Kwesi Nyantakyi

Ghana Football Association President Kwesi Nyantakyi has been nominated to chair the Fair-Play and Social Responsibility Committee of the continent’s sport governing body, the Confederation of African Football.

The appointment to the Standing Committee was confirmed by CAF’s Executive Committee at its meeting in Cairo on May 15 and 16th 2013, following a new system of selection.

Kwesi Nyantakyi, who is a CAF Executive Committee member, will chair the eight-member Committee for the period between 2013-2015.

The GFA President was also approved as the Vice-President of the Media Committee while retaining his seat as a member of the Organizing Committee for the Africa Cup of Nations.

Nyantakyi will also represent West Zone B on the Consultative Committee of CAF/National Associations.

FA

Some Kumasi fans plan to boycott Ghana’s potential World Cup decider against Zambia in protest against a Ghana FA ban on Kumasi Asante Kotoko following recent violence at their home match.

The Porcupine Warriors have been in the news for all the wrong reasons after the Baba Yara stadium was temporarily shut down by the Ghanaian FA due to crowd violence.

Irate fans of the club attacked match officials and Medeama players during their bad-tempered clash in Kumasi two weeks ago.

Unhappy with the decision of the Executive Committee of the Ghana FA, the club have confirmed plans to boycott all competitions in the country with the exception of the Ghana Premier League.

They have withdrawn from this year’s President Cup which falls on July 1 in a move to drum home their unhappiness with the home ban.

Fans of Kumasi, whom many are Kotoko supporters, are determined to go a notch higher by boycotting the Black Stars World Cup qualifier against Zambia in September.

The Ghanaian national team have enjoyed tremendous support over the years with fans of Kumasi playing leading role in the team’s success in the qualifying campaign so far.

Kumasi fans have carved a niche for themselves for usually comporting themselves even in the face of defeat for their teams.

But recent crowd troubles has dented a rather fine image in the country.

Source: ghanasoccernet.com

Mahatma Otoo

Hearts of Oak captain, Mahatma Otoo, has signed a one-year extension with the club for a fee of 30,000 dollars.

The deal will keep the 21-year old in the club till August 2014, which dispels all doubts  surrounding the future of the leading marksman of the premier league, who has scored 16-goals.

Information pieced together by GNA Sports indicated that, the Hearts hierarchy and Otoo met at an Accra-based hotel yesterday,  where the deal was struck.

The striker’s contract expires in August, but Hearts has tied him up to fend off any potential suitors including arch-rivals Asante Kotoko.

The move is also to ensure Hearts cash in on a potential move abroad of the player to South African giants, Mamelodi Sundowns and a Portuguese side, Benfica, all knocking at his door.

According to a source, both parties are happy with the new deal, which ranks among one of the most expensive on the local scene.

Otoo joined Hearts in 2009 and has remained a pillar in the fortunes of the club. He enjoyed a brief stint with Tunisian side, Esperance Sportive de Tunis, in 2010, where he won a silver medal in the 2010 CAF Champions League.

Hon Afriyie-Ankrah speaking to the team before departure

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, has charged members of the  national Beach Soccer side the Black Sharks to make a good representation of themselves and Ghana in the  2013 World Cup qualifier slated  for Morocco.

Speaking to the team few hours before their departure at East Legon in Accra on Sunday night, he said: “ Go and make Ghana proud. Don’t let any team  intimidate you. The spirits of our former presidents and fathers –Nkrumah, Acheampong, JJ Rawlings Kuffuor, Mills, John Mahama and myself are behind you.

“I know you can make it because I know where you are coming from. You are going there with nothing but I can assure you  will return with something. I am not here because Yaw is my brother but I told myself I will see you before your departure, no matter what.

“I have been following even when I was not a sports Minister, and as I keep saying I am not a minister for just a sport, I am there for all the disciplines, go and make our nation proud,” he added.

It is Ghana first ever representation in the competition  and the president of the Ghana Beach Soccer Association, Yaw Ampofoh Ankrah, believes the team has what it takes to prove a point.

“The fact that it is our maiden appearance is enough motivation to go the extra mile, It’s not been easy by way of sponsorship but CAL Bank has proven to be worthy supporters. We  have come a long way and the team is poised to make themselves and the nation proud,” said Yaw.

The contingent that left for the championship,  which kicks off tomorrow, include a doctor, a coach and a media officer.

