President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced that government will construct one hundred new artificial pitches across the country, before the end of the year.
Akufo-Addo disclosed this during the official commissioning of the newly constructed Borteyman Sports Complex.
”Our government has show its commitment to sports development by investing significantly in the area of infrastructure. When came into office, there were only three astro-turfs or artificial pitches in the country.”
”We have constructed over 150 artificial pitches to change the status quo. I am happy to announce that this will not be the end. We will construct 100 more of such pitches to enhance the existing infrastructure” President Akufo-Addo said.
President Akufo-Addo also charged the Sports Ministry to ensure Ghana raises the bar as far as hosting the continent’s biggest multi-sports event is concerned.
”I admonish the Sports Minister and the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the LOC to go all out and organize the best African Games in history” he said.
Fans dance in the street as they celebrate the Elephants’ third Afcon win
Thousands of football fans wearing orange and white have flooded the streets of Abidjan to see the Ivory Coast team parade the Africa Cup of Nations trophy they won on Sunday.
The hosts defeated Nigeria 2-1 to win Afcon for a third time, prompting huge celebrations across the country.
Cecilia, who was born in Ivory Coast but now lives in the US, told the BBC she had travelled home for the final.
“That’s the best decision of my life,” she said.
A football fan awaits the arrival of the national team in Abidjan
Ivory Coast were unlikely winners. They lost two group games and fired their manager mid-tournament. Emerse Fae, a youth-team manager, took over for his first job leading a senior team.
Four games later, he was lifting a trophy.
Juliette Youan told the BBC: “Emerse Fae is a hero of Ivory Coast.”
“We are so proud to celebrate our hero. Vive Emerse! Emerse is the best coach,” she added.
Ms Youan and her friends made special T-shirts to commemorate Fae for leading the country to victory.
Footballs fans made T-shirts to celebrate coach Emerse Fae
The parade began at Hôtel Palmier and the crowd built slowly from around midday, becoming more boisterous as the parade’s scheduled start time approached.
As numbers grew, so did the noise, with horns blaring and chants breaking out, accompanied by dancing.
At around 15:00 GMT, the first players suddenly appeared on the flatbed truck that would take them on their journey through Abidjan to the over 30,0000 capacity Félix Houphouët Boigny stadium for a trophy presentation.
The banners on the truck announced the Elephants as “Champions of Africa 2023” and featured three stars, a nod to the fact that the team has now won this competition on three occasions.
Their underdog story resonated throughout the streets as people danced, rejoicing in their amazing comeback.
“It’s amazing. The first part of the tournament was very difficult but afterwards the players played very well and today we are very happy. Today we have to do some parties, it’s obligatory,” said Kwaku, another fan at the parade.
Ivory Coast players celebrating their victory
Looking relaxed in short-sleeved training tops, sunglasses, baseball caps and with gold medals around their necks, the players smiled out at the adoring crowds, leaning against the barrier, taking selfies and waving the Ivorian flag.
At one point, captain Serge Aurier even helped lift a young fan onto the truck for a photo before handing him back to his waiting father.
Ivory Coast won Afcon for a third time
Ivory Coast’s tale of triumph was made even better as the goal that clinched the trophy for the team was scored by Sébastien Haller, who had been diagnosed with testicular cancer a few months ago.
“We hoped to get to this point and once again the match wasn’t an easy one. The joyous scenes we see now, what’s happening in the country, they deserve it too. I really hope it does a lot of people good,” said Haller.
“We are very, very proud of our three stars on our jersey. We [the Ivorian people] have passed through many, many things, and today we are happy, we get together,” one fan told the BBC.
Given the reaction, it is clear members of this victorious squad will be viewed as national heroes for years to come.
Fans around the world are already dubbing Ivory Coast’s win one of the greatest turnaround in football tournament history.
The men’s marathon world record holder, Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum, 24, has died in a road accident in his home country.
He was killed alongside his coach, Rwanda’s Gervais Hakizimana, in a car on a road in western Kenya on Sunday.
Kiptum made a breakthrough in 2023 as a rival to compatriot Eliud Kipchoge – one of the greatest marathon runners.
Kiptum bettered Kipchoge’s record, clocking the 26.2 miles (42km) in two hours and 35 seconds in Chicago last October.
The two athletes had been named in Kenya’s provisional marathon team for the Paris Olympics later this year.
Kipchoge said on X that the man who broke his record was a rising star who had “a whole life” ahead of him to achieve “incredible greatness”, offering condolences to his family.
Also paying tribute, Kenya’s President William Ruto described Kiptum as an extraordinary sportsman who had left a mark on the world.
