Ghana midfielder Mohammed Kudus insists he is battle-ready for the upcoming season in the English Premier League after magnificently announcing himself with superlative performances in his maiden campaign.
The Black Stars attacking midfielder was outstanding for the Hammers last season, ending the season as Europe’s best dribbler. He also scored 14 goals, including sensational strikes against Freiburg and Manchester City, and added six assists to his goals contributions.
His efforts has seen him attract interest from various clubs with Saudi giants Al Ittihad and Liverpool the sides heavily linked to the player.
However, Kudus is focused on his time with West Ham as preparations for the new season continue in the United States.
According to the 23-year-old, he is aware of the expectations and he is ready to give his best in the upcoming campaign.
“Definitely, the preparations has been smooth so far. We have a couple of games to get to the level we want to get to. Looking forward to tomorrow’s game but same thing like last season. Last season was good, first season to announce myself,” he told West Ham TV.
“I think now the expectation is even higher. The opponents are going to come stronger but so am I.
“So, just double my effort and the do my best to help the team finish in the best position as possible.”
A member of Ghana’s 1982 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winning team, Opoku Nti, says the benefit the squad had for winning the tournament was boarding the presidential jet.
Speaking on Prime Take with Muftawu Nabila Abdulai which will broad the on Saturday, July 27 at 7:30 pm on JoyNews, the former Black Stars forwarded recalled a stirring message from the late CK Gyamfi, the team’s coach, delivered on behalf of then-head of state Jerry John Rawlings, it was never fulfilled.
“Before the [AFCON 1982] final, we were there when the late CK Gyamfi came and said, ‘This is a message from our head of state [Jerry John Rawlings] and it reads like this: ‘If you win this Cup, we are going to honour you and this honour will benefit you and your children.’
Every step, whether eating, training, after lunch or supper, he would read this message to us,” Nti recounted.
It is believe that the message was meant to inspire the team to go all out and win when rumours in Ghana alleged that then Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi wanted Ghana to throw the match.
“We didn’t even know that in Ghana, there were rumours that [Muammar] Gaddafi wanted us to sell the match to him [for Libya to win the AFCON]. Lo and behold, we won the Cup.”
The team waited in Tripoli for several days before the presidential jet arrived to bring them home. Boarding the jet, Nti says, was the only honour they had. “Maybe, the benefit we had was being on the presidential jet,” he stated.
He added, “It took us from Tripoli, Libya and we were happy. We had to refuel when we got to Tamale, and when we got to Tema, we saw two jet planes.” The flight back to Ghana turned into a terrifying experience as the pilot performed risky manoeuvres. “While in the plane, something happened, and we were all crying in the plane.
“The pilot was flying dangerously: he would take high up and come down again… he did that a couple of times and we were all scared to death because we hadn’t seen anything like that before. We all thought we were going to die. Even those who were outside waiting for us to land were all shouting.
“If you want, go and look at the picture of our arrival carefully, no one was laughing. We couldn’t laugh because our hearts were gone.”
There was enough history for these players not to be so expectant: 1963, 1965, and 1978. Promises made to these winning teams were never fulfilled, but this group thought theirs was a different era despite a warning from some members of the 1978 group who were promised houses, but never got them.
“Some of the 1978 squad members told us there was a promise for them if they won the AFCON during Kutu Acheampong’s era. They were promised houses, but it never happened. So they told us we must ask for even cars because the state had seized so many cars at the port,” Nti explained.
They made no demands at the instruction of their technical team members, and their hopes were dashed when they finally met with Rawlings.
“The coaches, CK Gyamfi, Osam Duodu were like, ‘These boys, you are too troublesome, he [Rawlings] said he will honour us. When you’re given a car, is that honour?’ It was back and forth.
“They eventually took us from the airport to Konda Barracks and that was the first time we met [Daniel Alolga] Akata Pore . He told us the old man, he called Papa J [Jerry John Rawlings] old man, is sleeping but will join us soon.
“We were there for about 30 minutes before he came. He greeted us and spoke for a long time. It was from politics to many other things.
“He said what we blacks can do if we were given the same opportunities as the whites, we are better.
“In the end, he said Ghana has nothing to offer you, except to say ‘We salute you.’ To be honest with you, it pierced our hearts,” Nti recounted. The lack of promised rewards had a lasting impact on the players. Ghana has not win the AFCON since then and many attributes the country’s near misses to not honouring promises made to past winners.
