2024-12-22

Football

Colombia 2024: Black Princesses need to play friendlies as part of preparations – Basigi

Head coach of the Black Princesses, Yussif Basigi, has stressed on the need for his side to play friendly games ahead of their participation in the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

Ghana is set for a seventh straight appearance in the competition since its debut in 2010.

The Black Princesses have been training in Cape Coast for the past three weeks as part of their preparations for this year’s competition which will be staged in Colombia.

Despite their lengthy stay in the Central Region, the team have not had the deserved test required as part of their preparations.

“Definitely, when it comes to such preparations, you will need matches to play. But to begin with, we have started playing some medium-profile games around since many of the female clubs are not in session,” Basigi said during a presser on Monday.”We have decided to play with U-13 boys so we take it from there and I know as and when we are progressing, other matches will follow.”

With the expansion of the competition to 24 teams from 16, Yussif Basigi will be hoping to guide Ghana past the first round for the first time.

Ghana are pitted in Group E where they will face Austria, New Zealand and Japan.

Ghana’s Black Queens aiming for World Cup return under coach Hauptle

Ghana’s Black Queens head coach, Nora Hauptle, has set her sights on returning the team to its former glory and qualifying for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The Black Queens, once a dominant force in African women’s football, have seen their fortunes dwindle in recent years. However, since Hauptle’s appointment, there are signs of a resurgence.

“Our mission is to get back to number one in Africa,” declared Hauptle, referencing the Black Queens’ past success at the Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in 1999, 2003, and 2007.

“We even qualified for the World Cup at one point, and we want to bring ourselves back to that level.”

Hauptle acknowledges the recent achievement of qualifying for the Women’s AFCON again. She emphasises the importance of challenging themselves against the best: “It’s important to measure ourselves against the top ten teams in the world,” she said, referring to their upcoming friendly match against Japan this weekend.

The match against Japan on Saturday at the Kanazawa Go Go Curry Stadium will be a crucial test for the Black Queens as they strive to reclaim their position as a powerhouse in African women’s football.

Brighton unveil Ghana forward Ibrahim Osman

Ghana forward Ibrahim Osman has been unveiled by English Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion. 

The 19-year-old joined the Seagulls in the summer transfer window after agreeing terms with the club during in January.

Osman joined the Premier League side for the first time this week and took part in pre-season exercise at the club’s training complex.

He will be travelling with the team to Japan to continue preparations ahead of his debut campaign in the most popular league in the world.

“Obviously, I am happy to be here. It is a dream come true. As a young guy to be in a new country, in a new team, and a new environment> Basically there were a lot of teams who wanted me but when Brighton came, I was like this is the type of team I want to play for,” he said.

“The style of play, they play also younger players so it was a great development for me. I want to fully achieve my dreams. Playing every week and scoring goals,” he added.

The Right to Dream Academy graduate made the sensational switch from Danish side FC Nordsjaelland.

Black Queens poised for friendly against Japan

The Black Queens of Ghana are brimming with a sense of optimism and readiness as they prepare to take on Japan in a prestigious international friendly at the Go Go Kanazawa Stadium on Saturday, July 13.

This clash is a crucial moment for the Ghana’s coaching staff to evaluate the team’s progress and future potential, as they embark on a new chapter following their narrow miss for the 2024 Olympic Games.

Build-up to match

Coach Nora Häuptle has been supervising training at the Seibu Ryokuchi park since last Tuesday ahead of the match, which is also vital for Japan’s build-up to the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris. 

Grace Asantewaa, a key midfielder of Ghanaian team who plies her trade with FC Juarez in Mexico’s Women’s Premier League, expressed her excitement and optimism about the potential benefits of this high-profile clash with the former world champions. After last Tuesday’s training, she highlighted the importance of Saturday’s encounter  in the Black Queens’ rebuilding process.

The Black Queens are gearing up for major upcoming tournaments, including the rescheduled 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, now set to take place next year in Morocco.

The 19-member squad has been carefully prepared, with the exciting return of two key players: Mukarama Abdulai and Princella Adubea. Both players are back from injury and eager to make their mark.

