Belgian outfit Royal Antwerp FC have announced the signing of highly-rated Ghanaian youngster Obed Agyapong.
The 19-year-old pens a deal with the club from Oud-Heverlee Leuven joining Antwerp’s Under-23 side for the upcoming season.
The talented winger played for OH Leuven’s U-23 and will now continue his development with Antwerp’s academy looking to break into the first team
Known for his technical prowess as well as his pace on the flanks, Agyapong is also versatile and has the ability to play on either side of the wings. He is also capable of filling in the void as a right-wingback.
Having played in Belgian for the last few years, Agyapong will be hoping to have a significant impact with the U-23 side and grab opportunities in the first team when they come calling.
The youngster is among a host of young Belgium-based Ghanaians who are looking to make a name for themselves in the coming years.
Liberia 1-0 Sao Tome and Principe: Late Sesay strike secures vital win
Liberia secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Sao Tome and Principe on Sunday in Group H of their 2026 World Cup qualifier, courtesy of a late goal by Sheikh Sesay.
The win, in the first match of Matchday 4 of the qualifiers, moves the Lone Star to third in the group with seven points, while Sao Tome and Principe remain at the bottom without any points after four matches.
The first half saw both teams struggle to find a breakthrough, with few clear-cut chances created. Sao Tome and Principe’s Denilson Silva was booked for a foul just before halftime, which ended goalless.
The second half continued in a similar vein, with Liberia making several substitutions to inject fresh energy into their side.
Peter Wilson and William Gibson were brought on early in the half to replace Lawrence Kumeh and Sheku Sheriff, respectively.
As the match progressed, it seemed destined for a draw, with both teams battling hard but unable to convert their efforts into goals.
Sao Tome and Principe also made several substitutions, bringing on Eba Viegas and João Silva to replace Rogério Fernandes and Mauro Vilhete.
In the 89th minute, Sao Tome and Principe’s João Silva received a yellow card for a foul, highlighting the physical nature of the contest.
Liberia then made a decisive change, bringing on Sheikh Sesay for Terry Sackor.
The substitution proved to be a masterstroke. In the 90th minute, Sesay found himself in the right place at the right time, slotting a right-footed shot from the center of the box into the goal, giving Liberia a dramatic late lead.
Despite a late push from Sao Tome and Principe, Liberia held on to secure the three points.
This victory propels Liberia to third place in Group H, ahead of their next match, while Sao Tome and Principe will need to regroup after another disappointing result.
Second-placed Namibia will host group leaders Tunisia later on Sunday in a top-of-the-table clash, while Equatorial Guinea and Malawi are set to face off in the other Group H match on Monday.
Rose Yeboah and Abdul-Rasheed Saminu Qualify For Track & Field At Paris 2024
Rose Yeboah smashed the women’s high jump national record with a jump of 1.97m, which qualifies her for the 2024 Olympic Games and won the 2024 NCAA D1 national title in High Jump.
She is the first female Ghanaian athlete to win an NCAA D1 national title in history.
In another development, Ghana’s Abdul-Rasheed Saminu met the Olympic Qualifying Standard Time.
Rasheed’s 20.12 in the 200m dash sets a new program record and makes him Olympic-eligible for Ghana; also finishes fifth in the 100m dash with a personal best non-wind-aided time of 10.02.
The University of South Florida put an exclamation mark on a banner year tonight, with Abdul-Rasheed Saminu taking home two First Team All-American awards within 45 minutes of each other and meeting the Olympic qualifying standard time in the 200m dash with a program record time (20.12).
After a year filled with the program’s first-ever indoor and outdoor men’s conference championships, a program-record 33 athletes in the NCAA First Round, and a program-record 12 athletes in the NCAA Semifinals, Abdul-Rasheed Saminu became the first-ever Bull to earn First Team All-American in two events at the same NCAA Championship Meet.
“Yesterday capped off a great year for our program and I am very proud of the effort given by our teams,” Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Erik Jenkins said. “That effort has produced two Men’s AAC team championships, program-best finishes for our women’s team in the AAC championship, multiple school records, numerous All-American accolades, and a second consecutive top-30 finish for our men at the NCAA Outdoor Championship.”
