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Tag: Sports

  • Ghana and Morocco to compete in the Amputee Africa Cup final

    Ghana and Morocco to compete in the Amputee Africa Cup final

    In the 2024 Amputee Africa Cup of Nations (AAFCON) final, Ghana’s Black Challenge will play Morocco on Monday.

    This comes after the squad defeated Algeria 3-0 on Saturday, May 25, in the tournament’s semi-final.

    Ghana had to overcome Morocco in order to advance as the defending champions going into the competition.

    They defeated Algeria 5-0 after thrashing The Gambia 4-0 in the first game.

    With their 2-1 victory over Kenya, they wrapped up the group stage.

    The squad defeated Tanzanian 2-1 in the quarterfinals.

    Yusif Yahaya scored the first goal of the semi-final match on Saturday in just the fourth minute of play.

    With a brilliant goal in the 36th minute, Mohammed Mubarak doubled the lead. In the first minute following the interval, he added his second.

    He was named Man of the Match for his performance.

    On Monday, May 27, the championship game is slated to take place.

  • I have reached my pinnacle in sports – Nyantakyi

    I have reached my pinnacle in sports – Nyantakyi

    Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kwesi Nyantakyi claims he has accomplished all of his goals and does not see the need to return to football.

    From 2005 until the Anas Aremeyaw Anas scandal in 2018, Nyanktakyi presided over Ghana’s football governing body. Under his leadership, the Black Stars qualified for their first World Cup in 2006.

    FIFA banned the 55-year-old from all football-related activities following the exposé, but he was later exonerated.

    After the most recent verdict, there were rumours that Nyantakyi would return to football administration. However, he has chosen to pursue a different career, stating he has nothing more to accomplish in the sport.

    “Politics is the ultimate. In all we do…you need political guidance,” he said when asked about his decision to go into politics in an interview with Onua TV.

    “I have excelled in Sports. You can’t mention three or four people who are famous in sports in Ghana without adding me. I have reached the pinnacle of my career in sports.

    “Apart from Ohene Djan, no one has ever reached where I did in sports. No Ghanaian has served on the FIFA Council. I was the second person after Ohene Djan in the 1960s.”

    He clarified that the motivation for entering politics is the wish to use the knowledge one has gained to make a difference.

    “I want to use the knowledge, experience and connections that I have acquired for political influence and help the people of this country,” he added.

    “That is what motivated and encouraged me to see if I can help in that regard.”

    Nyantakyi has formally announced his intention to run for the Ejisu parliamentary seat in the wake of John Kumah’s passing.

  • Mohammed Kudus sets West Ham record (Video)

    Mohammed Kudus sets West Ham record (Video)

    Mohammed Kudus, a Ghanaian sensation, made history at West Ham United by surpassing all other Ghanaian players in scoring records.

    Despite his incredible accomplishment, West Ham lost a heartbreaking seven-goal thriller to Newcastle United.

    Kudus, who only recently joined the Hammers in the summer, has quickly established himself as a key member of the squad. His influence was felt again when, in a hotly contested match against the Magpies, he scored with a brilliant finish just before halftime to give West Ham the lead.

    Nevertheless, despite Kudus’ valiant efforts, Newcastle produced a tremendous comeback and won 4-3.

    Kudus’ goal was a major turning point in the match, even though the loss was disappointing because it made him the highest-scoring Ghanaian player for West Ham, surpassing fellow countryman Andre Ayew.

    Surprisingly, Kudus accomplished this feat in just 35 games with 13 goals, as opposed to Ayew’s 12 goals in 50 appearances. Furthermore, Kudus has the most goal contributions of any Ghanaian in the Premier League—11 total—consisting of seven goals and four assists.

    Kudus has demonstrated his ability with a total of 13 goals in all competitions, showcasing his skill in the UEFA Europa League and the EFL Cup, among other competitions.

    Kudus’ incredible accomplishments and unwavering willpower shine through despite the disappointment of the loss, securing his place as a rising star in the Premier League and a vital asset for West Ham United.

  • Otto Addo returns as Black Stars coach

    Otto Addo returns as Black Stars coach

    The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has confirmed Otto Addo’s return to lead the Black Stars.

    The former Ghanaian international replaces Chris Hughton, who was fired after the team’s unsuccessful Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign in Ivory Coast earlier this year.

    Otto Addo’s appointment follows the search committee’s five-member recommendation for Black Stars Head Coach.

    GFA affirmed that they have extended an offer to Addo for a 34-month contract with a two-year option to extend.

