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GFA ExCo member Frederick Acheampong wins NPP parliamentary primaries

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The chairman of the Black Meteors Management Committee and a member of the Executive Council, Frederick Acheampong, has emerged victorious in the New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary primary for Ahafo Ano South East.

In the 2024 General Elections, the well-known Fred Achee received 164 votes to secure the seat that will let him to represent the NPP in the parliamentary contest.

To secure the position, the former CEO of Ashgold defeated four (4) other contenders.

John Wesley Owusu Boateng received 82 votes, followed by Emmanuel Osei-Boateng with 76, and Obeng Boateng and Roy Gyeabour Antwi with 88 and 29 votes, respectively, among the contestants.

In addition to his position in football administration, Fred Achee is a well-known figure in a number of committees and organizations pertaining to sports.

He is the chairman of the organizing committee for the Division One League Super Cup and and holds the position of Treasurer at the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC).

His extensive involvement in sports administration extends to being the Chef de Mission for the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham.

Before transitioning to sports administration, Fred Achee had a noteworthy career as a sports journalist with Kessben FM in the Ashanti Region.

Ex-Great Olympics forward Maxwell Abbey Quaye joins Saudi side Al Tehami SC

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Ghanaian forward Maxwell Abbey Quaye has joined Saudi Arabian fourth-tier side Al Tehami SC.

The former Great Olympic star signed a deal that will keep him at the club until the end of the 2023/24 season.

The strong forward is expected to help the club gain promotion to the third division at the end of the campaign.

“Delighted to be here,” wrote the striker as he completed his move to the Saudi club.

Quaye, who was part of Ghana’s squad at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, left Great Olympics in February 2023 to join Duhok in Iraq before later signing for Al Sinaa.

During his time in the Ghana Premier League, the 25-year-old netted 23 goals in 61 appearances for the Accra-based club.

“I love Ghana and whenever I am invited, I will come and play” – Daniel Amartey

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Black Stars defender Daniel Amartey has reiterated his unwavering commitment to serving his country and giving his best to the Black Stars despite the team’s setback at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The centre-back was part of Ghana’s squad for the 2023 AFCON tournament, where unfortunately, the Black Stars were eliminated at the end of the group stage.

Despite not starting in any of the three games for Ghana, Amartey expressed that this is not an issue for him. He emphasised his love for Ghana and stated his readiness to contribute in any capacity to help the national team.

The former Leicester City player issued an apology to Ghanaians and expressed gratitude for their support during the group stage games at the 2023 AFCON.

“I love Ghana and whenever I am invited, I will come and play. We thank Ghanaians for supporting us. We are sorry things didn’t go as we wanted. All we can say is we thank them for supporting us,” said Daniel Amartey on Happy FM.

Ghana is currently in the process of searching for a new coach after parting ways with Chris Hughton following the disappointing performance in the AFCON tournament.

FC Lorient announce signing of Ghanaian youngster Nathaniel Adjei

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Ghana youth international, Nathaniel Adjei, has signed a one-year loan with FC Lorient of Ligue 1 in France.

The former Ghana U20 defender joins his new team from Swedish powerhouse Hammarby IF, and the French team may choose to sign him long-term at the conclusion of the current season.

Adjei, who has drawn interest from a number of teams, joins Eben Dugbate, the Ayew twins, and Alhassan Wakaso as the fifth Ghanaian to don the orange Lorient jersey.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to sign for Merlus and to discover Ligue 1, a championship which has seen many Ghanaians play there. By joining FC Lorient, I am taking a step forward in my career,” said the young defender after joining the club.

“I will continue my progress and strengthen myself at the highest level through contact with my new teammates. The challenge that awaits us is important but I will do everything to achieve the end-of-season objective,” he added.

Adjei enjoyed a stellar season in the Swedish Allsvenskan last year, making 32 appearances across all competitions for Hammarby IF.

Former Bayern Munich coach Felix Magath expresses interest in vacant Black Stars job

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Former Bayern Munich coach Felix Magath is expressing interest in the Ghana job after it became vacant following the sacking of Chris Hughton.

The Irish-Ghanaian was sacked after Ghana’s disappointing performance at the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, crashing out at the group stage in Cote d’Ivoire.

The four-time African champions were uninspiring in their three group games, and in their final group game, they collapsed in the final minutes, surrendering a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 and exit the tournament.

The poor performances came at a cost as Hughton was sacked, with a search committee formed immediately to find a replacement, and that successor could be Magath who is interested in the position, according to his agent Vukoja Josip.

“Felix Magath has a great interest in the Ghana national team,” Vukoja Josip told Ghanasoccernet in an exclusive conversation.

Magath, 70, has a wealth of experience and is a proven winner, meeting the requirements set by the Ghana FA for the committee searching for a new coach.

