Ghana finished Day 1 of the swimming competition with two 4th place finishes in the men’s 100m freestyle and the 4x100m mixed relay freestyle.
Ghana’s Stacey Harry finished 4th in the finals of the men’s 100m butterfly, narrowly missing out on a medal.
South Africa’s Clayton Jimmie grabbed the gold with a dominant display, with Namibia’s Alexander Skinner and Egypt’s Abdalla Nasr finishing second and third respectively.
Ghana’s swimming team coach, Pavel Kutashev, was however impressed by his team’s outing.
“It was a good day. It wasn’t perfect, when you consider we had two 4th places, but a good day overall, he told Joy Sports.
“The bottom line is that the athletes gave everything, and that’s what makes me happy,” he added.
There was more gloom for Team Ghana in wrestling, with all Ghanaian wrestlers eliminated on the first day of competition.
The biggest defeat came in the men’s greco 77kg category, where Ghana’s Mugis Salifu lasted less than 2 minutes in the first round before being overpowered by his Kenyan opponent Mathonya Mathayo 10-0.
Badminton provided very little good news, with Ghana’s only surviving men’s doubles team of Leslie Addo and Ebenezer Korampong suffering a painful quarterfinal loss to South Africa’s Jarred Elliott and Robert Summers to close out a very disappointing day for the team.
Ghana saw no mixed doubles or women’s doubles teams progress past the Round 16 stage.
Ghana was also dumped out of all singles events on the day, with no Ghanaian progressing past the round 16.
Ghana’s Black Princesses began their campaign at the 2023 African Games with a win against Ethiopia on Saturday evening.
Comfort Owusu scored the only goal of the game at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium to ensure Ghana moved top of Group A.
Head coach Yusif Basigi named a strong starting lineup for the game which included Black Queens duo Maafia Nyame and Comfort Yeboah with Mukarama Abdulai leading the attack.
Ghana struggled to break down their opponents in the opening minutes of the game with a resilient defensive performance from Ethiopia.
Maafia Nyame should have put the Princesses in the lead earlier on but her little dink over the goalkeeper just went wide of the goalpost.
The first half was characterised by a light-out situation which halted the game for close to 10 minutes.
Both teams headed into the break with nothing separating them.
After the recess, Basigi introduced Ophelia Serwaa Amponsah, who replaced Maafia Nyame. Amponsah’s first involvement in the game almost set up Comfort Owusu for the first goal of the game.
However, there was no stopping Comfort Owusu in the 59th minute after a poor clearance from the Ethiopians with the Hasaacas Ladies’ midfielder scoring from a rebound after Beline Nyarko’s initial shot.
A London nurse once described as the “fastest woman in Africa” is retiring after almost five decades in the NHS.
Former international sprinter Rose Amankwaah, 72, represented Ghana at the 1972 Olympics and started working in the NHS in 1975.
She was initially given weekends off so she could continue her athletics training, where she ran alongside a young Linford Christie.
Mrs Amankwaah spent her whole medical career at Central Middlesex Hospital.
Mrs Amankwaah, then Rose Asiedua, won a bronze medal at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in New Zealand.
She added another medal to her haul in 2023 when she was given the NHS Silver Medal Award by England’s chief nurse, Dame Ruth May.
She moved to England in 1974 aged 22, and shortly afterwards started training to be a nurse.
After finishing her training she was employed by the hospital as a staff nurse and finishes her career as theatre matron.
During her time at London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, the mother-of-four and grandmother-of-10 has met both royalty and senior politicians.
She said: “I’m happy that I’m going to have some time with my family but I have been in this hospital all my life, so retirement feels like losing something – you’re part of the furniture and all of a sudden you are not going to be.
“But I’m so happy that I have achieved what I want to achieve.”
Mrs Amankwaah said that during her work in theatres she had seen major advances in surgery – with most procedures being “open” when she started, followed by a shift to laparoscopic, or keyhole, surgery and now widespread use of robotic surgery.
