2024-12-22

Black Stars

Brighton-bound Ibrahim Osman receives maiden Ghana call-up

Brighton-bound Ibrahim Osman has received his inaugural call-up to the Ghana national team ahead of the forthcoming international friendlies against Nigeria and Uganda next week.

The 19-year-old sensation is one of the debutants summoned by Ghana coach Otto Addo for the two friendly matches set to take place in Morocco.

Hailing from the esteemed Right to Dream Academy, Osman’s remarkable performances and exceptional talent have paved the way for a lucrative move to English Premier League outfit Brighton.

The winger will officially join Brighton in the summer, following an agreement between the club and Danish side FC Nordsjaelland for a fee reported to be approximately £16 million.

Osman will reunite with former teammates Mohammed Kudus and Ernest Nuamah in the Ghana national team, where he is anticipated to compete for a spot.

The Black Stars are scheduled to confront 2023 Africa Cup of Nations finalist Nigeria on March 22 before clashing with Uganda four days later.

These matches mark the senior national team’s first fixtures since their disappointing campaign in the Africa Cup of Nations held in Ivory Coast, which ultimately led to the dismissal of Chris Hughton as the Black Stars’ coach.

By Ekow Sam Awotwe

Black Stars head coach search committee submits report to GFA ExCO

The Black Stars head coach search committee has submitted their report and recommendations to the Executive Council (ExCO) of the Ghana Football Association for further action.

The committee has been mandated by the GFA to find a replacement for Chris Hughton and his staff who were sacked after Ghana’s abysmal performance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where the Black Stars crashed out at the group stage.

The President of the GFA, Kurt Okraku, personally received the report on Tuesday.

The Ghana FA on Wednesday morning said the Executive Council will review the recommendations from the search committee and decide on the next Black Stars coach.

Once the coaching decision is resolved, the GFA will engage the Ministry of Youth and Sports, as well as other key stakeholders for their support.

The GFA Executive Council tasked a five-member Committee headed by Vice President Mark Addo to find a replacement for Hughton on January 25.

The Committee was also mandated to target suitable and competent coaches for consideration even if they don’t apply for the post.

Databank CEO Kojo Addae Mensah, GFA Technical Director Professor Joseph Kwame Mintah, Ghana legend Opoku Nti and William Kartey, Chief Director of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, are the other four members of the committee.

‘He needs to be a bit more mature’ – Gary Neville on Mohammed Kudus decision-making

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has urged Mohammed Kudus to do better in his decision-making despite his enormous talent.

Kudus returned to being decisive for West Ham United on Monday night as he set up an assist in the Hammers 4-2 win over Brentford in the Premier League.

The Ghanaian was a constant threat in Brentford’s half anytime West Ham attacked and gave the Bees’ defence a run for their money.

Despite his goal involvement, Neville, who now works as a pundit with Sky Sports, assessing the performance of Kudus, said the 23-year-old needs to step up his decisions when he gets to the final third.

“Kudus has got something, but he just needs to be a bit more mature in his final choices,” Neville said on his podcast.

“Sometimes wingers can be unpredictable, but they need to be unpredictable not just to the opposition but also to their own teammates. In the first half, he took one or two wild shots instead of making a final pass.”

“And I did say in that first half that the one thing David Moyes could say at halftime was for him to be a little bit more precise in what he was doing and that third goal came from him being more direct and putting in that lovely cross for Jarrod Bowen which was a big moment in the game.”

The assist against Brentford was Kudus’ first goal involvement since returning from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.

Story by sky Sports

Black Stars miss out on inaugural FIFA Series

Ghana’s Black Stars have been excluded from the list of African teams chosen by FIFA for the inaugural FIFA Series international friendlies.

On Monday, FIFA announced its decision to trial the FIFA Series; a set of FIFA-backed international friendlies, in the next international window in March 2024.

In a statement on Monday, FIFA said four national teams selected from each confederation will converge in one country for the inaugural FIFA Series next month.

Although FIFA allocated six slots to African countries for the inaugural edition, Ghana’s Black Stars were somehow overlooked for the ‘‘tournament’’.

Algeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea and Central African Republic are the African countries selected for the inaugural edition.

Ghana were not the only big-name absentee for the inaugural event as Africa’s number one-ranked team, Senegal, AFCON 2023 winners, Cote d’Ivoire, and finalists Nigeria were all conspicuously missing.

FIFA says the initiative will ‘‘will provide member associations with a more regular opportunity to face national teams from other continents, which will serve to unlock technical development opportunities previously unavailable to many of them.’’

‘‘The FIFA Series will also provide the participating member associations with their own additional commercial opportunities and exposure.’’

The pilot Series will run from 18 to 26 March 2024.

‘Thank you for your concern’ – Baba Rahman expresses gratitude following harrowing collision in cup game

PAOK left-back Baba Rahman has conveyed his appreciation to well-wishers following a harrowing collision with Panathinaikos defender Georgios Vagiannidis that led to an emergency situation.

The former Augsburg defender suffered a head injury during his team’s cup game against Panathinaikos, where he collided with Vagiannidis and lost consciousness. Fortunately, the medical team acted swiftly to resuscitate him.

In a statement shared on social media, Rahman expressed gratitude for the overwhelming concern and well wishes he received. He reassured everyone that scans have indicated no major damage from the incident.

“Hello, just wanted to thank everyone for their concern and well wishes in the last 12 or so hours. Thankfully I’m recovering well and scans have shown no major damage.