“Kiptum was my only child, now he’s left me,” he told Kenya’s Citizen TV. “I don’t know what to say, I see his children will be looking to me and my child is gone… Now, who will help us raise his kids?”
The road accident happened at about 23:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on Sunday.
Giving details of the crash, police said Kiptum was driving and had “lost control [of the vehicle] and veered off-road entering into a ditch on his left side”.
“He drove in the ditch for about 60 metres before hitting a big tree,” a police statement said.
Kiptum and Hakizimana died at the site of a collision. A third person – a young woman – was seriously injured and taken to hospital for treatment.
The car that Kiptum was driving has been towed to a local police station for inspection
Just last week, Kiptum’s team announced that he would attempt to run the marathon in under two hours in Rotterdam in April – a feat that has never been achieved in open competition.
The rise to fame for the father-of-two had been rapid – he only competed in his first full marathon in 2022.
He made an instant impact as he ran the then fourth fastest time on record (2:01:53) to win the Valencia Marathon before setting a course record of 2:01:25 at the London Marathon in April 2023.
Six months later, in just his third marathon, Kiptum took 34 seconds off the world record time in Chicago in his final race.
He had already honed a distinct tactical approach that saw him run with the pack for 30km before upping the pace and going out on his own for the remainder of the race.
Kiptum entered his first major competition in 2018, running in borrowed shoes because he could not afford a pair of his own.
He was among a new crop of Kenyan athletes who began their careers on the road, breaking away from the past tradition of athletes starting on the track before switching to longer distances.
Kiptum told the BBC last year that his unusual choice was simply determined by a lack of resources.
“I had no money to travel to track sessions,” he explained.
People have gathered outside the hospital in the Rift Valley town of Eldoret where his body has been taken.
“I don’t know what to say but God, if we have done wrong, God forgive us because Kiptum was headed for great heights,” one man said.
“We want to say very sorry to the Kenyans and much more to the family of the departed hero. Very sorry,” another told a local TV channel.
Kenya’s opposition leader and former prime minister, Raila Odinga, said the country had lost “a true hero” and was mourning “a remarkable individual… and Kenyan athletics icon”.
Kiptum’s coach, Hakizimana, 36, was a retired Rwandan runner. Last year, he spent months helping Kiptum target the world record.
Their relationship as coach and athlete began in 2018, but the pair first met when the world record holder was much younger.
“I knew him when he was a little boy, herding livestock barefooted,” Hakizimana recalled last year. “It was in 2009, I was training near his father’s farm, he’d come kicking at my heels and I would chase him away.
Ghanaian athletes abroad over the weekend delivered outstanding performances during week 3 of the 2024 indoor season, breaking national, meet, and school records in and around the USA.
Some athletes who have moved beyond the collegiate system also made impressive season openers. Here’s a summary of the noteworthy achievements:
High Jump:
Rose Yeboah, the Ghana national high jump outdoor and indoor records holder, shattered her own indoor national record and her school’s 25-year record, leaping to an impressive height of 1.88m.
In the men’s high jump, Cadman Evans Yemoah, who holds both indoor and outdoor national records, cleared 2.18m, setting a new meet record.
Long Jump and Triple Jump:
Abraham Seaneke opened his season in the long jump with a jump of 7.60m, his best season opener. Sakina Omar achieved a jump of 5.68m in the long jump. Rasford Nti recorded a triple jump distance of 13.32m.
Men’s 60m:
Benjamin Azamati started the season strongly, running 6.57 in the heat and 6.61 in the final. Joesph Manu ran 6.71 in the heat and matched his personal record with a time of 6.65 in the final.
Rasheed Saminu opened his season with a time of 6.72 in the heat and an impressive 6.67 in the final,breaking his school record. Brock Appiah ran 6.79 in the heat and improved to 6.72 in the final. He later clocked 21.40 in the 200m with Solomon Hammond and Wallace Aflamah competed in the 200m, running times of 21.57 and 21.73, respectively.
Women’s 60m:
Hor Halutie achieved personal bests throughout the day, running 7.57 in the heat, 7.55 in the semifinal, and an impressive 7.53 in the final. She also ran 24.64 in the 200m. Anita Afrifa recorded a time of 7.76 in the 60m.
Rafiatu Nuhu transitioned from her comfort zone of the 400m to test her speed in the 60m, achieving an impressive time of 7.76. She later ran 1:37.52 in the 600m. Grace Kombetto delivered a superb performance, running 1:36.89 in the 600m.