The German was a successful footballer, winning three Bundesliga titles, European Cup, UEFA European Championship and twice silver medalist at the World Cup, before transitioning into coaching. His coaching career has been excellent as well. He has managed several clubs, predominantly German, and he can boast of having coached Bayern Munich for three years, winning two Bundesliga titles and two DFB-Pokal (German Cups). He also won the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg and on three occasions has been named German Football Manager of the Year.

The GFA has set a deadline of three weeks for the search committee to find a suitable replacement for Hughton, and Magath could be a strong contender given his impressive resume. The Black Stars are in need of a fresh start, and Magath’s reputation as a no-nonsense coach could be just what the team needs to get the best out of its talented players.

Source: ghanasoccernet

Chris Hughton arrives in the UK after being sacked as Black Stars coach

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Former Black Stars coach Chris Hughton has returned to the United Kingdom (UK) after parting ways with the coaching responsibilities for Ghana’s senior national team.

Hughton’s departure came in the aftermath of the premature exit of the Black Stars at the 2023 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) as Ghana Football Association (GFA) terminated his contract on Tuesday, January 23, 2024.

The Irish-born Ghanaian tactician led Ghana to a second consecutive early exit from the AFCON group stage. The Black Stars managed only two points in the tournament, suffering a 2-1 defeat to Cape Verde and achieving 2-2 draws against Egypt and Mozambique.

During his tenure, Hughton, the former Brighton coach, oversaw 13 matches, securing only four wins. A video capturing Chris Hughton’s return to the UK just days after his dismissal from the Ghanaian coaching position has surfaced online.

Watch the video as Chris Hughton returns to the UK following the disappointing AFCON campaign.

@niiadama_Chris Hughton returns to UK after sacking as Black Stars coach

♬ Otan – Sarkodie

“Apologise to Ghanaians” – Kwesi Nyantakyi tells GFA

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The former president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kwesi Nyantakyi, is pleading with the current government to unconditionally apologize to Ghanaians in the wake of the Black Stars’ appalling performance in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

After dropping one game and drawing two during their group stage campaign, the four-time champions were dealt a stunning elimination from the competition. Ghana lost in the opening round of the AFCON for the second time in a row, disappointing and frustrating supporters.

Ghanaian football fans’ dissatisfaction has been heightened by the lackluster performance, with some calling for a total reform of the football association.

The move to fire coach Chris Hughton has been praised by some, but the Ghana Football Association has yet to officially address the public on their stance or express regret for the team’s shortcomings.

In light of this, Nyantakyi is emphatically calling for the GFA to issue an immediate and sincere apology. “The GFA must come out and apologize.

“They need to assuage the pain of the people by telling them they are sorry and being ready to make amends and move forward,” he stated during an interview with GTV Sports Plus.

Simultaneously, a five-member committee has been established to spearhead the search for a new coach for the Black Stars. The move signals a proactive step by the GFA to address the shortcomings and reevaluate the team’s direction as they plan for the future.

2023 AFCON: Namibia hope to upset Angola in first knockout game

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The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023 round of 16 games will start with Angola and Namibia facing each other at the Stade de la Paix in Bouake on Saturday, January 27. 

Angola managed to top Group D with 7 points. They recorded wins over Mauritania and Burkina Faso and a draw with Algeria. 

Namibia on the other hand recorded their first and only win in the history of the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON, the victory played a vital role in their qualification to the knockout phase. 

Stade de la Paix is a familiar ground for Angola. They played two of their group games at the venue in Bouake. 

With two TotalEnergies Man of the Match awards, Deon Hotto has been the key man for the Brave Warriors.

Gelson Dala who featured in CAF’s team of the group stage has scored two goals so far for Angola. He will be the main problem for the Namibian defense to deal with. 

Both coaches are excited about their qualification. They still expect their teams to show up for the round of 16 game and hopefully write more history in the tournament. 

Pedro Gonçalves – Angola head coach 

It has been a historic moment for us and we have a bigger game tomorrow, perhaps the biggest game in the last 14 years of the Angolan national team. 

Our focus is to be on the pitch and deliver and in the end beat Namibia. 

For sure, it will be very tough but I have confidence tomorrow everybody will do a great job. 

Namibia is a very powerful team, they are very brave. We need to be considerate in our passing. We have to be balance because if we lose our balance, Namibia can be dangerous for us. 

Collin Benjamin – Namibia head coach 

We have some good technical players with big hearts and there is the signature of the coach, there is some players who have been with the team since 2019, and there is continuity and security. We are a very good team, our boys are happy to be here and there is more fun. It’s the determination. it’s ambition, it’s mentality, these boys want to succeed and they understand everything about the team. We are aware of what to do, it is very important to have a stable defense, 

We want to be part of the best 16 teams in Africa and definitely we are among the best 16, it is a motivation in itself. I don’t remember if Namibia will go into any game with the odds favoring us, it will always go against us. 

I agree that there is no small team left in the tournament anymore. Our coaches are educated to know that players are playing at good levels, and they are hungry

2023 AFCON: Round of 16 – Nigeria v Cameroon: Facts & Figures

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Nigeria will take on arch rivals Cameroon in the Round of 16 of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on Saturday. 