Ghana will play South Africa and Libya in their first opening games for the quarter final slot.

 By Kofi Owusu Aduonum

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II will shelve his royal duties this weekend to join a host of golfers from all the country’s Clubs in the 56^th edition of the MTN Asantehene Gold Cup  in Kumasi at the Royal Golf Club.

Over 300 golfers from Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone and Cote d’Ivoire are expected to participate in the competition, which has become a key event on the  Royal Golf Club calendar.

Today, 45 professional golfers will begin their search for honours in their segment which ends on Friday to pave way for the  opening ceremony.

And in attendance for the big tee-off for the four-hole event will be the Asantehene, Chief Executive of MTN, Michael Ikpoki, top management members of MTN,     captain of Royal Golf  Club, Martin Poku, as well as Club president, Professor George Ntisiful.

Preceding the tee-off is an expected grand opening ceremony which would be characterised by  a flag hoisting ceremony to be accompanied by a fun-fare from the Army Band at 7am.

On the same Friday, over 70 seniors will take their turn and  crown the day with a cocktail for participants.

The amateurs will take their turn in a two category-A and B in a 36-hole Scratch event and according to Mr Poku, there would be a cut on the first day of the event, meaning those who fail to make the required mark would not be fit to play on the final day which is on Sunday.

And like the opening ceremony, a flag lowering ceremony will characterised the closing ceremony before the presentation of awards to be followed by a buffet lunch.

Host Club will parade golfers such as Poku, Isaac Opong, Felicity  Okyei Gyeabour, Linda Nsiah, Margaret Oppong and Rahida Khalid while Mrs Ama Morgan,  Mrs Florence ‘Scientific Etwi Barimah, Mrs Margaret Owusu Bahh, Cynthia Nyantakyi, Jessica Tei, among others, are expected to be in attendance.

At stake for those who will excel in the MTN sponsored event code named ‘Come tee off to a royal connection’ are attractive prizes and MTN souvenirs.

By Kofi Owusu Aduonum

Samuel Afum

Ghanaian striker Samuel Afum believes he is set to explode next season after going through an adaptation phase in the Swiss top flight.

The 22-year-old joined Young Boys from Smouha FC in the second half of the season after staying out for almost a year due to the suspension of the Egyptian league.

The ex Hearts of Oak hitman has now started scoring again despite playing regularly for the Yellow and Blacks since his January arrival.

Three goals in five games has seen Afum’s popularity shoot up in the Swiss top flight but the Ghanaian striker insists he is yet to regain his top form.

“I am getting better game after game and it was great to score again,” he told MTNFootball.com.

“I think I am yet to hit my best form but I am gradually getting there.

“Next season should be great for me as we have only three games left this season. I think people will see more of me next season.”

Afum remains in the hunt to win his second career title as Young Boys are just three points off leaders Sion with three games left.

He won his first major career title with the Hearts of Oak team that won the Ghana Premier League in the 2008-09 season and emerged top scorer of the Ghanaian top flight league with 13 goals.

Derek Boateng

Experienced midfielders Giorgos Karagounis and Simon Davies are set to leave Fulham this summer paving the way for Ghanaian Derek Boateng to join the club.

The contracts for both midfielders are due to expire at the end of the season, and they are not being offered fresh deals.

This paves the way for the Cottagers to sign Ghana’s Boateng despite the threat from Greek giants Olympiakos, who claim they have a deal in place for him.

The 36-year-old Karagounis joined the club on a free transfer in September and has played over 20 league games, becoming a strong fans’ favourite.

“It is most likely that Sunday will be the last game that Giorgos will play for Fulham,” his agent, Paschalis Tountouris, told Goal.

“He’s had a terrific year and the Premier league was a great experience. There would be options for him to stay in England and would consider any challenges that may be available.

“It’s very good that the fans of Fulham have recognised his contributions this season to vote him as the second best player and he will always have them in his heart.”

Davies, 33, is moving on after six successful seasons at Craven Cottage, which have seen him play over 150 games – but recently he has been dogged by injury.

“The thing with Simon is as long as I was here he was never fully-fit for more than two or three weeks, and that’s a problem,” said Fulham boss Martin Jol.

“When he was fit he was a wonderful player but if he’s not fit we’ve got a problem, so we’ve got to sit down with him and talk about it.

“We will look after Simon and, of course, he can stay here as long as he needs to get fit, but it’s about him as well. He has to make his mind up about his own fitness and if he wants to play again.”