Her first trip in retirement will be to Ghana to visit her 87-year-old sister, with a number of other holidays in the pipeline.
Retirement also means she will be able to watch the Paris Olympics in the summer.
On her sprinting career she said: “I started running in 1958 when I was in secondary school in Ghana.
“I started representing Ghana with a high jump but then a coach came to me and said they would like to train me in 100m and 200m races.”
A London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust spokesperson said: “The NHS is all about people and we’ll all miss Rose when she goes. She is a great nurse and personality and, after 49 years, still knows how to set the pace and run the race.”
Black Satellites coach Desmond Ofei remains unperturbed despite Ghana’s stuttering start in the men’s football competition of the Accra 2023 African Games.
The Satellites were held by Congo to a goalless draw on Friday at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Ghana went close on two occasions; first through Aziz Misibau’s long-range effort that cannoned off the crossbar with 15 minutes to go.
Ten minutes later, substitute Michael Epson’s tap-in was ruled out for offside.
When asked if he was worried about the result, Ofei expressed confidence in his team’s chances of progressing.
“I am not worried about the result. It does not change much for us. We played quite well and created enough chances to win,” Offei insisted.
“I know we have the quality in the squad and with different profiles. In the second half, we showed that and significantly improved. So I believe we will qualify” he concluded.
Ofei has been in charge of the Black Satellites since he was promoted from his role as assistant coach in September 2023.
He had previously served as assistant to Samuel Boadu for nine months at the Black Satellites.
Ghana’s next match is a clash with The Gamba on Wednesday, March 12, 2024, at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The Uganda Football Association (UFA) has announced an imminent friendly between the Cranes and Ghana’s Black Stars in the upcoming international break.
The game, which is scheduled for March 26, will be held at the Stade Grande Marrakech in Marrakech, Morocco.
According to the Uganda Football Association, the friendly match is part of Uganda’s preparations for the impending 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Before the game against Ghana, Uganda will also face Comoros.
The Black Stars have been without a head coach since their disappointing campaign in Cote d’Ivoire which saw Chris Hughton dismissed after another group-stage exit at the Africa Cup of Nations.
The GFA has been looking for a new coach since Hughton’s dismissal but no replacement has been named thus far.
The friendly against Uganda provides an opportunity for Ghana to assess their strength and readiness ahead of their crucial World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic in June.
The recent edition of the President’s Cup held at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium was marred by poor organization and missed opportunities. Despite being a free event, the stadium failed to attract a full crowd, and the overall ambiance and publicity surrounding the games were severely lacking.
This article aims to address the concerns raised by the disorganized event and shed light on how the organizers missed a chance to promote Ghanaian football and boost struggling clubs in the country.
Missed Opportunities:
One of the missed opportunities during the President’s Cup was the failure to mobilize supporters of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to the stadium.
With effective organization, the event could have been an excellent platform for showcasing support for President Nana Akufo-Addo and his Ivorian counterpart.
The absence of a passionate crowd impacted the overall atmosphere and enthusiasm around the games.
Another disappointing aspect was the overcrowding of media personnel around the president and their bodyguards. This unprofessional scene gave the event a disorganized and chaotic feel.
A more structured approach should have been taken to ensure that the media coverage was well-coordinated and that the focus remained on the football action rather than the prominent figures present.
Local Participation:
It is worth questioning the decision to invite a Togolese referee and an Ivorian team, ASEC, for the event. Ghana boasts talented referees and football clubs that could have been given an opportunity to showcase their abilities.
Inviting a local team would have not only strengthened the bond between the government and the local football community but also provided financial support to struggling clubs in the Ghana Premier League.
Financial Implications:
The money spent on inviting the foreign club that ultimately secured the trophy could have been utilized to support domestic clubs in financial distress. Ghanaian football has seen its fair share of struggles, with clubs often grappling with financial woes.
By diverting funds towards supporting these clubs, the government could have made a tangible impact on the state of football in the country.