Adubea, the Trabzonspor forward, who has been sidelined for 10 months, is eager to contribute and make an impact.

She remains optimistic that the team can build on the positives achieved under their Swiss coach. “We need to be compact and focused. We don’t care about their world ranking; we can match them,” she declared, demonstrating her readiness to rise to the occasion.

Mukarama Abdulai, another key returnee after a long absence from the national team, is focused on continuing her strong form after a successful campaign with Hasaacas Ladies to recapture the Malta Guinness Women’s Premier League

“Playing with the Queens is a long-term goal. I aim to follow the coach’s plans and work hard to achieve both team and personal success,” she stated, emphasising her commitment to achieving excellence on the field.

AGF Sporting Director lauds signing of Ghanaian talent Richmond Gyamfi

The Sporting Director of Danish Superliga side Aarhus GF has revealed the rationale behind the signing of Ghanaian talent Richmond Gyamfi.

The move comes after Gyamfi starred in the First Division Promotion play-offs with fellow Danish side Hobro IK, bagging three goals and four assists in 10 games.

The 19-year-old penned a five-year deal with AGF which was made official on Wednesday, July 10.

Despite his performances not being enough to propel Hobro to the Danish top flight, the 19-year-old now becomes the most expensive sale in the club’s history after just five months and 13 appearances.

Stig Inge Bjørnebye, the sporting director of AGF, disclosed on their official website why the club pursued the signing of the budding forward.

“Richmond fits into our style of play. He is fast, has a good physical and is a skilled finisher. He gives us some x-factor and has a forward-thinking in his game that is unusual and impressive,” he said.

“We have followed him intensely in the spring and are very happy to be able to welcome him to AGF, where he can now continue his positive development in our framework and release his talent even more.”

Gyamfi is expected to join the club’s preseason training camp ahead of the new season.

Samartex insists Keyekeh is still their player despite midfielder’s debut for Tanzanian club

hana Premier League side FC Samartex has denied sanctioning the departure of midfielder Emmanuel Keyekeh despite the player reportedly joining Tanzanian top-flight side Singida Black Stars.

Keyekeh was reported to have signed for Singida over the weekend and made his debut for them earlier this week in their cup game against APR.

In a sensational twist, Samartex has claimed that there is still an existing contract with Keyekeh, who is currently in Tanzania.

Keyekeh was the skipper of a Samartex team that secured the Ghana Premier League title by 10 points last season. He made 32 appearances for the Samreboi-based club, scoring five goals and bagging a further two assists.

His incredible performances saw him win the Home-based Men’s Player of the Year award in the recently held Ghana Football Awards.

CAFCC 2024/25: Nsoatreman FC drawn against Chad’s Elect Sport in preliminary round

2023/24 MTN FA Cup champions, Nsoatreman FC, will face TP Elect Sport of Chad in the first preliminary round of next season’s CAF Confederation Cup (CAFCC).

The Nsoatre-based club were put in Pot 1 ahead of the draw which took place on Thursday, July 11.

Making their debut in the continental club competition for the first time, the Ghana Premier League side will face the Chad outfit looking to go past the first round of the qualifying phase.

Nsoatreman will play the first leg of the encounter at home before travelling to Chad for the return fixture.

The Ghanaian club will face either Algeria’s CS Constantine or Police FC of Rwanda in the second round of the preliminary stage if they are able to go past the Elect Sport hurdle.

The first round of the prelims is set to be played between August 16 and August 25 while the second round is scheduled for September 13 and 22.

Nsoatreman booked their place in the competition after beating Bofoakwa Tano in the final of last season’s MTN FA Cup which was played last month.

Yaw Preko’s men will be hoping to replicate the success of Dreams FC who reached the semis of the Confederation Cup on their first attempt.

CAF CL 2024/25: Samartex face Cameroon’s Victoria United in first round of prelims

Ghana Premier League champions, FC Samartex, have been drawn against Cameroonian side Victoria United in the first round of the preliminary stages for the 2024/25 CAF Champions League.

The draw for the prelims of the competition was held on Thursday, July 11, with Samartex in Pot 3 ahead of the draw.

The Samreboi-based side sealed a spot in the Champions League following their triumph at the end of the 2023/24 Ghana Premier League season which saw them beat Accra Lions to the league title.