The Super Eagles finished second in Group A with seven points while the Indomitable Lions also took second place in their Group C to set up this titanic clash.

Below are the match facts:

  • A fixture that has been the AFCON final three times previously (1984, 1988 and 2000), Nigeria and Cameroon are set to face at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations for the first time since doing so at this stage in 2019, with the Super Eagles winning 3-2 with goals from Odion Ighalo (x2) and Alex Iwobi.
  • Cameroon won two of their first three CAF Africa Cup of Nations matches against Nigeria (D1) but have since lost three of their last four (D1). Indeed, the Indomitable Lions have only lost more AFCON matches against Egypt (4) than they have against Nigeria (3).
  • For their 15th consecutive CAF Africa Cup of Nations tournament, Nigeria have reached the knockout stages. Excluding third-place play-off matches, Nigeria have been eliminated in their last two knockout ties (2019 semi-finals, 2021 last 16) after winning four in a row beforehand.
  • Cameroon’s last two knockout games have gone to penalties (lost in 2021 semi-finals vs Egypt & won in 2021 third-place play-off vs Burkina Faso). Only Côte d’Ivoire (10) have featured in more AFCON penalty shootouts than the Indomitable Lions (9).
  • Nigeria have won six of their last eight matches at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (D1 L1) but their only defeat in this sequence was in a 1-0 reverse against Tunisia at the last 16 stage in the 2021 edition.
  • Cameroon reached the knockout stage of the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations despite conceding six goals in the group stage, their most in the groups since 1996 (7). It was the first time they’d progressed from an AFCON group stage despite having a negative goal difference (5 scored, 6 conceded).
  • Nigeria have both played in (40), and won (22) more matches in the knockout stages of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations than any other nation.
  • Excluding own goals, each of Cameroon’s last 21 goals at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations have been scored by players who were playing their club football in either Saudi Arabia (9) or France (12) at the time of scoring; the last player to do so for a non-French or Saudi club was Yaya Banana in 2019, who was playing in Greece.
  • Victor Osimhen had 13 shots and created four chances in the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations group stage, the most shots and chances created combined of any Nigeria player. Indeed, it’s the most by a Nigeria player in an AFCON group stage that Opta has on record since 2010.
  • No player created more chances in the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations group stages than Cameroon’s Georges-Kévin Nkoudou (10). It was the most by a Cameroonian player at the group stage of AFCON since Benjamin Moukandjo in 2017 (12).

2023 AFCON: Round of 16 – Angola v Namibia: Facts & Figures

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Angola will take on neighbours Namibia in the Round of the 16 of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Iovire 2023 in Bouake on Saturday.

The Palancas Negras topped their group with seven points ahead of Burkina Faso and Mauritania will play the side that finished third in Group E behind Mali and South Africa.

Below are the match facts:

●       This is only the second meeting between Angola and Namibia at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations; the other was a 3-3 draw in the 1998 group stages, a game in which Namibia were 2-0 and 3-1 ahead.

●       Angola and Namibia haven’t met in any competition since a November 2015 friendly at the Estádio 11 de Novembro, won 1-0 by Angola.

●       This is only Angola’s third ever match at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations in the knockout stages – their other two were quarter-final defeats in 2008 (1-2 vs Egypt) and 2010 (0-1 vs Ghana).

●       Namibia are featuring in the CAF Africa Cup of Nations knockout stages for the first time. They’ve only won one of their 12 group stage matches at AFCON (D3 L8), with that coming on MD1 this year against Tunisia.

●       Angola have won two matches at the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations, the first time they’ve ever won two games at one edition of AFCON and the first time they’ve won back-to-back games in the tournament. The six goals they netted in this year’s group stages were as many as they scored across the 2012, 2013 and 2019 tournaments combined (6 in 9 games).

●       Namibia qualified for this year’s AFCON knockout stages as one of the four best third-place ranked teams; they scored just one goal and had a goal difference of -3, becoming only the seventh side to progress from a group despite netting just one goal.

●       Only Tanzania (12) had fewer shots in the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations group stage than Namibia managed (22). Indeed, of the 16 qualified teams, only Mauritania (17) faced more shots on target in the group stage than Namibia did (14).

●       In the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations group stage, Namibia completed the fewest passes (545) and were the only side with a passing accuracy lower than 70% across their three games (67.5%).

●       Angola have had four different scorers at this year’s CAF Africa Cup of Nations (Mabululu, Gelson Dala, Gilberto, Zine), their joint most at a single edition along with 1998 (Lázaro Oliveira, Paulo Jorge Da Silva, Miguel Pereira & Quinzinho).

●       Both Mabululu and Gelson Dala have two goals apiece for Angola at this year’s CAF Africa Cup of Nations. Only two players have ever netted three goals at one edition for Angola: Manucho (4 in 2008, 3 in 2012) and Flávio (3 in 2006, 3 in 2010).

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