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GPL Preview: ‘Inconsistent’ Asante Kotoko battle stubborn Gold Stars in Kumasi

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Week 30 of the 2022/23 Ghana Premier League season commences on Saturday, May 6, with five games remaining for each of the 18 teams.

The schedule includes one match on Saturday, seven on Sunday, and one on Monday. One of the most exciting fixtures of the weekend is the Sunday encounter between Asante Kotoko and Bibiani Gold Stars.

Kotoko, the reigning champions, have struggled to maintain their title-winning form this season, with inconsistent performances leading them to 6th place on the league table.

They have won one, drawn one, and lost two of their last five matches. As they sit eight points behind the leaders, Kotoko’s chances of retaining their title are dwindling.

Meanwhile, Bibiani Gold Stars are only two points behind Kotoko and could potentially surpass them with a win in their upcoming clash. However, their recent form is not encouraging, with three losses and two wins in their last five games.

The match between the two teams is scheduled for Sunday, May 7, at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, kicking off at 15:00GMT.

Gold Stars CEO Akwasi Adu optimistic of victory over Asante Kotoko

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John Akwasi Adu, the CEO of Bibiani GoldStars, is confident that his team can secure a victory over Kotoko in their upcoming Premier League match on Sunday, May 7, 2023.

GoldStars suffered a humiliating 5-0 defeat in their last visit to the Baba Yara Stadium, but Adu believes that they will perform better this time around.

He stated, “The players will be aware that there is something significant at stake. Last year, Kotoko capitalized on their chances. The game was evenly matched for the first 30 minutes, but we made a mistake and they took advantage of it. We should expect a positive outcome in that game.”

He continued, “…We will approach it positively, and with the support of our fans, we will succeed.”

GoldStars are currently in 7th place on the league table, with 41 points, two points behind the defending champions. The two teams played to a 1-1 draw in the first round of the campaign.

2023 U-23 AFCON: Ghana pitted in Group A to face Morocco and Congo

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The Black Meteors have been drawn in Group A for the U-23 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) to be played in Morocco.

The draw which involved Ghana and seven other teams was held at the awe-striking Mohammed VI Technical Centre in Rabat, Morocco.

In the draw, Ghana was drawn in Group A alongside host nation Morocco, Congo and Guinea.

The other group saw Egypt, Mali, Gabon and Niger paired.

The competition which is reserved for players under the age of 23 will be played from Saturday, June 24 to Saturday, July 8, 2023.

The U-23 AFCON will serve as qualifiers for the 2024 Olympic Games to be held in Paris. The top three teams from the competition will qualify to the Olympics, while the 4th-placed team will play against a team from Asia in a playoffs to decide the final slot at the Olympics.

Ghana is hoping to make the Olympics for the first time since 2004 in Greece. The Black Meteors missed out on the previous edition in Japan after finishing 4th at the U-23 AFCON in Egypt.

Exciting Ghanaian winger Kwadwo Opoku makes CONCACAF Champions League team of the week

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Ghanaian footballer Kwadwo Opoku has been recognized in Sofascore’s team of the week for his outstanding performance in the CONCACAF Champions League game against Philadelphia Union.

Opoku, who previously played for Attram De Visser Academy, helped Los Angeles FC secure qualification to the CONCACAF Champions League final by scoring a goal in the game.

The forward came in as a substitute in the 66th minute and replaced Mateusz Bogusz. He went on to score his team’s second goal in the game.

LAFC won the match 3-0 against Philadelphia Union at the BMO stadium, with Timothy Tillman scoring the first goal and Dennis Bouanga scoring the third.

With the win, Los Angeles FC have qualified for the final of the Cup competition and will face the winner of Liga MX’s Tigres UANL and Club León.

Opoku has been instrumental in his team’s qualification to the final, having scored two goals in six matches.

In the MLS, the 21-year-old winger has scored one goal in eight matches for Los Angeles FC.

Opoku was also a member of the squad that won LAFC’s first-ever MLS title, making history in the process.

Here is the complete team of the week selected by Sofascore:

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NDC flagbearer hopeful blames Asante Kotoko’s retrogression on fans’ impatience

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Kojo Bonsu, a flagbearer hopeful for the opposition National Democratic Congress and former Executive Member of Asante Kotoko, has identified the impatience of the club’s fans as the major issue affecting the team.

In the last ten years, Asante Kotoko has experienced numerous changes in both the technical and management teams, as successive administrations have given in to the pressure from fans to switch coaches whenever the club suffers a series of poor results. Over the years, the team has had coaches like Mas-Ud Didi Dramani, David Duncan, Michael Osei, Zdravko Lugarusic, Godwin Ablodey, Frimpong Manso, Steve Polack, Paa Kwesi Fabin, Kjetel Zachiariason, Prosper Narteh Ogum, and Seydou Zeboh.

There have also been several changes in the Board of Directors and management of the club in recent years. Kojo Bonsu, a former Adidas West African representative, is convinced that Kotoko can only succeed in winning titles with proper long-term planning and consistency in both the coaching and administrative departments of the club.

In his view, “There’s a problem with Kotoko and Kumasi, we don’t have the patience to see good results. You need to build, but they want instant results and it won’t work. I’ve worked with Kotoko for many years. In 1983, we won the cup after going through 79, 80, 81 and reaching the final in 82 before winning it the following year. So, we need to build momentum, but we are not doing that. One minute you hear there’s a coach from Burkina Faso, the next you hear he’s been sacked. We need to have patience.”