    Otto Addo can take up the role permanently in May of this year if Borussia Dortmund agrees to release him during the March international window.

    Borussia Dortmund, a team in the Bundesliga, announced that Otto Addo will be leaving his position as a talent coach in the summer.

    He will return to Germany following the forthcoming international break, which they have also confirmed his release for.

  • FIFA Rankings: Black Stars drop to 67th, now ranked 14th in Africa

    FIFA Rankings: Black Stars drop to 67th, now ranked 14th in Africa

    Ghana has fallen six spots in the most recent FIFA World Ranking following a pretty underwhelming performance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

    The Black Stars are still outside the top 10 in Africa according to the world football governing body’s release from Thursday, February 15, 2024.

    Ghana is now ranked 67th in the world, and the Black Stars are now 14th on the continent, behind countries like Mali and South Africa.

    The team’s poor performance at the AFCON, where they were unable to advance out of a group that included Egypt, Cape Verde, and Mozambique, is the reason behind the drop.

    After the Black Stars lost to Cape Verde and drew with Egypt and Mozambique in their group stage matches, head coach Chris Hughton was fired.

    Even though they were eliminated from the AFCON in the round of 16, Morocco is still ranked highest in Africa.

    Senegal is ranked second, followed in order by Nigeria, Egypt, and the recently crowned AFCON champions, Ivory Coast.

    In the continental rankings, South Africa completes the top ten, followed by Algeria in seventh place, Mali in eighth place, and Tunisia in sixth place.

    Argentina, the world champions, are first in the global ranking. The top five also includes France, England, Belgium, and Brazil.

    The following lists the top 10 African teams according to FIFA’s most recent global rankings:

    1. Morocco 
    2. Senegal 
    3. Nigeria 
    4. Egypt
    5. Ivory Coast 
    6. Tunisia 
    7. Algeria 
    8. Mali 
    9. Cameroon 
    10. South Africa
  • Netherlands football star Quincy Promes sentenced to six years in prison for drug trafficking

    Netherlands football star Quincy Promes sentenced to six years in prison for drug trafficking

    Quincy Promes, a forward for Spartak Moscow, was found guilty of drug trafficking by a Dutch court on Wednesday and given a six-year prison sentence in absentia.

    Promes, a former international for the Netherlands, did not show up for court proceedings in Amsterdam and is not anticipated to return there anytime soon.
    Promes was involved in the smuggling of 1,360 kg of cocaine into the Netherlands in two shipments in 2020 through the port of Antwerp, Belgium, and the prosecution last month requested a nine-year sentence for him.

    According to the court, phone tapping revealed Promes’ direct involvement in the drug shipments—which were concealed in shipments of Brazilian salt—and their subsequent transportation from the port.
    His attorneys told the Dutch daily AD Promes that he would file an appeal of the sentence because he contests the allegations that he imported, exported, transported, and owned the drugs.

    The 32-year-old former forward for Ajax Amsterdam and Sevilla was found guilty of assault last year in absentia. The incident involved a fight in 2020 during which he stabbed his cousin in the knee. This is just one of several court cases involving Dutch courts.

    SOURCE: Reuters

  • Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum: Marathon world record holder dies in road accident

    Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum: Marathon world record holder dies in road accident

    Kenya’s 24-year-old Kelvin Kiptum, the current world record holder in the men’s marathon, passed away in a car accident in his native nation, a Kenyan athletics official confirmed to the BBC.

    He was killed in an automobile on a road close to Eldoret, Rwanda, along with his coach, Gervais Hakizimana.

    In 2023, Kiptum surfaced as an adversary of fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge.

    In October of last year, he ran the 26.1 miles in Chicago, breaking Kipchoge’s world record in two hours and 35 seconds.

    His squad just revealed last week that he would try to run the course in under two hours at the Rotterdam marathon, which has never been accomplished in a public competition.

    Former prime minister and leader of the Kenyan opposition, Raila Odinga, said on X that the nation was mourning “a remarkable individual… and Kenyan athletics icon” and that it had lost “a true hero.”

    World Athletics president Sebastian Coe paid tribute to the young man, calling him “an incredible athlete leaving an incredible legacy, we will miss him dearly.”

    The rise to fame for the father-of-two had been rapid – he only ran his first full marathon in 2022.

    Four years prior, he had participated in his first significant competition while wearing borrowed shoes because he could not afford his own.

    He was one of a new generation of Kenyan athletes who started their careers on the road, departing from the custom of athletes initially competing on the track before moving on to longer distances.

    Last year, Kiptum told the BBC that his unconventional decision was merely the result of a lack of funding.

