Former Ghana Under-23 head coach Malik Jabir has made a shocking revelation that he once rejected a $3,000 bribe from a management member in an attempt to fix his three players in the team.
The former Ghana and Asante Kotoko star coached the Black Meteors- [Olympic team] between 2014 and 2015 and qualified them for the 2015 African Games held in Congo Brazzaville.
This was revealed during an interview with Kumasi FM when he was advising Black Stars coach Charles Akonnor to be strong and not to allow the country’s football governing body’s top hierarchy to influence his call-ups.
”C K AKONNOR must be strong mentally and act as a coach to avoid influence from other people in order to achieve his goal,” he said.
“I recall during my time as the Head Coach of the Black Meteors, a management member at that time brought in three players and offered me $3000 for me to take them into the team but I rejected the money and asked for an assessment of those players,” Malik Jabir revealed.
“I remember after the assessment, the players were not fit enough for the team and therefore were dropped.
Danlad Ibrahim headlines the list of newly registered players of King Faisal for the second round of the League.
The Asante Kotoko goalkeeper has joined on a season loan deal and will compete for a place in the team when the second round gets underway.
Also in the squad are former Hearts of Oak midfielder Samudeen Ibrahim and former Ghana Youth star Latif Salifu.
Others include Eric Donkor and Atta Kusi, former players of Asante Kotoko and defender Paul Aidoo who has joined on a free after stints with Berekum Chelsea, Aduana Stars and Sekondi Hasaacas.
Here is the squad list for the second round of the Ghana Premier League.
The capture of Victorien Adje Adebayor summed up a productive second transfer window for Legon Cities ahead of the second round of the League.
The former Inter Allies forward has joined the Royals on a season loan deal from Danish 1st Division club HB Køge.
The Royals have also announced the signing of former Behem United and Dreams FC midfielder Prosper Donkor. Donkor recently returned from Rwanda where he played for Rayon Sports.
Another notable addition is Justice Anane who previously featured for Berekum Chelsea and Aduana Stars. The experienced left back joins on a free transfer.
Attached is the squad list for the second round of the League.
The match-day 13 games of the 2020/21 Division One League were honoured across the country.
In Zon One, Steadfast piped Real Tamale United and occupy the second position with 26 points, one less than leaders Berekum Arsenals. Bofoakwa Tano moved on tie with Steadfast after a 1-0 win over Wa Suntaa.
In Zone Two, Bibiani GoldStars maintained their first position with a 1-0 away win over Pacific Heroes. Nzema Kotoko walloped Star Madrid 6-2, while New Edubiase United beat Asokwa Deportivo.
In Zone Three, Accra Lions maintained their impressive win by securing a 1-1 draw with Kotoku Royals at Oda. Tema Youth played 1-1 draw with Phar Rangers while Accra City Stars best Heart Of Lions 1-0.
Below are the full results and standlings on the league logs:
Accra Hearts of Oak thrashed lower-tier side Banana Inn FC 4-2 in a club-friendly clash on Saturday afternoon.
The Phobians embarked on the training game to step up their preparations ahead of the resumption of the second round of the 2020/21 Ghana Premier League.
Isaac Mensah’s brace, and a goal each through Eric Dizan and Kojo Obeng Jnr were enough to secure the win for the Ghanaian giants.
New acquisition Caleb Amankwaa played his maiden game for the Accra-based giants at the St. Thomas Aquinas Park.
Samuel Boadu’s side will host Aduana Stars in the opening round of the second round on April, 2, 2021.
Hearts of Oak finished the first round on 3rd spot with 27 points, same as Medeama SC and Asante Kotoko.
Looking at the Black Stars roster released a few days ago, Asante Kotoko midfielder Richard Senanu would have no doubts that he has the quality required to be in there.
He isn’t, though, for one small reason: Senanu hasn’t kicked a ball competitively in over two years.
The last time he did was in February, a 2-1 defeat of Zambian side ZESCO United in the middle of Kotoko’s encouraging 2018/19 CAF Confederation Cup run. Senanu, who had joined Kotoko not long prior, proved a revelation in that campaign and excelled in midfield.
The 26-year-old speaks with a stutter, but he plays without one. Senanu’s smoothness on the ball, and sheer diligence off it, marked him out as the prism through which the beauty of Kotoko’s play was filtered.
