King Faisal secured their first win of the season after an impressive 2-1 victory over Kotoku Royals at the Baba Yara Stadium on Friday.
Goals from Samuel Antwi and Abednego Tetteh and a second-half consolation from Emmanuel Marfo ensured the hosts grabbed all three points.
Faisal after suffering defeats in their first five games started the game strongly and should have been up by two goals in the first ten minutes after Abednego Tetteh and Godfred Asiamah came close.
King Faisal will next travel to Anyinase to take on Karela United at the CAM Park while Kotoku Royals host Samartex.
Argentina have named their official 26-man squad for Qatar as they seek to fulfil Lionel Messi’s World Cup dream before his retirement. The 35-year-old veteran has already confirmed this will be his last ever tournament as he looks to sign off in style after falling at the final hurdle in 2014 against Germany in Brazil.
Argentina head to the Middle East off the back of their 2021 Copa America success as Messi bids to complete the full set at international level.
Lionel Scaloni’s squad is stacked with talent – including a blockbuster frontline that is packed with a whole host of big names and different attributes.
Messi is joined by Angel Di Maria, Lautaro Martinez, Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez, Nicolas Gonzalez of Fiorentina, Joaquin Correa and the injured Paulo Dybala.
There had been doubts as to whether the Roma man would make the cut after he picked up a thigh problem while scoring a penalty in a freak incident.
Unfortunately for Manchester United, there was no room for new kid on the block Alejandro Garnacho, who has been exceptional in recent weeks after forcing his way into Erik ten Hag’s first team.
The squad was not short of Premier League talent though with United’s Lautaro Martinez, Tottenham’s Cristian Romero, Emiliano Martinez of Aston Villa and Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister joining City frontman Alvarez.
Argentina’s midfield also reads impressively given it contains Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes, Alejandro Gomez, Enzo Fernandez and Exequiel Palacios.
Former Man City defender Nicolas Otamendi and ex-Spurs man Juan Foyth are also named in Scaloni’s squad.
The reigning Copa America champions plan to get one final warm-up game in on Wednesday when they take on United Arab Emirates in the Middle East.
Then they face Saudi Arabia on November 22 in their Group C opener as they bid to get off to a winning start.
Tough tests against Mexico (November 26) and Poland (November 30) then await the South American nation, who as always, are regarded as one of the favourites.
Argentina boss Scaloni has asked clubs not to play any of their stars that are not fully fit this weekend. He has already lost Villarreal’s Tottenham loanee Giovani Lo Celso due to a hamstring injury in recent weeks while Spurs’ Romero is still yet to fully recover from injury.
Luis Enrique has named his Spain squad for the World Cup 2022 in Qatar, with the inclusion of Ghanaian Nico Williams.
The winger made his national team debut in September as he featured in Spain’s defeat to Switzerland, a day after his elder brother Inaki had played his first game for the Black Stars.
The Ghana Football Association were hoping to lure both Williams brothers to play for the Black Stars but Nico has chosen to represent Spain.
The enterprising youngster was in Ghana together with his brother during the summer holidays but was far from being a Black Stats player.
There are no enormous surprises in terms of inclusions, though the likes of Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara, Leeds defender Diego Llorente and Real Betis striker Borja Iglesias have been overlooked.
Enrique had opted for continuity for the most part during the most recent part of the qualifying and that has been the main theme again in his final selections.
Long-term stalwarts of the national team include full-backs Dani Carvajal and Jordi Alba, captain Sergio Busquets, midfielder Koke and striker Alvaro Morata.
But the gradual regeneration of the national team can be seen in both of goalkeeper Unai Simon’s understudies having just one cap apiece – Premier League-based duo Robert Sanchez and David Raya – and three of Enrique’s attacking options having fewer than ten caps, including Barcelona starlet Ansu Fati.
Teenage midfield stars Gavi and Pedri are in the squad, as are Barcelona teammates Ferran Torres and Eric Garcia.
Spain kick off their group campaign against Costa Rica on 23 November, before also facing Germany and Japan. They will also play a warm-up match against Jordan on 17 November.
