New Asante Kotoko injury prevention and physical trainer, Pedro Manuel Regateiro Venâncio has arrived in Ghana to commence work with the Ghanaian giants.
The ex-Portugal international defender touched down on Friday, according to the club report.
The former centre-back – who played club football at the topmost level for Sporting CP and Boavista FC – joins the Porcupine Warriors’ backroom as one of five assistants to new head coach and countryman Mariano Barreto.
Pedro Venâncio joined the Red Army as a physical trainer/injury prevention coach on a one-and-a-half-year contract just as his boss Barreto.
The ‘injury prevention coach’ title comes across as an interesting one as the 57-year-old career was curtailed at 30 due to knee problems.
The injury forced Venâncio to end his international career at 21 caps for Portugal. He had been selected for the 1986 Fifa World Cup but had to quit before the tournament in Mexico kicked off.
In February 2019, Venâncio told Lusa in an interview that he still lives in pain from the injuries which ended his career 27 years ago.
“Walking costs me, I already walk on foot with some difficulty, and I know that from now on it is always getting worse. I have already tried to go to a medical board to put a prosthesis on me, which I know is what awaits me, but they say ‘I am still very young and there are risks’.
So what I am told is to endure as long as possible while I have some quality of life”, he said, with his head down.
“I can say that I am a person constantly in pain. There is no day when I get up and do not feel pain. There are days when pain is bearable, but in others, it costs more to bear,” Venâncio added.
It is expected Pedro Venâncio will use his experience to help Kotoko whose first half of the 2020/21 season has been challenged by injuries to several key players.
Mariano Barreto, the new Kotoko trainer has already arrived in Ghana with Bruno Manuel Vicente who will work as the first assistant coach and video analyst. Johnson Smith, Abdulai Gazelle and Najahu Issah complete the local contingent of the new Kotoko technical team.
Mysterious Ebusua Dwarfs experienced one of their worse moments in the League when they conceded late to lose 1-0 to rivals Elmina Sharks at the Cape Coast stadium on Sunday.
Dwarfs led ball possession for a larger part of game and created some decent chances but were hard done by a hauler from goalkeeper Razak Issah that resulted in a penalty for Elmina Sharks.
Technically, Coach Ernest Thompson has performed brilliantly, picking some impressive results in the season, especially on the road. Their last home defeat was against Asante Kotoko on January 20 and three months on, they have yet to lose at home.
Captain Dennis Korsah has led a gallant Ebusua Dwarfs team with Emmanuel Anaful and George Asamoah complimenting him. They have scored 20 goals and conceded 22 in the season and head into the game sitting in 12thplace with 23 points from 18 matches.
Dwarfs have a date with Eleven Wonders on Friday in a match day 19 encounter at the Cape Coast stadium.
Eleven Wonders have not won a game on the road, drawing three and losing five in the campaign, failing to replicate their home form in away matches.
They lost Salifu Ibrahim and Zakaria Mugeese to Hearts of Oak and Ashdod FC (Israel) in the transfer window. But have beefed up the squad with Amos Frimpong and Alex Asamoah.
Two points separate the two teams in the League standings with Wonders, in two places below their host (14).
The game is will be broadcasted live on StarTimes Adepa Channel 247 on Friday, April 9, 2021.
Executive Council Member Alhaji Shaibu Salifu Zida has been appointed as Chairman of the Black Starlets Management Committee.
This decision was taken by the Executive Council on Thursday, April 8, 2021. The Upper East Regional Football Association Chairman replaces Vice President Mark Addo who has been in charge of the national male U-17 team since 2019.
Vice Chairman of the Committee John Ansah has been retained. The two, are joined by Eric Delali Senaye, CEO of Inter Allies, Odeneho Appiah and Abubakar Nallah.
Retired FIFA Referee Christine Enyonam Zigah has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Referees Committee.
Her appointment was confirmed by the Executive Council on Thursday, April 8, 2021. She replaces Alhaji Shaibu Zida who has been moved to Chair the Black Starlets Management Committee.
The appointment of Christine Zigah is in conformity with the new FIFA Refereeing structure that enjoins Member Associations to appoint FIFA retired referees to chair the Referees Committee.