On Senanu’s day — and, oh, he had lots of such days at the beginning of his Kotoko career — there are few players on the domestic scene more adept at keeping things ticking along effectively, if not spectacularly, in the middle of the park.
His is a brilliance that might dissolve without a trace in the heat of a game, yet it bubbles up post-match with an effervescence that analysts would rave about for days.
But all those colourful displays — an even greater delight when paired with the elegance of midfield partner Kwame Bonsu — were wiped off Kotoko’s palette, when Senanu picked up a devastating knee injury in the aforementioned game.
He has been out ever since, traveling a long, tortuous road that appeared to lead to a full recovery late last year — only to be extended a little longer by another setback.
Now, though, he’s back, and the forgotten man seeks the relevance he lost.
The Kotoko he returns to, however, is a very different side from the one Senanu last played in. Charles Akonnor, the head coach under whom he featured at the time, now trains the national team. Following his exit, Kotoko have been through a few more tacticians, each moulding the playing body a little uniquely.
Of the 18 players Akonnor presented for that fateful ZESCO game, only seven — Senanu being one — remain in Kotoko’s current squad. But if there is a position which, despite the many ins and outs, Kotoko have struggled to find a perfect fit for, it’s that vital slot at the heart of midfield.
Quite a few candidates — the likes of Emmanuel Sarkodie, Kwame Adom Frimpong and Emmanuel Keyekeh — have auditioned for the role this season, but none have successfully locked it down.
Medeama’s Justice Blay, on loan at Kotoko last season, looked like he could, but the Porcupine Warriors failed to secure a permanent deal ahead of the current campaign; a follow-up attempt, in the just-ended window, was just as successful.
But that, in the long run, may not feel like such a great loss at all. Senanu is just as good as — slightly better, maybe, but certainly younger than — the elusive Blay, and if he delivers at the level he did before being sidelined, it would take Kotoko up a notch at no extra cost.
Kotoko made quite a splash in the mid-term market — even bringing in another Brazilian, a striker — but the player who could have the greatest transformative effect on the second half of their season is one that they really didn’t have to search far and wide for.
He has been there all along: wincing, waiting, and — hopefully — not wasted.
Young midfielder, Kwame Afriyie Poku has been drafted into the Black Stars ‘B’ after his initial inclusion in the Ghana first team for this month’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers.
The 19-year-old, who plays for English fourth-tier side Colchester United, was handed a debut invitation by Ghana for games against South Africa and Sao Tome on March 25 and 28.
But the shock call-up triggered massive backlash among Ghanaians while rumours from some quarters claimed the player was forced on head coach CK Akonnor.
It has now emerged Poku would instead join the Ghana ‘B’ team who are scheduled to face Uzbekistan in an international friendly on March 26.
Communications Director for the Ghana Football Association, Henry Asante Twum explained ro Oyerepa FM Saturday:
“He [Kwame Afriyie Poku] will join the team going to Uzbekistan from Europe to be monitored by Ibrahim Tanko (Black Stars ‘B’ coach) to send reports and recommendations to the technical team and FA.
“It was suggested we monitor him closely if he fits into our scheme of things then we continue calling him.”
Asante Kotoko thrashed second division side Ebony FC 5-2 in a mid-season friendly game on Saturday morning at the team’s training complex at Adako Jachie.
New signing Solomon Sarfo Taylor was on target, while Patrick Asmah netted twice.
Ghanaian midfielder, Emmanuel Lomotey was on target for French side Amiens SC in their dramatic 3-1 win over Troyes in the French Ligue 2 on Saturday afternoon.
Amiens SC rallied from behind to trounce Troyes 3-1 in their league encounter at the Stade de la Licorne.
Malian international Rominigue Kouame opened the scoring for the visitors on the 15th minute before Iron Gomis score on the 40th minute to end the first half in a one-all draw.
After recess, Emmanuel Lomotey and Alexis Blin netted on the 54th and 78th minute respectively to hand Amiens SC to an emphatic 3-1 home victory over Troyes.
Lomotey played the full throttle of the game with his compatriot Nicholas Opoku.
He has made 21 appearances for Amiens SC with two goals to his credit