“If Ghana is suffering… maybe some players cursed Ghana, I don’t know, but this thing got so many players to decide not to play for the nation again because the sacrifice was too much,” Nti reflected.
The disillusionment carried over into the next AFCON where Ghana, despite being defending champions had its worst outing to date. The team exited the group stage without a point.
“It’s all gone now, but you see, it didn’t augur well so from there defending the Cup at Bourke, we were eliminated because no one was willing to sacrifice again. Who wants to die again for the nation? They said a nation that does not honour its heroes is not worth dying for,” Nti concluded.
Prime Take airs every Friday at 7:30, Saturday at 7:30 pm, and Sunday at 11 am.
Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey is confident the competition for places within the club’s midfield position could be a positive thing for them.
According to the 31-year-old, the quality of the players available at the disposal of Mikel Arteta in midfield could propel the club to greater heights.
Partey is determined to reclaim a spot in the team after another troubling season marred by injuries. He missed 29 games as the Gunners missed out on silverware at the end of the 2024/25 season.
However, he believes the availability of all midfielder options could be the turning point as he praised the quality of his teammates.
“We have a lot of players in that position. Jorginho is playing well, I am playing well. Dec (Rice) is there, Martin (Odegaard) too,” said Partey in an interview with Hayters TV.”We also have other players who can come in and make a difference. We have to compete against each other and at the end of the day it is the Mister (Arteta) who decides.
“With this kind of competition, we can get to the level that we want to be at. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who plays. I think the most important thing is the team achieves their objective.”
Arsenal missed out on the Premier League title by just two points last season and would be hoping their can end their drought at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
FIFA suspended Canada women’s soccer coach Bev Priestman for one year, deducted six points from the team’s Olympic group stage total and issued a fine on Saturday in response to Canada flying a drone over New Zealand’s training sessions before the start of the Games.
The user of the drone in the incident that kicked off a large-scale investigation into Canada Soccer, team analyst Joseph Lombardi, was suspended for one year, as was assistant coach Jasmine Mander. The chairman of the FIFA appeal committee issued the decision Saturday.
FIFA found violations of article 13 of its code of conduct and article 6.1 of the Olympic football tournament regulations, both related to fair play. FIFA also noted that the decision was made — very quickly — because of its impact on the outcome of the ongoing Olympic tournament. Canada, in Group A, won its opener against New Zealand 2-1.
The national beach soccer team, the Black Sharks, will compete in the 2024 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations after beating Cote d’Ivoire in a two-legged game.
The qualification to the main tournament comes following their 10-5 aggregate win over their counterparts.
Ghana came from behind to win 2-5 in the return leg of the fixture on Saturday, July 27, having won the home game in Keta 5-3 a week earlier.
The Ivorians led 2-1 at halftime in the second-leg encounter. However, the Black Stars scored four goals in the second half to turn the tie around. Wise Nyamadi scored the equaliser after the break before captain Alex Osah and Precious Torgbor got on the scoresheet to make it 4-2.
Jude Akile netted the fifth goal of the day for the Black Sharks to ensure they put the game beyond the reach of the Sand Elephants.
Super Falcons of Nigeria lost their 2024 Olympics opener against Brazil by 1-0 after a tight affair at the Bordeaux Stadium, in France on Thursday, July 25.
A 37th-minute goal from Gabi Nunes was all that was needed for Brazil to deny the Super Falcons three points in their first game at this year’s Olympics.
Randy Waldrum, Nigeria’s head coach, opted to leave Asisat Oshoala on the bench and instead named Chinwendu Ihezuo as the team’s centre forward.
Skipper Rashidat Ajibade made several attempts to drive the team’s attack, including setting up Ihezuo with a well-placed cross and forcing Brazil’s goalkeeper Lorena into a save. Christy Ucheibe also tested Lorena, but Nigeria’s efforts were not enough.Brazil’s Marta, a six-time Women’s World Footballer of the Year, initially thought she had scored in the 36th minute, but the goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR review.
Shortly afterward, a lapse in concentration allowed Nunes to capitalize on a chance, driving the ball past Nigeria’s goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie and into the net.Nigeria will now shift their focus to their second group game against Spain on Sunday.
Hearts of Oak head coach, Aboubakar Ouattara, has ripped into football administrators for the kind of contracts players in the Ghana Premier League sign.
