2025-04-13

World

Asante Kotoko announce two Sudanese signings

Asante Kotoko have announced the signings of forward AbdoelRahman Yoouef Yagoub and defender Esmat Hassabalbagi.

The two Sudanese players signed a season-long loan contract with an option of a permanent deal.

Yagoub, who joined from Hay Alwady of Sudan, is expected to replace Steven Mukwala who netted 14 times for Kotoko last season in the Ghana Premier League.

Esmat moved from Al Hilal and will slot in the squad as a left-back.

The duo become the first activity of the club’s rebuild after parting ways with over 21 players in the last few days.

It is understood Sudan coach Kwasi Appiah who is part of Kotoko’s Interim Management Committee, made the recommendation.

Both Sudan nationals could make their debut against Hearts of Oak in the Democracy Cup on July, 17, 2024.

All Regional Games: Gyan, Bawumia launch event at Baba Yara stadium

Former Ghana international, Asamoah Gyan, and his team officially launched the All Regional Games on Saturday, July 6, 2024.

The launch of the all-new competition which is aimed at unearthing and developing talent across most of the sporting disciplines was held at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.

The much-anticipated competition will feature athletes competing in events such football,  athletics , volleyball , basketball , tennis, table tennis, boxing, Esports, and arm-wrestling.

The comes following weeks of several activities whipping up the traction from fans ahead of the launch.

The special guest at the Baba Yara Stadium was the Vice President of Ghana and the New Patriotic Party’s flagbearer, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia.

Others who graced the occasion were Sports Minister, Mustapha Ussif, Director General of the National Sports Authority, Numekevor Dodzie, as well as former team mates of Gyan.

Some entertainment celebrities were on stage to bring life to the event.

They were comedian, Ras Nene (now Dr Likee), musicians Fancy Gadam, Guru, and Wendy Shay.

Hundreds of fans also came out in their numbers to support the former Black Stars captain on his new project.

During the press launch of the competition in April, Gyan and his team revealed each region is expected to identify their top sportsmen and women through a trial.

Athletes selected, aged 18 to 23, are set to compete against their counterparts from other regions on a date yet to be announced.

Dreams come true: 800m runner makes Nigerian Olympic team 12 years after writing the vision as a teenager

Edose Ibadin will head to the Paris 2024 Games as Nigeria’s first 800m runner to compete at the Olympics since Seoul 1988, a dream that took twelve years to achieve.

Nigerian 800m record holder Edose Ibadin is thrilled to make the Paris Olympic team twelve years after writing the vision down as a teenager.

Ibadin qualified for the Paris Olympics after running a blistering 1:44.65 on July 30, 2023, which was within the qualifying window to surpass the automatic standard of 1:44.70.

By making the team, the 31-year-old will become the second Nigerian to run in the event at the Olympics since Ado Maude at the Seoul 1988 Games.

Expressing his excitement on his X page, the experienced runner quoted his tweet in 2012, affirming he’ll be at the Olympics one day.

“When I tweeted this, I was 18(soon to be 19) and a freshman in college. 12 years later, I’m now 31 headed to my first Olympics later this month. Only had one scholarship offer, Never made an NCAA final, didn’t have a contract coming out of college. Always bet on yourself.”

He also took to his Facebook page to show gratitude to everyone who has helped him achieve his dream

“After not making the Tokyo Games, I was sad and at the same time reminded that weeping may last through the night but joy comes in the morning. To everyone who has invested in this journey, I just want to say thank you.

“To Every coach I’ve had to every person I’ve trained with, I thank you. From prayers, encouraging words, tough love, none of it was in vain.

‘I’ve learned a lot of on this journey and I am glad that Paris gets to be a part of it.” he wrote.

Team Ghana secures three semi-final slots at African Athletics Seniors Championships

Ghana’s sprinters Isaac Botsio and Edwin Gadayi have advanced to the semi-finals of the men’s 100m at the African Athletics Seniors Championships in Douala, after impressive performances in their heats on Friday.

Botsio secured his spot by finishing second in Heat 3 with a time of 10.41 seconds, trailing Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi.

Gadayi also claimed a second-place finish in Heat 2, clocking 10.49 seconds behind Liberia’s Joseph Fahbulleh, who won the race in 10.45 seconds.

In Heat 4, Ghana’s Brock Appiah finished fifth with a time of 10.58 seconds, missing out on a semi-final berth.

On the women’s side, Deborah Acheampong delivered a strong performance in Heat 3, finishing second with a time of 11.92 seconds, just behind Gambia’s Gina Bass, who the double at African Games in Accra three months ago.

Acheampong will compete in the semi-finals on Saturday. Unfortunately, Hor Halutie finished fourth in Heat 7 with a time of 11.71 seconds and did not advance.

In the women’s 100m hurdles, Doris Mensah and Evonne Britton finished third in their respective heats. Mensah clocked 13.63 seconds in Heat 1, while Britton finished Heat 2 in 13.30 seconds.

In the women’s discus final, Rejoice Agbewodie ranked 12th out of 16 competitors, with a best throw of 48.38 meters.

2026 Athletics Championships: Ghana wins hosting rights

Ghana has been awarded the rights to host the 2026 Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) Seniors Championships, triumphing over Botswana in a competitive bid.

The country’s athletics governing body, Ghana Athletics announced on Saturday via its social media handles that the West African nation will host the 2026 edition.

Out of the 15 countries that voted for the next competition host, Ghana garnered 12 votes, while Botswana managed only three.