Fulham have already moved to bring in new midfield reinforcements as they are set to confirm the signing of Ghana international Derek Boateng on a free transfer.

Ghana black stars players

Ghana have ruled out playing any friendly match before next month’s World Cup qualifiers against Sudan and Lesotho.

The Black Stars will be preparing for two crucial World Cup qualifiers which could determine whether they will reach the final phase of the qualifiers.

They had previously arranged a friendly against Kenya but pulled out of the game citing the late arrival of players from their European bases for their decision.

With many players likely to end their season just two days before the Kenya friendly, Ghana has decided stick to training before the World Cup qualifiers.

Sudan’s decision to bring the match forward by two days to 7th June is another reason for the decision to call off the game as players stand the risk of getting injured.

“We will not play any friendly match before we play our World Cup qualifiers in June,” Ghana FA’s Director of Communications Ibrahim Sannie told Happy FM.

Ghana will play Sudan in Khartoum before travelling to Maseru to play Lesotho.
Victories in both matches will strongly enhance Ghana’s chances of reaching the final phase of the 2014 World Cup.

Jordan Opoku

Berekum Chelsea yesterday scored three unanswered goals against Medeama to return to the Glo Premier League summit, a position they lost momentarily to Asante Kotoko last week.

The former Ghana champions shrugged off their 0-3 thrashing by Hearts of Oak last week to score in both halves – two in the first half and one in the second half – when the visitors were numerically disadvantaged following Henry Entsir’s red card.

Skipper for the afternoon Obed Owusu headed home a Jordan Opoku cross in the 27th minute for the opener, to crown the home side’s brilliant efforts.

The goal unsettled the Moses Parker men and Chelsea took advantage of the situation to double the lead a few minutes before the break, through substitute Landry Bosson when he fired home an acute strike to the left side of the roof.

Medeama, until the first two goals, were composed in defence, with goalkeeper Joseph Halm making brilliant interventions.

A free kick opportunity near the box came the visitors way, giving them the opportunity to pull one back just after the break, but a timely save by goalkeeper Iddrisu Abubakar denied them.

Chelsea fought on and Bismark Idan earned the home side a spot kick opportunity three minutes to the end of the game. James Ato Bissah converted the spot kick perfectly to make it three.

At the Sunyani Coronation Park, Kotoko dropped two vital points to lose their grip on the top spot after drawing 1-1 with Aduana Stars to slip to the second spot on the log.

Godfred Saka scored from a free kick 13 minutes into the game for Aduana, but Kotoko’s resilience paid off when striker Kofi Nti Boakye canceled the lead 16 minutes before recess.

GPL Scores @ Glance

Liberty 3, Lions 1

Edubiase 1, Faisal 0

RTU 2, Arsenals 0

Dwarfs 1, T. Youth 0

All Stars 0, Hearts 0

Amidaus 1 Ashgold 0

Chelsea 3, Medeama 0

Kotoko 1, Aduana 1

 By Kofi Owusu Aduonum

Management member of Okwawu United Charles Boahen has attributed his side’s current razor-sharp form to proper administrative work.

Boahen mentioned that the Soccer Mountaineers are close to a premiership return, having gained a ticket to play in the National Middle League.

The former premiership side have wallowed in the lower league for seven years. The last time they came close to returning to the elite league, they incurred the wrath of the country’s football governing body, GFA, after conceding over 30 goals against Nania FC in Takoradi.

Boahen explained on ‘Stage Africa’ a GTV sports show hosted by Jerry Kwame Ayensu four days ago that the club’s management identified its problems and drew a strategy to arrest its problem.

He revealed that the ‘sole proprietorship style’ of administration had a telling effect on the team’s performance, and so they decided to form a board to ensure the day to day running of the club.

“Running of the club in the past few years used to be a one-man show business and that didn’t work, so we decided to form a board and things have turned around since.

“We have been in the Middle League three times, we have enough experience now to rejoin the premier league. We have been in Division One for seven years and have vowed not to return after gaining promotion from the forthcoming Middle League,” Boahen said.

He noted that the countless disciplinary issues that bedeviled their operations last season have stirred management to educate their large following.

Okwawu have qualified for this year’s Middle League, sitting on top of the Zone 3B table after amassing 25 points followed by Danbort FC.

By Kofi Owusu Aduonum