Around 9:52 p.m. ET, he finished fifth (10.02) in the 100m dash NCAA Championship final. The time was his personal best non-wind-aided time and came in a race where only four-hundredths of a second separated sixth place from second.
Around 10:37 p.m. ET, Rasheed finished third in the 200m dash NCAA Championship Final with a program record time (20.12). The time met the Olympic qualifying standard time of 20.16. This means should Ghana select him to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics, he is now eligible.
According to Tampa Fla, Rasheed’s two First Team All-American nominations make it three for South Florida at this Championship meet, as his roommate, Goodness Iredia, finished seventh (7.86m / 25′ – 9.5″) in the long jump on Wednesday.
Overall the men’s team finished 26th in the NCAA Championship Meet, earning 12 points. 10 came from Rasheed, four in the 100m dash, and six in the 200m dash. The remaining two points came from Iredia in the long jump.
Nigerian Chess Master Tunde Onakoya has shared that his parents have been rewarded with a generous gift.
The parents of Nigerian chess prodigy and founder of Chess In Slum, Tunde Onakoya, have been gifted a brand new house – a gesture Onakoya has described as the “single greatest thing anyone will ever do” for him.
Onakoya, who recently broke the world record for the longest hours playing chess without losing, took to social media to express his immense gratitude for the life-changing gift bestowed upon his family.
“Someone gifted my parents a new house today. It’s the single greatest thing anyone will ever do for me in this lifetime. Thank you,” the 30-year-old chess master wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Onakoya, who grew up in challenging circumstances, revealed that his mother worked as a cleaner in the same school he attended, allowing him to get an education.
Meanwhile, his father worked as a Danfo driver/bus conductor to ensure the family could make ends meet.
“My greatest joy in life is to be able to give them both the life they truly deserve,” Onakoya added, showcasing his heartwarming desire to uplift his parents after years of hardship.
The generous gift comes on the heels of Onakoya’s remarkable achievement, where he played chess for 60 consecutive hours in a bid to raise $1 million to have a transformative impact on the lives of children in Nigeria.
This inspiring story of Tunde’s journey from humble beginnings to becoming a chess master and philanthropist is a testament to the power of perseverance and the profound impact one can have on the lives of others.
Ghana Premier League leaders Samartex aim to widen their lead at the top as they face Great Olympics in a crucial encounter on Saturday.
Coming off a defeat to Asante Kotoko last Sunday, Samartex are poised to intensify their defensive efforts, having conceded goals in their last three consecutive matches. The coach and players are expected to put in extra effort to shore up their defence and return to winning ways.
Meanwhile, Great Olympics enter the fixture following two consecutive draws against Nsoatreman and Bechem United.
The team have struggled defensively, conceding goals in their last five consecutive matches, adding psychological pressure as they aim to turn their fortunes around.
Samartex and Great Olympics have previously faced off three times since October 2022, with all matches ending in draws.
Their most recent encounter on November 20, 2023, concluded in a goalless draw.
Remarkably, neither Samartex nor Great Olympics have managed to score a goal in their three head-to-head matches, resulting in an almost identical record between the two teams in recent history.
Fulham played out a 1-1 draw at home against Crystal Palace with Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey staring for the hosts
Crystal Palace’s impressive run under Oliver Glasner faced a stern test as they travelled to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham, aiming to extend their winning streak to four matches.
The visitors asserted their dominance in the opening stages of the match, with Michael Olise proving to be a key figure. The Frenchman had an effort saved and delivered a tempting cross that Chris Richards failed to capitalise on.
However, Fulham gradually grew into the encounter and could have taken the lead before halftime when Issa Diop missed a headed opportunity.
Fulham managed to break the deadlock shortly after halftime. A cross from Timothy Castagne found Rodrigo Muniz, who powered a header past the Palace defence to give Fulham the lead.
Despite falling behind, Palace pushed for an equaliser but were almost caught out on the counter-attack, with Bobby DeCordova Reid missing a chance to extend Fulham’s lead.