Benedicta Kwartemaa excelled in all three rounds of the 60m, running 7.57 in the heat, 7.52 in the semifinal, and 7.59 in the final. She also clocked 25.34 in the 200m.
Women’s 400m:
Fast-rising Ghanaian sprinter Pearl Awanya opened her 400m season impressively, running 54.61 seconds to break the facility record, her second facility record this season. Ethel Amissah ran 56.44 in the 400m and returned to run 24.67 in the 200m.
Women’s Throws: Rejoice Agbawodie achieved a distance of 12.70m in the shot put and 14.95m in the weight throw.
Distance Races:
William Amponsah set Personal best, running 8:09.84 in the 3000m. Ishmeal Acheampong ran 2:36.08 in the 1000m. Aziz Mohammed competed in the 800m, crossing the line in a time of 1:52.37. Sarah Koomson ran a personal best of 9:55.79 in the women’s distance event. Vanee Anchike set an NJCAA best in the 1000m, breaking away with a time of 2:57.62
Burkina Faso are looking for a new coach after choosing not to renew the contract of coach Hubert Velud following their last-16 exit at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Stallions were beaten 2-1 by Mali in a tense knockout tie on 30 January, days after finishing second in Group D behind Angola but ahead of 2019 champions Algeria.
Runners-up in 2013, the Burkinabe – who have never lifted the Nations Cup trophy – had reached the semi-finals in 2017 and at the 2021 edition of the tournament two years ago.
In a statement, the country’s football federation (FBF) said its executive committee “noted that results fell short of the expectations of the Burkinabe people” and reassured fans of its “desire to continue to ensure that the national flag is raised at the highest level in future events”.
“To do this, it is undeniable that the management [of the Stallions], observed during this Nations Cup is out of phase with the ambitions of the executive committee,,” the FBF statement added.
At this year’s Nations Cup in Ivory Coast, Frenchman Velud – who signed a two-year contract in April 2022 – finally took charge of a game after qualifying with a third different country for the tournament.
He was unable to lead Togo in 2010 after the team withdrew on the eve of the finals following the gun attack by separatists in the Angolan enclave of Cabinda, during which he was shot in the arm and his assistant, Amalete Abalo, and the team’s media officer, Stanislas Ocloo, lost their lives.
The 64-year-old then helped Sudan reach the 2021 Nations Cup, which was delayed a year because of the coronavirus pandemic, only to be sacked weeks before the finals in Cameroon following a bad performance in the Arab Cup.
The FBF said it is already planning for both the 2025 Nations Cup and 2026 World Cup, with the latter’s next qualifiers taking place in June.
The West Africans have four points after their first two World Cup qualifiers, and are two points behind Group A leaders Egypt.
Velud is the eighth coach to have left his position since the beginning of this year’s Nations Cup, which climaxes on Sunday when hosts Ivory Coast meet Nigeria in the final.
He joins Jean-Louis Gasset (Ivory Coast), Chris Hughton (Ghana), Djamel Belmadi (Algeria), Jalel Kadri (Tunisia), Tom Saintfiet (Gambia), Rui Vitoria (Egypt) and Baciro Cande (Guinea-Bissau) as having departed their roles.
Ghana is set to host the rest of the continent in the 2023 African Games from March 8 to March 24, 2024.
A total of 49 countries have confirmed their participation in the 13th edition of the Olympic-style event which will take place in Accra.
Five countries, namely Cape Verde, Senegal, Sao Tome and Principe, Sudan, and South Sudan, are yet to confirm their presence at the prestigious sporting event.
The African Games, formally known as the All-Africa Games or the Pan African Games, are a continental multi-sport event held every four years, organized by the African Union with the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa and the Association of African Sports Confederations.
Here are all the 49 countries that will converge in Accra and compete:
Van Niekerk, the king of South African athletics, will make his first appearance in his pet 400m event at the national championships since 2016. The Olympic champion and world record holder will be looking to win his fifth national title in the one-lap sprint event when he steps onto the track at the McArthur Stadium.
Van Niekerk can expect a hostile reception when he lines up against two Young Turks – Zakithi Nene and Lythe Pillay – eager to take down the double world champion.
Chief among the challengers is two-time defending 400m championNene, the top local athlete in the one-lap event over the last two seasons. The 24-year-old Nene enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2022 when he became only the seventh South African to dip below 45 seconds in the 400m. He has since done it on two more occasions, including a personal best of 44.74 seconds which ranks him the fifth South African of all time.
While Pillay is yet to run a sub-45 second time, he has demonstrated a temperament for big events after winning gold in the men’s 400m final at last year’s World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia. Pillay clocked a personal best of 45.28s to claim his maiden global title.