Goalkeepers: Unai Simon (Athletic Club), Robert Sanchez (Brighton), David Raya (Brentford)
Defenders: Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Eric Garcia (Barcelona), Hugo Guillamon (Valencia), Pau Torres (Villarreal), Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City), Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Jose Gaya (Valencia)
Senegal head coach Aliou Cissé has announced his final 26-member team for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar which begins in the next nine days.
The much anticipated list was released on Friday morning following a press conference by Cissé in the Dakar.
Bayern Munchen star and African footballer of year Sadio Mané has been included in the star-studded squad despite his injury scare.
The former Liverpool man sustained an injury last Tuesday when Bayern played against Werder Bremen in the German Bundesliga with Mané being substituted in the first half.
French media and other outlets reported the Senegal talisman will miss the Mundial but he has been named in the team for Qatar.
Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Nampalys Mendy, Ismaila Sarr and Krepin Diatta are amongst some prominent names in Cisse’s list.
Senegal open their World Cup account against in the Netherlands on November 21, 2022 at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha.
The Teranga Lions will then face host country Qatar in the second Group A game before taking on Ecuador in the last group match.
GOALKEEPERS Edouard Mendy Alfred Gomis Timothy Seny Dieng
Legon Cities will host Great Olympics on Matchday six of the betPawa Premier League at the El wak stadium on Friday as they chase their first home win of the season. The Royals are yet to win a game at home having lost to Medeama SC (1-0) and drawn one (1-1) against Berekum Chelsea.
Maxwell Konadu’s recovered from their false start as they registered back-to-back victories against Real Tamale United and Tamale City FC after the opening day defeat. They occupy the 9th position with 7 points and would aim for all the spoils against oner of the best sides in the League.
Alex Asso, Jonah Attuquye and Eric Osei Bonsu have a lot to do to get them back to winning ways following the draw against Berekum Chelsea. Great Olympics are yet to lose an away game this season after drawing 1-1 with Hearts of Oak and settling for a goalless draw against Samartex at Sameraboi.
The Dade Boys who have yet to lose to Legon Cities in their last two meetings, have yet to lose in the ongoing campaign. Coach Yaw Preko and his charges put up a wonderful display on Monday to beat Medeama SC 1-0 to move to the third spot in the League standings.
Four points separate the two sides as Great Olympics have amassed 11 points – 4 points richer than their host who are in 9th place with 7 points.
The match is scheduled for 3pm kick off at the El Wak stadium and will be broad cast live on StarTimes Adepa Channel 247.
In the other Friday afternoon matches, newly promoted side Tamale City will host Berekum Chelsea at the Aliu Mahama Stadium. The new boys have drawn their last two games and are yet to win a game in the League. Berekum Chelsea lost their last game against Real Tamale United and have drawn their two away games this season. The last time Berekum Chelsea visited the Aliu Mahama Stadium, they lost 3-2 to Real Tamale United.
Finally on Friday, winless King Faisal will be chasing their first win of the season against Kotoku Royal at the Baba Yara Stadium. The Insha Allah boys have lost their first five games of the season – their worse performance in the last three seasons. Kotoku Royals have failed to win a game in their last four matches and have also lost their first two away games without scoring a goal.
Black Stars coach Otto Addo has been rocked by a major injury concern ahead of his World Cup final squad announcement after midfielder Baba Iddrius limped out of Real Mallorca’s La Liga victory over Atletico Madrid.
The 26-year-old was removed from the game at halftime due to discomfort. The midfielder walked straight down the tunnel, seemingly limping.
Considering his importance for the former Black Stars player, Addo will be hoping Iddrisu’s injury is not one that could see him miss the Mundial to be staged in Qatar.
Iddrisu has been the coach’s preferred choice to partner Thomas Partey in the dugout for the majority of the games he has been in charge of, and a serious injury could derail his plans.
The midfielder was named in the starting line-up for Mallorca’s league game against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.