The anticipation was that, His Royal Majesty, the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II was coming to grace the occasion together with the two heads of state.
However, the Asantehene made no mistake by declining the invitation on traditional grounds. It could be very embarrassing if Otumfuo was at the poorly organized event.
Thanks to Kumasi-based musicians Kwaku Gyesi, Amenado and reggae artiste African Child whose presence electrified the ambiance in the stadium with their hit songs, the whole place was unentertaining.
The organizers of the event must thank the various Senior High Schools in Kumasi for showing up to watch the football game else the stadium could have been partially empty.
This is the first time I have seen Kumasi Asante Kotoko playing against a top club like ASEC with a free gate, yet the thousands of noisy Kumasi Asante Kotoko supporters in Kumasi had no interest to watch the game.
This truly confirms that something wasn’t right in Kumasi.
Conclusion:
The 2024 President’s Cup highlighted a lack of organization, missed opportunities, and a failure to utilize the event to its full potential.
By ensuring the involvement of NPP supporters, inviting local teams, and redirecting funds towards struggling Premier League clubs, the event could have fostered a stronger sense of unity and support for Ghanaian football.
It is imperative that future editions of the President’s Cup prioritize local participation and focus on empowering Ghanaian clubs to elevate the overall standard of football in the country.
The Sports Minister, Mustapha Ussif, has promised the rest of Africa that Ghana will deliver a competition that will be difficult to forget.
Ghana is hosting the 13th edition of the African Games with 53 other countries joining the West African nation for the continent’s flagship competition.
This also happens to be the first time the competition is being held in Ghana.
Despite the Games commencing earlier this week, the opening ceremony was held on Friday, March 8, at the University of Ghana Stadium.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister said, “Today, thanks to the 13th African Games, courtesy His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Ghana can boast of the finest multi-sporting discipline facilities in the sub-region.”
“These facilities will continue to be useful not only to Ghana but to the entire sub-region for training and competition purposes.
“This is a unique opportunity for Ghana and we are privileged and ready to deliver unforgettable games for Africa and the rest of the world.”
The games will continue on Saturday, March 9, with swimming among a host of sports getting underway.
The 13th African Games commenced with a vibrant and colourful opening ceremony that captured the hearts of many around the globe.
Held at the University of Ghana Stadium on Friday, March 8, the event featured sports officials and athletes proudly adorned in their respective country colours, representing nations from Ghana to Ethiopia, Tunisia to South Africa, Brundi, and more.
All sports disciplines of the various countries made a symbolic grand entrance, showcasing the diversity and unity of the African continent.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ghana’s President, Nana Akufo-Addo, underscored that the 13th African Games symbolises a celebration of unity, sportsmanship, and excellence across the African continent.
He emphasised that the event serves as a beacon of hope, reminding Africans of their shared heritage and common aspirations.
The opening ceremony was further enriched by dazzling performances from top Ghanaian musicians, including Dancehall artiste Shatta Wale, King Promise, and South African sensation Kamo Mphela among others.
Myjoyonline’s photojournalist, David Andoh was present at the ceremony and captured these captivating scenes.
Ghana’s Black Satellites were held to a goalless draw in their opening game of the 2023 African Games on Friday, March 8.
The game at the Accra Sports Stadium saw Desmond Ofei’s side fail to take all three points in Group A against Congo.
The Satellites had a great start to the game and were presented with several decent chances but failed to convert them.
Ghana enjoyed the majority of ball possession and had their Congolese counterparts at bay in the entire game.
Both teams headed into the break with nothing separating them.
The return from recess saw Ghana continue from where they left off as they continued to press for the game’s opener.
They had a goal disallowed for offside minutes into the second period of the game but that was the closest the team would come to breaking the deadlock.
The opening fixture in Group A ended 0-0 with each team taking a point at the end of 90 minutes.
The Gambia will play Benin in the other group game with three points at stake.