Van Niekerk will use the championships as a launching pad for the rest of his season, which may include a shot at reclaiming his world title in Budapest in August.
“I want to be back on the podium and get back to winning gold medals and challenging world records,” Van Niekerk told Gsn24 live .
“That has always been my goal, that has always been what I am looking forward to, and with that comes competition and challenges from various competitors. To get myself to the top, I have to start winning, which is a key focus for my upcoming competitions.
“I’ve experienced gold medals, and I have experienced a world record; I’ve experienced winning races, so that is where you want to be.”
In a significant stride towards the much-anticipated 13th African Games, the Technical Committee for the African Games (TCAG) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) recently paid a courtesy visit to the Honorable Mustapha Ussif, the Minister for Youth & Sports. This meeting, the fourth and final of its kind, aimed to put the finishing touches on the preparations as Ghana eagerly prepares to host the prestigious sporting event.Welcoming the committee to the host city of Accra, Hon. Mustapha Ussif expressed confidence in Ghana’s ability to deliver a remarkable African Games.
He highlighted the nearing completion of facilities at Borteyman and the University of Ghana, underlining the commitment to ensuring top-notch infrastructure for the event. The minister took a moment to extend gratitude to H.E. Nana Akuffo Addo, the President of the Republic, for unwavering support and dedication to the success of the Games.During the meeting, Minister Ussif provided insights into the progress of various aspects of the Games, including the Games management system, the registration portal, and catering arrangements. These developments showcased Ghana’s commitment to creating a seamless and enjoyable experience for participants and spectators alike.
Chairperson for the TCAG and head of the African Union delegation, H.E. Ambassador Minata Samate Cessouma, conveyed her appreciation for the warm reception received by committee members. She took the opportunity to congratulate President Nana Akuffo Addo and Hon. Mustapha Ussif for their tireless efforts in ensuring the success of the upcoming Games.Ambassador Cessouma urged all stakeholders to join forces and support the preparations, emphasizing that the time for action is now as the Games draw near. As the host nation, Ghana is poised to set new standards for the African Games, promising an event that will not only celebrate sporting excellence but also foster unity and collaboration across the continent.
The only goal of a cagey contest in Abidjan came in the 65th minute when Haller’s volley bounced down into the ground and up over Leopards goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi.
The Borussia Dortmund striker should have opened the scoring just before the break with an unmarked header, while he also missed a chance to double the lead when sending a lob narrowly wide.
DR Congo did not look like getting a late equaliser, although Meschack Elia sent a volley wide of the left-hand upright and Simon Banza then fired well over in injury time.
Ivory Coast had sacked Jean-Louis Gasset as boss before scraping through the group stage, and had needed late goals against both Senegal and Mali to progress to the last four.
But interim boss Emerse Fae now has a chance to guide the Elephants to a third continental title, adding to triumphs in 1992 and 2015, when they face three-time winners Nigeria in Abidjan on Sunday (20:00 GMT).
The match was the first time the tournament hosts had returned to the Alassane Ouattara Stadium since suffering a chastening 4-0 defeat by Equatorial Guinea which had left the West Africans on the brink of exiting the finals after just three games.
Fae made four changes to the side which grabbed a 90th-minute equaliser and a 122nd-minute winner against Mali, with captain Serge Aurier, centre-back Odilon Kossounou and forward Christian Kouame all suspended.
Meanwhile, the DR Congo squad staged a protest during the anthems with players and coach Sebastien Desabre covering their mouths and pointing to the side of their heads to call for peace in the eastern part of the country.
The Leopards threatened from first-half corners, with Haller forced into a diving header to clear one at the near post before Elephants keeper Yahia Fofana flapped at the next delivery.
Cedric Bakambu headed in the loose ball and wheeled away in celebration but referee Ibrahim Mutaz had already blown his whistle, ruling that Elia had kicked the ball out of Fofana’s hands.
Meanwhile the delivery of Ivorian right-back Wilfried Singo was causing problems at the other end, with Simon Adingra planting a header wide of goal before Haller missed a glorious chance five minutes before half-time when he mis-timed his effort wide from eight yards out.
There was still time before the break for Elephants midfielder Franck Kessie to strike the left-hand post with a fierce strike.
Haller strike puts hosts through
hree minutes after the restart, Theo Bongonda almost put DR Congo ahead but the half-time substitute could only fire into the side-netting after bursting into the area and thrillingly wriggling past two defenders.