According to him, the nature of the contracts agreed between clubs and players is not professional and does not happen anywhere.
In recent times, players have left Ghanaian clubs at crucial times of the season due to the contracts they signed when joining and Ouattara didn’t shy away from bashing them.
“It’s only in Ghana that I see a player’s contract end in September or December,” he said during a media briefing on Thursday, July 25. “It’s not normal for a contract to end just a week before the league starts. It’s not professional.”
Ouattara is determined to fine-tune Hearts’ squad not to repeat their performance from the 2023/24 season where they finished in the bottom half of the table.
Ambitious, historic, spectacular – these are some of the words used to describe the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony since the first plans were unveiled three years ago.
Set to be the first Olympic Games Opening Ceremony held outside a stadium, the 26 July celebration will transform the French capital into a stadium and theatre as the traditional parade of athletes takes place in boats along the Seine, passing the most iconic Parisian landmarks.
Here is all you need to know about the Opening Ceremony.
When will the opening ceremony be held? The Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will take place on Friday, 26 July.
The event will start at 19:30 CEST and is expected to last more than three hours.
Why is this ceremony historic? Paris 2024 will mark the first time in history of the Olympic Summer Games that the Opening Ceremony is held outside a stadium.
Instead of familiar images of athletes marching out along an athletics track, guests and viewers will be treated to a colourful river parade through the heart of the French capital.
The Seine, the city’s main water artery, will substitute for the traditional track, the quays will become spectator stands, while the setting sun reflecting off famous Parisian landmarks will provide the backdrop for the event.
This outdoor concept also makes Paris 2024 the largest Opening Ceremony in terms of audience and geographical coverage.
What is the route of the parade? The parade route along the Seine is a visual journey through Parisian history and architecture.
The Austerlitz Bridge next to the Jardin des Plantes is the starting point for the flotilla, which will then continue west for 6 kilometres along the Seine, passing under historic bridges and by iconic landmarks, such as the Notre-Dame and the Louvre, as well as some Games venues, including the Esplanade des Invalides and the Grand Palais.
Grouped on the boats with their national teams, the athletes will ultimately arrive opposite the Trocadero – the esplanade across from the Eiffel Tower – where the official protocols will be carried out, the Olympic cauldron lit, and the Paris 2024 Games officially declared open.
How many athletes will take part? Almost 100 boats carrying an estimated 10,500 athletes will float along the Seine during the parade. The larger of the 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) represented in the parade will have boats to themselves, while the smaller ones will share boats.
Camera equipment set up on the decks will allow spectators to see the athletes up close and witness their emotions.
What entertainment performances can we expect? Thomas Jolly, a French theatre director and actor, is overseeing the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies as artistic director.While most of the entertainment acts remain under wraps, based on the hints so far, we can expect a show on a grand scale with an eclectic mash up of the old and the new. Speaking to the media in January, Jolly said that he wants to showcase the contrasting cultures of France, be that opera or rap, thus bringing together all the pieces that form the nation’s diverse cultural identity.
For his part, ceremonies choreographer Maud Le Pladec promised that every bridge along the parade route will have dancers on it. Le Pladec will lead 400 dancers out of the total 3,000 artists who are set to take part in the Paris 2024 Opening and Closing Ceremonies, all decked out in one-of-a-kind costumes by Daphne Burki.
The French television presenter serves as the costume director for the show, leading a team of hundreds of dressmakers, hair stylists and makeup artists. Burki’s focus on sustainability also means there will be many vintage and upcycled pieces used in the ceremonies, mixed in with newer creations.
What will the athletes be wearing? Artists will not be the only ones showing their style at the Opening Ceremony. With a line-up of luxury brands designing athlete uniforms, expect the Olympians to shine as well.
Team USA mix preppy jackets with jeans for a cool, all-American look, while Italian athletes will show up in casual, dark blue sets. Hosts France worked with a luxury brand to come up with vests and jackets that tie in with the general Paris 2024 look.
Other teams, such as Canada, Great Britain and Sweden, opted for a more athleisure look, all evoking the colour palettes of their national flags.Some nations went even further with the patriotic details. Mongolian outfits have already created a buzz on social networks for their intricate embroidery and traditional silhouettes.