Despite an encouraging performance in the first half of the game, the defensive midfielder didn’t return to the pitch for the second half of the fame as he was replaced by Rodrigo Battaglia.
Iddrisu has played a key role at the club side as well featuring in 10 of the club’s league games this season.
The Black Stars’ final roster is anticipated to be released this Sunday and submitted to FIFA by the deadline of November 14.
Ghana’s World Cup campaign begins on November 24 against Portugal. They will also face South Korea and Uruguay in Group H, which has been dubbed the “Group of Death” by pundits.
Former Ghana Football Association (GFA), Communications Director, Ibrahim Saanie Daara says Joseph Paintsil has handled himself well after his exclusion from the Black Stars final squad for the World Cup.
The Genk winger made it into the 55-man provisional squad but failed to make it into the final squad which will be announced on November 14, 2022 according to reports.
Agent of Jeffrey Schlup, has also lambasted officials of the GFA after the Crystal Palace midfielder failed to make the final squad as reported by the media.
Speaking on the Happy Sports Dialogues, Saanie Daara spoke on how some Black Stars players conducted themselves after receiving such heart breaking news and were later rewarded for the way they comported themselves.
“I think Joseph Paintsil has handled his exclusion from the Black Stars squad in a matured way. I remember one time in camp Majeed Waris was told he didn’t make the squad by Avram Grant, he quickly went into his room because he was disappointed”.
“Rashid Sumailia handled his omission very well and even put up a good attitude. A player got injured and Coach Avram Grant replaced Sumaila in the squad because of how he handled the issue”.
He added: “Let’s all be patient and wait for the coach’s explanation on his call-up. Sometimes it’s not always about performance based on what I have seen. Let’s wait for the coach and I entreat everyone to support the team”.
Ghana’s World Cup Group opponent, Portugal, have named their final 26-man squad for the upcoming 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Cristiano Ronaldo will lead his side in his 5th and potentially last World Cup.
Portugal are in group H alongside Ghana, South Korea and Uruguay.
Other attacking options available for the Seleçao are Rafael Leao, Andre Silva, Joao Felix, Goncalo Ramos and Ricardo Horta.
In the defence are former Real Madrid defender Pepe who will be making his fourth appearance at the World Cup along with Manchester City duo Ruben Dias and Joao Cancelo.
The midfielder is stacked with quality including Manchester City star Bernardo Silva and Manchester United man Bruno Fernandes.
Portugal will begin their World Cup against Ghana in their first Group H match at the 974 Stadium on November 24, 2022.
They will subsequently face Uruguay and South Korea in the other two group stages.
Final squad
Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (FC Porto), José Sá (Wolverhampton, England) and Rui Patrício (AS Roma, Italy).
Defenders: Diogo Dalot (Manchester United, England), João Cancelo (Manchester City, England), Pepe (FC Porto), Rúben Dias (Manchester City, England), Danilo Pereira (Paris Saint-Germain, France), António Silva (Benfica), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain, France) and Raphaël Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund, Germany).
Midfielders: Palhinha (Fulham, England), Rúben Neves (Wolverhampton, England), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City, England), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United, England), João Mário (Benfica), Matheus Nunes (Wolverhampton, England), Otávio (FC Porto), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain, France) and William Carvalho (Real Betis, Spain).
Forwards : André Silva (RB Leipzig, Germany), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, England), Gonçalo Ramos (Benfica), João Félix (Atlético de Madrid, Spain), Rafael Leão (AC Milan, Italy) and Ricardo Horta (Sporting de Braga).
The Referees Committee of the Ghana Football Association has announced Match Officials for Matchweek 6 of the betPawa Premier League.