As the match progressed, Palace piled on the pressure. Bernd Leno made a crucial save, and Fulham had to block another attempt from the dangerous Olise. However, Palace’s persistence paid off as Jeffrey Schlupp came off the bench to score an excellent goal, securing a deserved point for his side.
In the end, neither Alex Iwobi nor Calvin Bassey could break through the resilient Eagles defense as Fulham settled for a draw in the Premier League encounter.
Defending champions Al Ahly of Egypt have become the first club to reach five consecutive CAF Champions League finals after they beat Mamelodi Sundowns 3-0 on Friday to set up a meeting with Esperance of Tunisia.
Al Ahly, who have won five of the last seven editions and a record 11 in total, overcame TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Cairo and Esperance pulled off a surprise 1-0 win over South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns in Pretoria.
Al Ahly won 3-0 after a goalless draw in the first leg in Lubumbashi for a comfortable aggregate triumph while Esperance’s 20-year-old defender Raed Bouchniba hammered home a clinical shot in the 57th minute to earn the Tunisians a 1-0 away win and 2-0 aggregate victory.
The match was delayed by 70 minutes after a lightning strike in South Africa’s capital knocked out some of the floodlights amid a heavy thunderstorm.
Sundowns won the new African Football League this season and were one of the favourites for the Champions League but fell short of the final for an eighth season in a row.
Esperance’s 20-year-old goalkeeper Amanallah Memmich produced fine saves as the South African forwards fluffed their lines and the win also ensured a place for Esperance in next year’s Club World Cup in the U.S.
Al Ahly took until the 68th minute to break the deadlock against Mazembe when defender Mohamed Abdel-Moneim scored.
Wessam Abou Ali added a second in the 83rd minute, stretching out his leg to apply a clever finish and Akram Tawfiq confirmed their superiority with a stoppage-time third.
Esperance host the first leg of the final on May 18 with the return in Cairo seven days later.
Esperance won the last of their four Champions League titles in 2019 and have been runners-up four times.
Former Zamalek SC forward, Felix Aboagye, has cautioned Dreams FC to score an early goal in their CAF Confederation Cup fixture against the Egyptian side at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Sunday, April 28.
Dreams FC secured a draw at the Cairo International Stadium after the heroics of Solomon Agbasi proved vital to prevent Zamalek from scoring in the first leg.
Karim Zito’s side are far-advanced in the competition despite their inconsistent performance in the Ghana Premier League.
Ahead of the crucial second leg against Zamalek, Aboagye, who played for Zamalek during his career, has emphasized the need for the Ghanaian side to have an early edge over the Egyptians.
“Arab clubs, when they play away, are strategically strong. Zamalek is pushing hard to score an early goal,” said the former Ghana international in an interview with Joy Sports.
“Dreams FC in their last match played in Ghana, they conceded the first goal before coming back to win. Against Zamalek, they can’t afford that. They need to work very hard and score early to unsettle Zamalek.”
The match is slated to kick off at 16:00 GMT at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
Mohamed Salah was benched as Liverpool dropped further points in the title race at West Ham United.
Liverpool‘s Premier League title aspirations suffered another setback on Saturday as they were held to a 2-2 draw by West Ham United at the London Stadium.
In a surprising move, Reds manager Jurgen Klopp opted to bench star striker Mohamed Salah, a decision which raised eyebrows among the Liverpool faithful.
Klopp’s decision to leave Salah, the club’s top scorer, on the bench for the crucial encounter will undoubtedly be the subject of much debate in the coming days.
The Liverpool manager will be under pressure to explain his team selection, especially given both individuals were spotted having a heated argument and the Reds’ recent struggles to maintain their early-season form.
With Manchester City and Arsenal already ahead and with games in hand now, the pressure is firmly on Liverpool to rediscover their winning touch if they are to mount a serious challenge for the Premier League crown.
As the title race heats up, Klopp and his players will need to regroup and find a way to bounce back from this latest setback, with the team’s reliance on Salah’s goalscoring prowess now under the spotlight.