“I’d like to also say a big thank you to Georgios Vagiannidis for personally checking in on me at the hospital.

“It was a tough night but I’d be back running up and down again soon,” Rahman wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Rahman, who has been a pivotal player for PAOK since joining from Reading, has displayed impressive performances in 18 league games, scoring three goals and providing two assists.

Despite his significance to the squad, he opted out of the recent Black Stars squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to focus on recovery and regain strong form.

Rahman’s positive update on his recovery provides relief to fans and the football community as a whole.

Paris 2024Q: 21 players involved in Black Queens second training session ahead of Zambia qualifier

Twenty-one (21) players were present for the Black Queens’ second training session at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday, February 20.

Nora Hauptle and her side continue to prepare for the first leg of their 2024 Olympic Games third-round qualifier which is set for Friday.

The 21 players who trained on Tuesday had Charlton Athletic’s Freda Ayisi available, Jacqueline Owusu of Real Sociedad was also involved with Linda Eshun also joining. The three players were missing from the first day of training.

Only goalkeeper Vivian Antwi Adjei and forward Gifty Assifuah, both of 1207 Antaly Spor, missed Tuesday’s session having arrived short before the team left for the Accra Sports Stadium.

The Black Queens are chasing a first-ever appearance at the Olympic Games and have had to beat Guinea and Benin en route to reaching the third round of the qualifying stage.

Leicester City  set to make Fatawu Issahaku’s loan move permanent

Leicester City are looking to secure a permanent move for Black Stars winger Fatawu Issahaku at the end of the season.

ssahaku, currently on loan with the English Championship side, has been making an impact, and sources from England indicate that the move could become permanent.

The Ghana international showcased his prowess by scoring his third goal of the season during Leicester City’s recent 2-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship. Issahaku opened the scoring in the fourth minute, tapping into an empty net after a pass from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The experienced striker Jamie Vardy added the second goal in the 36th minute, securing the win for Enzo Maresca’s side.

Leicester City continues to lead the Championship standings with 78 points from 32 matches, positioning themselves for a potential promotion to the Premier League at the end of the season.

If the reported move becomes official, it would mark a significant step for Fatawu Issahaku in his career, transitioning to a permanent role with Leicester City.

75-year-old woman explains her reasons for participating in the ‘Save Ghana football’ demonstration

ome protesters at the ‘Save Ghana Football’ demonstrations have called on football authorities to vacate their positions if they can’t fix the Black Stars.

The Black Stars exiting at the group stage of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations is the third time in consecutive major tournaments that the team has failed to progress from the first round.

The Kurt Okraku-led Ghana Football Association is searching for a fifth Black Stars coach since coming into office five years ago.

The demonstration is currently ongoing after it started at the Obra Spot at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange in Accra.

The protesters will pass through Asylum Down, the Greater Accra Regional Hospital and present a petition at Ghana Football Association headquarters.

They will then proceed to do same at the Parliament of Ghana before ending the protest at the Independence square.

A protesters called “The leaders, they should fix the team for us. If they can’t improve the situation of the Black Stars, all of them should vacate their positions”.

GFA announces roadmap for Black Stars’ future following AFCON 2023 exit

GFA announces roadmap for Black Stars’ future following AFCON 2023 exit

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has announced that Chris Hughton and his entire technical team have been dismissed from their roles as coaches of the senior national team, the Black Stars, following the team’s dismal performance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

The decision comes after Ghana failed to win their final group game against Mozambique, drawing 2-2 and consequently crashing out of the tournament in the first round.

Hughton, who was appointed as head coach in February 2023, had a win-loss-draw ratio of 30.77%, 30.77%, and 38.46% in all competitions during his nearly one-year tenure. The team scored 13 goals under his leadership, averaging one goal per match while conceding 16 times.

Assistant coaches George Boateng and Didi Dramani, goalkeepers’ coach Richard Kingston, and other members of the technical team are also leaving their positions. The GFA has stated that it will provide a roadmap for the future direction of the Black Stars in the coming days.

Ghana’s poor performance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations has sparked criticism and concerns about the team’s ability to compete at the highest level. The GFA’s decision to dissolve the technical team is seen as a move to address these issues and restore the team’s credibility.

The Black Stars have struggled in recent years, failing to replicate their successes of the past. The team’s early exit from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations has prompted calls for change and a renewed focus on developing young talent.

The GFA is expected to appoint a new head coach and technical team in the near future, with speculation already surrounding potential candidates.

Fans and stakeholders are eagerly awaiting the association’s roadmap for the Black Stars, hoping that it will signal a fresh start for the team and a return to glory.

Andre Ayew sets up fund to support Ghanaian students in several cities

Ghanaian football star Andre Ayew has once again demonstrated his commitment to supporting education in his home country by setting up a fund to look after Ghanaian students in every city he live in.

The fund, which has been established in cities such as Marseille, Swansea, Istanbul, Doha, and now Nottingham, provides financial assistance to Ghanaian students who are studying in these cities.

Ayew, who is currently playing for Nottingham Forest in the English Championship, has always been passionate about education and has previously set up similar funds in other cities where he has played.

The funds have provided a lifeline for many Ghanaian students who would have otherwise struggled to make ends meet while studying abroad.

Ayew’s generosity has been praised by many in Ghana, with some calling on other successful Ghanaians to follow his example and support education in the country.

The 33-year-old is Ghana’s most-capped player and is the current captain of the national team which he has been playing since 2007.

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