Mpasi parried away another powerful shot from Kessi but the Leopards stopper was unfortunate with what proved to be the winner.
Haller dropped back to meet Max-Alain Gradel’s cross from the right with a first-time volley from about 13 yards out, and the bounce of the ball caught out Mpasi as it dipped just under his crossbar.
Sending a flicked header from a corner over the bar, the involved Haller was then narrowly off target with his lobbed attempt from outside the box after a poor defensive header gifted him the chance to wrap up the tie.
Two-time champions themselves, but not since 1974, DR Congo had drawn their first four games at the finals but could not find a way back into the match after coming from behind to beat Guinea in the quarter-finals.
Ivory Coast become the first hosts to reach an Afcon final since Egypt in 2006 – with the Pharaohs also the most recent side to lift the trophy on home soil that year.
After a tournament of underdog success and surprise results, Ivory Coast fans can now look forward to a heavyweight clash with Nigeria following a path through the finals which has already involved several dramatic twists and turns.
It could also cap a remarkable journey for Fae, the 40-year-old former Nantes, Reading and Nice midfielder, who could win Africa’s most prestigious trophy in just his fourth game in charge of his country.
The game in Bouake finished 1-1 following a remarkable end to normal time which involved the referee going to his video monitor to disallow a Victor Osimhen strike which would have put Nigeria 2-0 up – and instead awarding a penalty to South Africa.
Teboho Mokoena converted from the spot in the 90th minute to send the game into a goalless period of extra time where Bafana Bafana defender Grant Kekana was sent off late on.
But Mokoena was one of two South African players to see their spot-kicks saved by goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali as the Super Eagles triumphed to reach Sunday’s final, where they will play Ivory Coast after the hosts beat DR Congo.
William Troost-Ekong had opened the scoring for the West Africans with a penalty midway through the second half, and will now be looking to captain Nigeria to their fourth continental title – and a first since 2013.
Super Eagles overcome South Africa again
Nigeria went into the game with a perfect Nations Cup record against South Africa, having beaten Bafana Bafana in all three of their previous meetings in the competition including a semi-final meeting in 2000 in Lagos.
But despite being urged on by the cacophonous horn section carried by the supporters in green and white, Jose Peseiro’s side failed to live up their billing as favourites in a ponderous first half which South Africa largely bossed.
Forward Percy Tau had their best chance, scuffing his shot straight at Nwabali when unmarked inside the penalty area.
Nigeria’s lack of potency was reflected in the statistics, with African Footballer of the Year Osimhen only managing nine touches in the half, including a header which went wide just before the break.
But things then livened up notably as Nigeria came out with greater intent in the second half.
Osimhen put one of several presentable headed opportunities over the bar before Frank Onyeka blazed wastefully wide.
The Super Eagles finally broke the deadlock in the 67th minute when Osimhen’s driving run was abruptly ended inside the penalty area by a poor challenge from defender Mothobi Mvala.
And the former Watford defender sent his effort down the middle and under the legs of Ronwen Williams, the shootout hero for South Africa in the quarter-final win over Cape Verde, as the goalkeeper dived to his left.
After Evidence Makgopa had fizzed a skimming effort just wide for South Africa, Ademola Lookman should have won it for Nigeria but hesitated when trying to round Williams, allowing the keeper to dive at his feet and gather the ball.
Late VAR drama denies Osimhen
With just five minutes of normal time remaining, Osimhen thought he had clinched victory, turning home Bright Osayi-Samuel’s low cross following a swift counter-attack and sprinting towards the Nigeria fans for a celebration that was short-lived.
South Africa’s players were already protesting before referee Amin Omar was advised to go to the monitor by the video assistant referee, with the Egyptian quickly ruling out Osimhen’s strike and, in yet another late twist at this remarkable tournament, pointing to the spot at the other end for an earlier foul on Tau by Alhassan Yusuf.
Mokoena kept his calm to convert the penalty and deny Nigeria five consecutive clean sheets – and South Africa should have won it in the six minutes of added time when Khuliso Mudau only succeeded in blazing over after Nwabali parried Mokoena’s free-kick into his path.
Williams saved efforts from Lookman and Osimhen early in extra time but the best opening came when Terem Moffi latched on to a through ball and ran powerfully towards the South Africa goal.
But Kekana stopped the substitute’s run with a trip and, following a VAR review, was shown a straight red card and Nigeria were awarded a free-kick just outside the area.
Iheanacho drew a save from Williams from the set piece but decided the shootout after Nwabali had saved from Mokoena and Makgopa, with the Bafana Bafana captain unable to repeat his heroics from the last eight.