Brazil and Guatemala’s looks are also sure to turn heads. Brazil’s denim jackets feature animals that are native to the country, while the Guatemalan athletes are dressed up in folkloric hats and bags to make a colourful statement on the Seine.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT WAYS TO WATCH THE OPENING CEREMONY? Almost 600,000 people will be able to enjoy the Opening Ceremony in person. True to its slogan, “Games Wide Open”, Paris 2024 tried to make the event accessible to as many people as possible by taking it outside of the traditional stadium setting.
There were 222,000 free tickets available to watch the parade from the upper banks of the Seine, in addition to 104,000 paid tickets on the lower quays. This marks the first Opening Ceremony where most spectators will not pay an admission fee – another historic milestone for Paris 2024.
Those in Paris who could not get tickets will be able to watch the Opening Ceremony on 80 giant screens set up throughout the city.
An additional 1.5 billion people from around the world are expected to tune into the television broadcasts of the ceremony.
Scottish powerhouse Aberdeen FC are keeping tabs on talented Ghana and Medeama defender Nurudeen Abdulai, GHANAsoccernet.com can report.
The 19-year-old, who is a subject intense interest from Clubs in Europe, has attracted the lenses of the Scottish giants.
A glowing scouting reports point to a promising footballer who will develop and thrive in Europe over time.
The Scottish side are believed to be prepared to discuss a complete package hinge on a developmental path for the highly-rated Ghanaian centre-back, who has a knack for scoring goals.
However, Aberdeen FC, will not have an easy route to the youngster’s signature with a lots of clubs in England, Denmark and Norway keeping tabs on his progress at 2023-24 CAF Champions League campaigners, Medeama SC.
Abdulai, 19, has captured the attention and imagination of Ghanaians since bursting onto the Premier League scene just two seasons ago- culminating into a call up into the senior national team, the Black Stars.
The fast rising defender, who has been included in Medeama’s pre-season squad, will likely depart the Ghana Premier League before it kicks off on September 6, 2024.
The 19-year-old has consistently been one of the best defensive players in the Ghana Premier League over the last two seasons. He played a pivotal role in Medeama SC winning the Ghana Premier League for the first time in the 2022/23 season.
Interest in the versatile youngster is growing and it is expected he will depart the Tarkwa based club this summer.
According to transfer experts FootballInsider247.com, Abdulai is on the radar of several Premier League and Championship clubs in the ongoing summer transfer window.
Following a stellar 2022/23 season, Nurudeen received his debut call-up to the Black Stars squad that faced Madagascar and Comoros in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in November last year.
Former Ghana coach Chris Hughton included him in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations provisional squad but missed out on the final squad with a shoulder injury.
Ghanaian prodigy, Godswill Vadze is set to take the Serbian Super League by storm after completing a 3-year deal with Čukarički.
The white and black were reinforced by the signing of the offensive midfielder Godswill Vadze, a youngster who was one of the best individuals in the Zvijezda 09 team in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina last season.
Vadze was born on September 4, 2001 in Tefle, Ghana, and after a 3-year spell with Accra shooting stars FC, he began his European adventure with Austrian third-tier club, Pinzgau Saalfelden, from where he moved to Zvijezda 09 from Stanišić.
While at Republika Srpska, he was very noticeable, in 49 games he scored eight goals and assisted six times.
“I am very happy that I became a member of Čukaricki. I can’t wait to meet my teammates, to do the first training and I hope to be in competition for games very soon. I am grateful to God and to all the people in Ghana who believed in my talent. I promise to give my best for this club, to which I am very grateful for the fact that they signed me. It is a privilege to play for Čukarički” – said Vadze after being introduced to the club from Banovo brdo.
Vadze was assigned the number 11 jersey. On Monday, he underwent medical examinations and he will begin first training session with the team today.“We followed several guys who were on our radar for a long time, including Vadze. We did a detailed analysis of his qualities, with the help of the club’s scouting service, together we came to the conclusion that this is the ideal profile of a player who fits the system and idea of the game that our head coach Goran Stanić is looking for.”
“We expect the boy from Ghana to quickly adapt to the requirements and to play for the team as soon as possible, and the fact that he has already played in these areas will be of great importance” – said Goran Grkinić, the technical director of Čukarički.
“Our goal is to produce top level players who are capable of competing at the highest level and we are most definitely on that path having produced a couple of youngsters including Vadze in whom I am confident in the next couple of years, will be rubbing shoulders with the best in the world of football” – said Isaac Ansah, Vice president of Accra Shooting Stars FC.