    He clarified, “I had no money to travel to track sessions.”

    Source | BBC News

  • Ivory Coast defeats Nigeria to win the AFCON championship

    Ivory Coast defeats Nigeria to win the AFCON championship

    A thrilling come-from-behind victory on home soil helped Ivory Coast defeat Nigeria in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final.

    With just nine minutes remaining, the team’s standout player, Sebastien Haller, scored the game-winning goal to seal the nation’s third continental crown.

    Simon Adingra’s cross was expertly flicked in by Haller, who had earlier scored the winner of the semi-final, using the tip of his boot. This goal brought the incredible comeback from the second half to a close and sent the home crowd into joyous celebrations.

    With a strong header from a corner kick by William Troost-Ekong, Nigeria had taken the lead in the first half.

    Franck Kessie, however, tied the score in the 62nd minute by nodding in Adingra’s corner unmarked after the Nigerian defence erred.

    Despite some impressive performances during the tournament, Nigeria failed to impose themselves throughout much of the match.

    Ivory Coast, on the other hand, dominated the game and deservedly won.

    With this accomplishment, Ivory Coast has now won three Nations Cups, having previously won in 1992 and 2015.

    Remarkably, they are the first host country to win since Egypt did so in 2006.

    The team’s remarkable wins over Senegal and Mali were largely attributed to interim coach Emerse Fae, who led the group through the knockout stages.

  • Asamoah Gyan was forced to drop Black Stars captaincy to Dede Ayew – Laryea Kingston

    Asamoah Gyan was forced to drop Black Stars captaincy to Dede Ayew – Laryea Kingston

    Laryea Kingston, a former Ghana international player, asserted that Asamoah Gyan is still upset about how Andre Ayew won the Black Stars captaincy over him.

    He claimed that Ayew “got the captaincy by force,” which is why Gyan was upset about the way things turned out.

    After almost five years as captain of Ghana, Gyan had his armband removed a few weeks prior to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

    The veteran striker was named general captain by national team coach James Kwesi Appiah, who also selected Ayew as his new captain.

    Gyan announced his retirement from the national team after being unimpressed with the decision, but he later changed his mind following President Akufo-Addo’s intervention.

    Gyan’s loss of the Black Stars captaincy serves as one example of how Laryea feels the national team’s management treats legends poorly.

    “Look at someone like Asamoah Gyan, Dede Ayew got the captaincy by force so if you are speaking to Asamoah now he is not happy,” he told Graphic Sport.

    “I never supported the Black Stars because of what they did to me for so many years, but recently I sat down and said, ‘Let me focus.’”

    However, Kwesi Appiah, the former coach of Ghana, thinks that removing Gyan from the Black Stars captaincy was the right move.

    Speaking on Prime Take on Joy News in 2023, Kwesi Appiah said he has a lot of respect for Gyan and made sure he informed the striker of the decision in a respectful manner.

    “I respect him a lot. That’s the reason why I called him to let him know the decision I was going to take and make him the general captain,” he said.

  • Football to introduce blue cards for sin-bins trials

    Football to introduce blue cards for sin-bins trials

    As part of the trials for sin-bins, a new blue card is scheduled to be implemented in professional football.

    Although yellow and red cards have been used in football since the 1970 World Cup, there have been rumours recently that a new card may be added to the game.

    The International Football Association Board has approved the introduction of a blue card as part of a trial for sin-bins, according to The Telegraph.

    Under the new protocol, players who commit cynical fouls or show disapproval towards an official will be taken off the pitch for ten minutes.

    Only fouls committed during a potentially strong attack and dissent will be eligible for the new card.

    A player may be shown a red card if they are dealt two blue cards or a combination of yellow and blue cards.

    The new protocol is expected to be unveiled on Friday, according to reports.

    According to a Telegraph report, elite trials may start as early as the summer, but top-tier competitions will not be included in the professional game’s initial testing if the protocols need to be improved.

    “That could involve the FA Cup and Women’s FA Cup, as the Football Association is thinking of offering to test the competitions for the upcoming season.”

    “It is not football anymore,” UEFA President Aleksandr Ceferin stated in an interview with the Telegraph, expressing his opposition to sin-bins. In the UEFA competition, we will not use them.

    “Ifab has four European members. I don’t think they will do something against the interests of football. And, if they do, then we will deal with it later.”

    Ceferin added: “I would leave football as it is.

    “I think we don’t need a change of rules. We don’t need to be remembered as important persons that changed football. We don’t need to change football. We are passing through.”