Ghana’s former Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Vincent Oppong Asamoah has attributed the country’s inability to end the long Africa Cup of Nations trophy drought to “indisciplined” management members of the Black Stars who ‘high ‘ with the players over girls at the team’s hotel during tournaments.
Ghana – four times winners of the competition – has struggled to win the Africa Cup of Nations since the nation’s last clinched in 1982 despite spending huge millions of dollars to win the title at the expense of the poor Ghanaian taxpayer.
Oppong Asamoah, who represents the people of Dormaa West in Parliament, claims the “indisciplined” management members turn the team’s hotel into a brothel where they intensify their sexual escapades during tournaments.
According to the legislator, the unacceptable behaviour of the management members is what has delayed Ghana’s wait for the fifth Afcon trophy in about 40 years.
“Ghanaians are too indisciplined, they cannot close their zips, when they travel for tournaments, they keep chasing girls, and disrupt the attention of the Players,” he told Happy FM veteran journalist Odiasempa Kwame Oware.
“I have followed the Black Stars to many tournaments, and see some of the management members changing girls at the team’s hotel, they compete with the players for girls, most of whom are foreigners.”
Ghana secured its 23rd appearances at the continental showpiece after beating Sao Tome 3-1 in their final qualifying match in Accra to end Group C as winners.
The Berekum Circuit Court in the Bono Region, has adjourned the case between Farouk Adams, the Aduana Stars defender, and the Republic to May 5.
The case had to be adjourned by the Judge by Osei Kofi Amoako after the prosecutor Emmanuel Sampson failed to show up in court.
The suspect Farouk Adams is accused of killing one police officer, Constable Amos Niganoka Mattey after an alleged hit and run on 1st March 2021.
The accident occurred at a section of the road near cocoa shed station at Asuotiano in the Dormaa East District on the Berekum Dormaa road while he was driving a Toyota Camry with registration number GW 5882-17
The late officer was knocked while driving a motorbike. Farouk was arrested on the 2nd March 2021 and charged with six counts.
The charges are Careless and inconsiderate driving, negligently causing harm, and Failing to report the accident to police.
The rest are, failing to stop to attend to an accident victim, driving a motor vehicle without valid road use certificates, and driving a motor vehicle without valid insurance.
Farouk Adams was expected to reappear on April 7, 2021.
However, the prosecutor Emmanuel Sampson did not only fail to show up but no official reason has been offered as to why.
Farouk Adams will now return to court on 5th May 2021. Meanwhile, late constable Amos Niganoka Mattey will be buried on 17th April 2021 at Tampe-Kukuo in Tamale.
On 10 April 2018 a 15-year-old Ghanaian watched in awe as Italian side AS Roma staged an incredible comeback against Spanish giants Barcelona in the European Champions League.
Felix Ohene Gyan Afena fell in love with Roma that night as they won 3-0 to make it 4-4 on aggregate and so beat Barcelona on the away goals rule.
Now just three years later he is pulling on the famous maroon shirt that now bears his name – Ohene Gyan.
“It is amazing. It is a dream come true for me,” he told BBC Sport Africa.
“AS Roma made a lasting impression on me that night (against Barcelona in April 2018), and so being a part of this amazing club now is definitely a dream come true.”
What is even more remarkable is the impact he has made in his first few weeks at the club.
Just a day after his unveiling on 13 March the youngster made a spectacular start to his AS Roma career by scoring and providing an assist on his debut for the under-18 side in a 5-0 thumping of Genoa.
He followed up that display for coach Aniello Parisi’s side by scoring in his next two matches and was so impressive he earned a quick promotion to Roma’s Primavera under-19 squad.
Dreaming big
Now he is determined to take the next step and play for the first team and work alongside head coach Paulo Fonseca.
“It is down to hard work. It is never easy for a boy from where I come from to come here and also make it,” he insisted.
“Now that I am here, the target is to be in the first team and go on to become an important player for the club.
”I will work hard for it. I know it will come with a lot of challenges but I will stay focused and disciplined. I will stop at nothing to see that come to pass.”