Bonsu is calling on the club’s management to establish an academy and engage in proper scouting to help the team regain its former glory both domestically and continentally.

“We have to do proper scouting and get an academy. If we don’t have an academy, all the players will just come and go. So, we need to have a system, but unfortunately, we are not prepared to wait for the system. We need to build, have patience, and give management time to run the club,” he emphasized.

WATCH LIVE: Brighton vs Manchester United – EPL

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Click on the link below to watch the game. Kickoff is 7pm.

https://cutt.ly/s3oJ8NZ

Karela United finally react to Philip Flamini’s defilement case

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Spokesperson of Karela United, Samuel Evans Enyan has responded to reports alleging that a player of the club is currently in custody for a defiling a 13-year-old girl.

Per reports, winger Philip Flamini who joined the club last season from Sekondi Hasaacas been remanded in police custody after being accused of defiling a 13-year-old girl from Edwakpole in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region on Saturday, April 29.

Speaking in an interview with West End Radio on Wednesday, spokesperson of the club, Samuel Evans Enyan confirmed the reports, stating that the club will do its best to support the player, the victim and her family.

“Yes we were informed on the day of the incident, as a club we have made several efforts to have meeting with the family, and since it was already reported to the police, we respected both the family and police in that position,” Samuel Evans Enyan said as quoted by domesticsportsgh.com.

“I think it is very sad to see our player in this state, we have been supporting him and ready to give out our support and accept any decision by the court, but we will do our best as a club to support the player, the girl and the family”.

“So since it is in the court, let’s wait and see the way forward. I humbly apologise to all the Karela fraternity for this difficult time. But the club will also do its investigation in line with police and court decision,” he added.

Samuel Evans Enyan affirmed that the situation won’t distract the club’s season.

“We don’t want this issue to distract our preparations in the league, I can assure you our players are physically strong and psychologically sounded and ready to take on Aduana Stars next Monday despite Flamini’s case,” he added.

Meanwhile, the club has suspended the player pending the conclusion of the ongoing Police investigation into the matter. The 25-year old will reappear in court on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.

GFA reschedule Samartex’s Premier League game against Hearts of Oak; check the new date

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Hearts of Oak’s upcoming match against FC Samartex 1996 at the Nsenkyire Sports Complex has been rescheduled to Sunday, 7th May, instead of the initially scheduled Saturday, according to a statement by the club.

The Phobians will be aiming to continue their winning form, having won their last game against King Faisal, following consecutive defeats to Bechem United and Tamale City.

The Accra-based club has had a tough season and is currently placed 4th on the league table with 45 points from 29 games.

Meanwhile, Samartex, currently occupying the 8th position on the league log, lost their last game 2-0 against Bechem United, and will be hoping to secure a win at home.

The match will commence at 15:00GMT.

‘It’s been a challenging season for us’ – Legon Cities PRO admits

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Kwame Dwomoh-Agyemang, the Communications Director of Legon Cities, has commented on his team’s performance this season.

Legon Cities is currently in 13th place in the Ghana Premier League with only five games left in the 2022/23 campaign.

During an interview with Kumasi-based Silver FM, Kwame Dwomoh acknowledged that his team has had a difficult season but stated that they will treat their remaining games in the league as finals in order to survive.

“It has been a challenging season for us, but we can’t dwell on the past; we have to focus on what is ahead of us. So, we will approach our remaining five games in the league as finals because we know that every single point is going to matter between now and matchday 34 of the season.”

“With five games left in the season, I can assure you that we will give our best and hope that we can earn enough points to survive.”

Legon Cities will play against Nsoatreman FC in matchday 30 of the Ghana Premier League on Sunday.

“The Ghana Premier League lacks quality players” – Veteran coach Kuuku Dadzie

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James Kuuku Dadzie, an experienced coach from Ghana, has expressed his concern about the current state of the Ghana Premier League, citing a lack of quality as the primary reason.

Despite the close point differences in the league log, Dadzie believes that this shouldn’t deceive anyone into thinking that the league is competitive and tough.

Dadzie, who last coached Ebusua Dwarfs in the 2020/21 season, spoke to Akoma FM in Kumasi and stated that there is no clear difference in the quality of players across all the Premier League teams in Ghana, which accounts for the tight and competitive nature of the league. He added that the two traditional giants, Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko, are no longer ahead in terms of squad quality, and this explains why they are not dominating anymore.

Dadzie, a former Ghanaian international and CAF instructor who trains coaches, lamented the absence of gifted players like Mohammed Polo, Asamoah Gyan, Abedi Pele, and himself in Ghanaian football today.

He believes that football is about quality players and that the lack of such players in the league is the reason for its poor state.

“Football is about players, and we mean quality ones. Personally for me, in Ghana all the Premier league teams have average players, there are no clear differences in their qualities that is why we see the league to be tight and competitive with close gaps in the point build up.

“The qualities are the same and spread across, Kotoko and Hearts are not ahead in terms of squad quality. This account for why they are not dominating again.

“During my playing days, there was quality in our play, we could beat you with ease.
Also, we had gifted players, I am the best center-back Ghana has ever had because I was gifted. Mohammed Polo, Asamoah Gyan, Abedi Pele and the rest were all gifted but we don’t see such players in our country in recent times.”

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