the match, Namibia resiliently held on for the draw, leaving fans at the stadium disappointed.

    As Ghana struggles to exhibit an intense style of play, apprehensions are growing ahead of their Group B opener against Cape Verde on January 14. The Black Stars will face additional challenges in the group stage, taking on seven-time African champions Egypt before concluding their group fixtures against Mozambique.