His performances have already seen him dubbed as the new George Weah by some observers.
How it all began
However unlike many African youngsters in the past Ohene Gyan was not spotted at a continental or global age tournament but instead was taken straight from a football academy in the Ghanaian capital Accra.
He was signed by AS Roma, who beat off competition from Italian rivals AC Milan and Sassuolo, despite having no experience of playing in any of Ghana’s leagues or as a youth international.
“I was involved in school sports from a young age. I captained my basic school, senior high school and the regional team, which was made up of students selected from the various schools in the region,” he explained.
“Initially my mother wanted to send me to Asante Kotoko, one of the biggest clubs in Ghana, but that did not happen because the club’s academy had not taken shape then,” he added.
“Instead they took me to the EurAfrica Academy and I am very thankful to them for that decision. I will never forget what they have done for me.”
Ohene Gyan’s performances in those regional inter-school tournaments are what caught the eye of the scouts at the Accra-based EurAfrica Academy FC.
Established in 2018 Ohene Gyan is not the first youngster that the academy has sold to a European club, with the likes of Ibrahim Mustapha going to Serbia’s Red Star Belgrade, Abdul Rahim Alhassan to Portuguese side Sporting Braga and Salim Abubakar to Sassuolo.
More to come
The academy is determined to continue producing talent and recently signed former Italian professional footballer Renzo Gobbo, who has been a coach since 1996 and in 2007 was caretaker coach of Palermo in Serie A after the sacking of Francesco Guidolin.
His task is to give help prepare the academy players to easily adapt to the European environment.
The academy also works closely with ArthurLegacy Sports Limited in order to help the youngsters find professional clubs overseas.
The agency is run by well-known Ghanaian football agent Oliver Arthur, who played a pivotal role is Ohene Gyan’s move and believes the forward has the requisite qualities for top-tier football.
“He is a player with lots of confidence, pace and power. His most significant strength is his ability to score,” he told BBC Sport Africa.
“He also has the character of wanting to be the best in the world and has started working towards that.
“It (Ohene Gyan’s move to Italy) is already changing a lot of perceptions about African talent.
“Most people thought it was not possible to move directly from Africa into the big clubs in Europe, but Ohene Gyan has opened the way and proved it’s possible.
“I want to thank AS Roma for believing in our project and the opportunity given to Ohene Gyan.
“I don’t see financial gains as success in this business. It is the fulfilment that comes with helping unearth a talent and helping them to achieve their dream.”
Players of Asante Kotoko have been summoned to the Manhyia Palace by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. Ghanasportspage can confirm that Manhyia is meeting the team to discuss issues of interest to both parties.
Otumfuo is the owner and life patron of Kotoko but is directly not in charge of the club which is being ran by a Board and Management .
It is not clear what really necessitated the emergency call, but ghanasportspage.com gathers that the Life Patron of the club, the Asantehene wants to find out more about the current state of the club regarding the welfare of the players.
Operatives of Manhyia summoned the players and warned that no management or board member should accompany the team, as Otumfuo intends to have private time with the players alone.
Kotoko won 4 nil yesterday to set their supporters in a frenzy mood but it’s believed there are issues among the players and their leaders which Manhyia intends settling.
The inquiry is expected to be on a peaceful note, taking into consideration the rise in the team’s performance in the domestic league.
Manhyia expresses interest in knowing more about the state of player welfare in the club. This is to ensure that all players have their welfare issues well taken care of, and to ensure smoothness in the running of their duties.
Asante Kotoko have recently suffered legal actions from former players who felt unfairly treated regarding their contract termination issues, and the ownership of the club wants to a recurrence.
The meeting has been underway at the time of filing this report, and ghanasportspage.com will update our cherished readers as and when developments arise.
Amidaus Professionals FC has been banned from the Division One League Zone 3 with immediate effect for failing to honour seven matches in the 2020/21 Division One League competition.
In a decision announced by the GFA Disciplinary Committee, Amidaus Professionals is banned from taking part in the Division One League (Zone 3) to maintain the sporting integrity of the competition and all matches played by Amidaus Professionals should be declared null and void.