Ghana’s successful bid was led by a delegation including Deputy Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA) Bawa Majeed, President of Ghana Athletics Bawah Fuseini, and Vice President in charge of administration Charles Osei Assibey.

Following the CAA General Assembly in Douala where it was announced that Botswana and Ghana are the countries being considered, the latter was encouraged to bid for the prestigious event, leveraging its world-class facilities showcased during the recent African Games 2023 and the CAA Region II Seniors Championships.

The country is now expected to deliver another exemplary event in 2026.

In the ongoing championships, three Ghanaian athletes have advanced to the semi-finals of the 100m events. Isaac Botsio and Edwin Gadayi secured their places in the men’s 100m, both finishing second in their heats. Deborah Acheampong also advanced in the women’s 100m, finishing second in her heat.

Afcon 2025 to take place in December

The Confederation of African Football has set December 21, 2025, as the date for the next Africa Cup of Nations.

The 28-day continental event, which will be staged in Morocco, will end on January 18, 2026.

The decision was taken at CAF’s Executive Council Meeting on Friday after months of uncertainty.

The President of CAF, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, said: “I am confident that the AFCON Morocco 2025 will be extremely successful and will be the best AFCON in the history of this competition.”

The draw for the qualifiers is slated for July 4, 2024, with 48 nations, including Ghana, set to compete for slots at the tournament.

Ivory Coast are the defending champions after hosting and winning the title with a 2-1 win against Nigeria in the 2023 edition.

Former Ghana Premier League top scorer Hans Kwofie dies in car accident

Medeama have announced the sudden demise of their former striker, Hans Kwofie, following a fatal accident on Friday, June 21, 2024.

The crash happened at Dadwen in the Ashanti Region when the 35-year-old was on his way to his hometown, Dompim Pepesa.

Kwofie was the Ghana Premier League goal king in the 2017/18 season after scoring 17 goals for AshantiGold.

The veteran striker started his career at Nsoatre Manchester United before playing for the likes of Heart of Lions, Bechem United, Legon Cities and Medeama in the Ghana league.

WAFCON 2024 rescheduled to July 2025

The Confederation of African Football has set July 2025 as the date for the next Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

The competition had initially been scheduled to be played this year in Morocco.

However, a decision at a CAF Council meeting earlier on Friday, June 21, moved the tournament to next year.

The 21-day continental event will commence on July 5, 2025, and end on July 26, 2025.

This comes after months of uncertainty following the completion of the qualifiers.

“I am also impressed by the enormous growth of Women’s Football in Africa and I am expecting the WAFCON Morocco 2024 to be immensely successful,” CAF president Patrice Motsepe said.

“We will continue to make significant progress in developing and ensuring that African Football is globally competitive and amongst the best in the World.

“CAF is grateful to King Mohamed VI of Morocco, the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (“FRMF”), its President Fouzi Lekjaa, the Government, and the people of Morocco for hosting the CAF TotalEnergies AFCON Morocco 2025 and the CAF TotalEnergies WAFCON Morocco 2024.”

Ghana’s Black Queens had secured qualification for the competition after missing out since 2018.

Black Stars defender Stephan Ambrosius joins Swiss side St. Gallen

Swiss Super League side, St. Gallen, have announced the signing of Ghanaian defender Stephan Ambrosius.

The Black Stars defender joins the Swiss outfit on a three-year deal which will keep him at the club until 2027.

Ambrosius joins St. Gallen as a free agent following the end of his contract with German side Hamburger SV.

The Ghanaian joined Hamburger in 2012 and played through all of the junior ranks before making it to the senior teams.

The central defender made 18 appearances for the club last season in Bundesliga 2 having returned from his loan spell at Karlsruher SC at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

Ambrosius has been capped twice for the Black Stars both coming in friendly games last year.

The Ghanaian will don jersey number 5 at his new club and share the same locker room with national teammates Lawrence Ati-Zigi and Musah Nuhu.

Asante Kotoko striker Kalo Ouattara bids farewell after tough season

Asante Kotoko striker Kalo Ouattara has bid farewell to the club following his release, part of a massive clear-out that saw 18 players let go in less than 24 hours.

This significant overhaul is part of a comprehensive rebuild process aimed at revitalizing the team for the upcoming season.

The 22-year-old Ouattara, who joined Asante Kotoko at the start of the season from Berekum Chelsea, featured in 24 games and scored four goals, including one in the final game of the season.

Despite his efforts, the Porcupine Warriors finished the season in a disappointing sixth place with 49 points, 12 behind champions Samartex.

In a heartfelt message shared on social media, Ouattara expressed his gratitude to the club, his teammates, and the fans, with a special mention to the club’s video analysts.

Read the full note below:

“I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to each of you as I prepare to move on from my time with Asante Kotoko.

I want to say a special thank you to the video Analysts of Asante Kotoko for their motivation every time and their dedication in making me a better player.

While my journey here has come to an end, the experiences and memories we’ve shared will forever hold a special place in my heart.

To my fellow players, it has been an honor to stand alongside each of you on the field.

And to our loyal supporters, your unwavering enthusiasm and encouragement have fueled our determination and made every match a memorable experience. Your presence at the games and your messages of support online have meant the world to me and the entire team.

As I embark on the next chapter of my journey, I will carry with me the lessons learned during my time at Kotoko.

Warm regards,

Kalo Ouattara”

Ouattara’s departure is part of the club’s strategic plan to rebuild and strengthen the squad for a more competitive performance in the next season.

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