The first task for the Timber giants will be against Victoria United who were winners of the Cameroonian league.

Nurudeen Amadu’s side will travel to Cameroon for the first leg of the game before returning home for the reverse fixture.

The games for the first preliminary round are slated for August 16-25.

Should Samartex beat Victoria United at the end of the two games, they would be up against Niger’s AS GNN or Morocco’s Raja Club Athletic in the second phase of the qualifiers.

The dates for the second round are scheduled for September 13-22.

Samartex will be making their maiden appearance in the CAF competition and would look to reach the group stages before hoping to go a step further than Medeama SC who exited in the group stage.

AFCON 2025Q: Karim Zito backs Kwasi Appiah to stay as ExCo member despite Sudan drawing Black Stars

Dreams FC head coach Abdul Karim Zito has conveyed his absolute support to Sudan coach Kwasi Appiah amid calls for him to step down from his position as an Executive Council member of the Ghana Football Association due to potential conflict of interest concerns.

Ghana have been drawn with Sudan in Group F of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifiers with many worried about where the loyalty of Appiah would be when the two teams come up against each other.

However, in an interview with Graphic Sports, Zito cited Appiah’s professionalism, arguing that the former Black Stars head coach should be allowed to carry out his roles without undue interference.

The former Black Satellites coach stated that Appiah’s role as Sudan coach did not necessarily conflict with his position on the ExCo, as the FA does not financially compensate him.

He also mentioned the affiliation of other members of the ExCo to clubs.

“People are talking about Kwasi Appiah but I don’t see why they should be talking about him. Those in the ExCo are they not having clubs? Kwasi is a professional coach and the ExCo doesn’t pay him,” he said.

He also pointed out that the ExCo were aware of his coaching commitments before he contested for and won a seat at the Council.

“The ExCo knew Kwasi was still in coaching and yet they allowed him to stand election which he won before he had this opportunity.”

Zito expressed his acknowledgement that, no matter the match’s result, it should all come down to the competitive nature of the sport, and that Appiah should not be coerced to compromise either of his respective roles.

“For me, I am behind Kwasi 100 per cent; he should keep quiet and do his job, if he is able to beat us fine, and if we also beat him fine.”

Jose Mourinho’s bromance with Alexander Djiku in training warms Ghanaian hearts

Ghana defender Alexander Djiku appears to be striking a perfect relationship with new manager Jose Mourinho at Fenerbahce.

While Mourinho started his pre-season camp a few weeks ago, Djiku was granted an extended break after featuring in Ghana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic (CAR).

However, the Ghanaian centre-back finally joined his club teammates in pre-season two weeks ago, and he appears to be getting along well with his new manager.

In photos from a recent Fenerbahce training session that have gone viral on social, Mourinho is seen with his arms around the neck of Djiku.

The said photos have been interpreted by some Ghanaians on social media as a sign of a good bond between the defender and Mourinho.

Djiku has been a key player at Fenerbahce since joining the club in the summer of 2023 on a free transfer after parting ways with Ligue 1 side Racing Strasbourg.

He made 36 appearances in all competitions for the club last season, contributing three goals and two assists.

The former Bastia rearguard is expected to play a huge role under Mourinho next season as Fenerbahce aim to wrestle back the Turkish title from rivals Galatasaray.

Meanwhile, ex-Ghana captain Stephen Appiah believes, like Essien, Alexander Djiku could also take his game to the next level by working with Mourinho.

Mourinho previously worked with Essien at Chelsea and Real Madrid and also coached with Muntari at Inter Milan, winning multiple trophies with the Ghanaian duo.

GSN24LIVE NEWS

Yamal and Lewandowski help Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao

Fulham vs Leicester: Alex Iwobi’s winner helps Cottagers triumph over Ndidi’s Foxes

Arsenal survived their latest severe examination from bogey side Aston Villa to emerge with a statement victory after a thunderous encounter at Villa Park.

Roglic wins stage to close on Vuelta leader O’Connor

Baba Yara Stadium will be ready for Ghana vs. Angola AFCON qualifier, assures NSA chairman