2025-04-03

SPORTS WORLD

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.

Great Olympics: Interim Committee to oversee appointment of new coach

Kudjoe Fianoo, a member of Accra Great Olympics’ newly formed three-man management committee, has emphasized that their immediate focus is to appoint a new head coach, which will most likely be followed by the dissolution of the interim committee.

Last week, the club’s board chairman, Amarkai Amarteifio, announced the dissolution of the club’s Management and Technical Teams following their relegation from the Ghana Premier League.

In an interview on Channel One TV, Fianoo explained the decision to dissolve the management board after the club’s relegation.

During the previous season, Great Olympics finished 16th in the league standings, which consisted of 18 teams. Throughout the season, they went through three different head coaches, namely Annor Walker, Jimmy Cobblah, and Henry Orlando Wellington.

Fianoo expressed his belief that the newly formed committee might not oversee the entire season. Currently, they are actively searching for a coach.

“I don’t think that this committee is going to see through the entire season. As we speak, we are on the search for a coach,” Fianoo stated. “When we get the coach, we will see some names sent to the Board for consideration and then we will form the management committee that will be in charge of the day-to-day running of the club. So our mission is to make sure that we fill in the gap as the club prepares to move into Division One.”

Great Olympics are determined to rebuild and make a strong comeback, starting with a strategic appointment of a capable head coach to lead the team in the upcoming season.

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.

Wimbledon 2024: Paolini edges out Vekic in thriller to reach women’s singles final

Jasmine Paolini edged out a tearful Donna Vekic in a thrilling semi-final to become the first Italian to reach a Wimbledon women’s singles final.

In one of the best matches of the tournament, Paolini missed two match points and was 8-7 behind in the 10-point tie-break before recovering to clinch an incredible victory.

The match lasted two hours 51 minutes, making it the longest women’s singles semi-final at Wimbledon, with the Italian winning 2-6 6-4 7-6 (10-8).

Paolini, who had never won a match at this tournament before this year but who has gained huge popularity with her enthusiasm, bubbly personality and incredible shot-making skills, said: “I was serving really bad so I am so happy. This match I will remember forever.

“I was just trying to think about what to do on the court, point by point, because I was really in difficulty.”

Vekic, who was also struggling with an injury to her lower right arm, was seen in tears at the changeover before the tie-break as the match was slipping away from her.Paolini lost in the French Open final in May and is the first woman to reach back-to-back Roland Garros and Wimbledon finals since Serena Williams in 2016.

Lawrence Cherono: Kenyan marathon runner banned for seven years for doping

Cherono was suspended for seven years due to a violation of anti-doping rules.

Kenyan long-distance runner Lawrence Cherono has been banned with a seven-year ban for violating anti-doping regulations.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced the ban on Wednesday.The 35-year-old tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine in an out-of-competition test conducted in May 2022.

According to the AIU, they imposed a two-part ban, Four years for the positive test itself and an additional four years for attempting to tamper with doping control procedures.

Cherono’s cooperation with the investigation reduced the total ban to seven years. This means he cannot compete until 2029.

“The AIU has banned Lawrence Cherono (Kenya) for 7 years from 16 July 2022 for presence/use of a prohibited substance (trimetazidine), tampering or attempted tampering with any part of doping control, submitting misleading, forged/falsified information”, the AIU said in a statement.

Cherono’s case highlights the ongoing issue of doping in Kenyan athletics. The AIU had already criticized Kenya for widespread doping practices in April 2023.

Trimetazidine, a blood flow booster, has been at the center of recent doping controversies.

It was detected in Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Kenya: Former World Record Holder Kosgei Drops Out of Paris Olympics

Nairobi — Olympics marathon silver medalist Brigid Kosgei is out of the women’s team for this month’s Paris Olympics due to injury concerns.

In a statement from the National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOCK), Kosgei was deemed unfit to compete in her second Olympics after a regular assessment and monitoring by the medical team.

“It’s during the one of the regular monitoring sessions that Olympic silver medalist Brigid Kosgei expressed an injury concern to the technical team. Upon a review by the medical team led by the Chief Medical officer Dr Ondiege, Kosgei will not be heading to Paris for her second Olympics,” the statement read.

The former world record holder has been replaced by Sharon Lokedi who clinched the 2022 New York Marathon title on her debut in the World Marathon Majors race.

It is a hammer blow to Kosgei who had seemed to be on the path to peak form after her injury woes in the aftermath of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

The 30-year-old won the Lisbon Half Marathon in March this year, clocking 1:05:51 before finishing fifth at the London Marathon, the following month.

The two-time London Marathon and Chicago Marathon champion was part of a formidable three-woman team that also included Olympics defending champion Peres Jepchirchir, Boston and New York Marathon champion Hellen Obiri.

For Lokedi, a debut appearance at the Olympics is the icing on a cake of a glittering and sumptuous road race career thus far.

The 30-year-old followed up her New York Marathon win in 2022 with a third place finish at the same event the following year – timing 2:27:33.

She has continued her trend of podium finishes this year with second place at the Boston Marathon in April (2:22:45) before clocking 31:04 to finish second at the New York 10km race in June.

The Kenyan marathon team – including men – are currently training in Ngong as well as Eldoret.

They are expected to depart the country next month, in time for their event, which will be held at the tailend of the Olympics.

Super Eagles invitee set for Ligue 1 adventure after leaving relegated Luton

The former Luton Town centre-back is set for a move to France with the newly-promoted side

Nigerian centre-back Gabriel Osho is set for a new lease on life after leaving relegated English side Luton Town to sign for newly-promoted Ligue 1 side Auxerre.

Osho leaves Luton after four years

Following a four-year spell with Luton Town, Osho decided to take his services elsewhere, choosing not to renew his contract after The Hatters suffered relegation from the Premier League.

The one-time Super Eagles invitee made 85 appearances for Luton Town before leaving, including 21 games in the 2023/24 Premier League season, which unfortunately ended with the Hatters getting relegated to the EFL Championship.

Osho set for Ligue 1 move

Following his exit from Luton Town, Osho has agreed a move to join Auxuerre, who just gained promotion to the Ligue 1 after winning the French second division title last season.

Osho becomes Auxerre’s first signing of the new season as they look to retain their top-flight status in the French league.

The former Luton star was invited to the Super Eagles team in March 2024 for international friendlies against Ghana and Benin Republic but was unable to make his debut after withdrawing from squad due to injury.

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.

Paris 2024: Ghana’s Rose Yeboah sets sights on Olympic medal

Ghana’s Rose Yeboah has set her sights on winning a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The high jumper left Ghana for Paris on Wednesday night for her maiden global showpiece.

Rose secured her qualification with an incredible 1.97m jump at the NCAA Championship in Eugene in June.

In an interview with JoySports’ Fentuo Tahiru Fentuo before her departure, she expressed optimism about improving and ultimately winning a medal at the Olympics.

“Qualifying for Olympics is such a great experience and I am really happy to see myself there to compete for my country Ghana.

“Looking at my performance I put up at the NCAA, I feel like I will do much better since it’s going to be a competition among ourselves.

“Everyone should expect me qualifying to the finals and seeing myself on the podium. It will be such a great experience if at least I make it to the finals and get a medal.”

Rose has impressed in recent months for Ghana, having clinched Gold medals in high jump at the African Athletics Seniors Championships and the 2023 African Games.

The Olympic Games runs from July 6 to August 11.

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