Below are the Match Officials:
DATE: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2022 MATCH: TAMALE CITY VS BEREKUM CHELSEA VENUE: ALIU MAHAMA STADIUM REFEREE: FOSTER BASTIOURS ASSISTANTS: PETER DAWSA & ALEX OSAM 4TH REFEREE: MATTHEW AYISU MATCH COMMISSIONER: GABRIEL INKOOM VENUE MEDIA OFFICER: MUNTAKA MOHAMMED GFA CAMERAMAN: AHMED SAMAD
DATE: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2022 MATCH: RTU VS ADUANA FC VENUE: ALIU MAHAMA STADIUM REFEREE: JOSHUA SAMADJI ASSISTANTS: ALI TIMUAH & HALILU ALHASSAN 4TH REFEREE: EMMANUEL ASARE DARKO MATCH COMMISSIONER: CHARLES DARKWAH VENUE MEDIA OFFICER: SEY MUBARIK GFA CAMERAMAN: AHMED SAMAD
DATE: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2022 MATCH: LEGON CITIES VS GREAT OLYMPICS – LIVE ON STARTIMES VENUE: EL WAK STADIUM REFEREE: IMORO OSMAN ASSISTANTS: KWESI BROBBEY & ROLAND ADDY 4TH REFEREE: GABRIEL OPOKU ARHIN MATCH COMMISSIONER: ODURO NYARKO VENUE MEDIA OFFICER: EMMANUEL DOSE
DATE: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2022 MATCH: HEARTS OF OAK VS KARELA UNITED – LIVE ON STARTIMES VENUE: ACCRA SPORTS STADIUM REFEREE: HASSIM YAKUBU ASSISTANTS: ISAAC NYAMEKYE & KENNETH TWENEBOAH KODUA 4TH REFEREE: EMMANUEL QUANSAH MATCH COMMISSIONER: JACOB AMEGATSEY VENUE MEDIA OFFICER: SENA RICHARDS
DATE: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2022 MATCH: MEDEAMA VS ASANTE KOTOKO – LIVE ON STARTIMES VENUE: AKOON PARK REFEREE: AYAABA IBRAHIM ASSISTANTS: MUMUNI FUSEINI & MIKAAL II FAUZAN 4TH REFEREE: NYAABILE MAHAMADU IBRAHIM MATCH COMMISSIONER: ANNAN LOMOTEY VENUE MEDIA OFFICER: STEPHEN AGYAM
DATE: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2022 MATCH: BECHEM UNITED VS ACCRA LIONS VENUE: NANA FOSU GYEABOUR PARK REFEREE: ABDUL LATIF QADIR ASSISTANTS: EMMANUEL DOLANGBANU & GEORGE OWUSU AMPONSAH 4TH REFEREE: MOHAMMED MISBAOU MATCH COMMISSIONER: JAMES ADJEI VENUE MEDIA OFFICER: PRINCE AGYEMANG GFA CAMERAMAN: PAUL EGBENYA
DATE: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2022 MATCH: KING FAISAL VS KOTOKU ROYALS VENUE: BABA YARA STADIUM REFEREE: JOSEPH KWOFIE ASSISTANTS: PASCAL MAWUSI & KOFI NYARKO BAKAI 4TH REFEREE: ADAARI ABDUL LATIF MATCH COMMISSIONER: JOHN YAKUBU VENUE MEDIA OFFICER: OBED ACHEAMPONG GFA CAMERAMAN: PAUL EGBENYA
DATE: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2022 MATCH: NSOATREMAN VS DREAMS VENUE: NANA KRONMANSAH PARK REFEREE: RUSTUM GAMELI SENORGBE ASSISTANTS: PAUL ATIMAKA & COURAGE KUDUFIA 4TH REFEREE: EMMANUEL TAMPURI MATCH COMMISSIONER: ALI PLATO VENUE MEDIA OFFICER: MASAWUDU ISSAH GFA CAMERAMAN:
DATE: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2022 MATCH: SAMARTEX VS GOLDSTARS VENUE: SAMREBOI REFEREE: BENJAMIN SEFAH ASSISTANTS: ATO YAWSON & HENRY ESSEL BEDIAKO 4TH REFEREE: JACOB ASSAFUAH MATCH COMMISSIONER: CHRISTIAN ATSATSA VENUE MEDIA OFFICER: KWASI ABRONOMAH GFA CAMERAMAN: LORD YEBOAH
