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Six shortlisted for GFA Technical Director role

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The Ghana Football Association has announced six persons have applied for the Technical Director role, adding that an interview has been scheduled for them.

Below is a statement culled from the ghanafa.org.

The Ghana Football Association wishes to announce that six candidates have been shortlisted for interview for the vacant Technical Director position.

The six candidates, made up of three Ghanaians and three expatriates are currently undergoing interviews, through video conferencing, with a select committee of the GFA.

The Technical Director position became vacant this month following the departure of Mr. Samuel Francis Oti Akenteng whose contract expired at the end of March, 2020.

The Technical Director role is a prerequisite of FIFA and Ghana intends to appoint his successor as soon as possible.

It would be recalled that in March 2020, the GFA opened applications for the Position of a Technical Director for which over 100 people sent their applications.

The new Technical Director will be responsible for the technical development and progress of the GFA. His responsibilities also include planning and executing a long-term view of how to continually raise standards and innovations both on and off the pitch and to ensure that the path from development teams, (junior national teams) to Ghana Men Senior Team (Black Stars) and Women’s Senior Team (Black Queens) are always integrated, learning is shared and the basic principles of how we play are integrated.

The select Committee is expected to submit their report to the Executive Council and once approval is given, the new Technical Director will be announced.

Source: GFA COMMUNICATIONS

Photo credit via Ghanafa.org

Mubarak Wakaso reveals motivation behind his China move

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Ghana midfielder, Mubarak Wakaso has admitted that money was a major factor which influenced his move to play in the Chinese League.

The 29-year-old – who moved from Spanish side Deportivo Alaves to
sign for Jiangsu Sunning in January – says he could not decline to the offer due to the amount of money which was involved.

“The truth is one, I went to china because of money,” Wakaso said.

“I consulted and got many suggestions when I asked people’s opinion about the china move, I decided to go there because of the money involved Aside from the money, am going to play football there.”

He continued: “The Chinese want to develop their league hence all the big signings, so people should understand that football is been played at china.”

Mubarak Wakaso had stints in Spain playing for clubs such as Villarreal, Elche, Espanyol, Granada, Las Palmas and Deportivo Alaves before his mega move to Chinese side Jiangsu sunning.

Nobody can retire me – Asamoah Gyan

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Black Stars General captain, Asamoah Gyan has reiterated that those forcing him to retire from international duty should end their rant.

Gyan, 34, has been the front-man for the Black Stars of Ghana since he had his debut on November 19, 2003 against Somalia, where he netted on the 90th minute, aged 17.

The former Sunderland attacker is all-time scorer of the Black Stars with 51 goals in 109 appearances.

But he had to spent most of the time on the bench during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations held in Egypt.

Many believe that Gyan should hang his boots due to continuous injuries, but the NorthEast United attacker says he is not done yet.

“No. [Chuckles] It looks like people want to retire me but I’m not done yet. I had a couple of injuries [recently] but I’m now okay. I’ve added on weight I need to lose. And I need to train and get back to my normal shape and then we see what happens. But I haven’t retired yet,” He told Juliet Bawuah of Tv3

“It depends on how my body responds to training. The dedication is still there. For me, what will maid someone quit football is the dedication. Sometimes you would wake up and feel you don’t want to train. That is where you would know ‘I’m getting to the end of my career’ because you don’t have to allow people to remind you of your training schedules.

“You have to know but when you start contemplating on training, you should know the time [to retire] is now. And I haven’t felt these things. Unless maybe when I’m injured, I feel like I need some time but when I’m okay, I program my training and follow. But if I begin to choose and pick when to train, the the time is up.

“I don’t know [how long] but I can just wake up tomorrow and say it’s time.

“But for now, i still feel good in my body despite having a couple of injuries… I still feel and think I have a lot to prove on the field. I still see a lot of things I can do in the game.

“Nobody can retire me. A lot of people have tried but I tell myself I have to call it a day, nobody has to retire me because I’ve seen it all. I feel I’m gifted. When I’m on the field, I do things people find difficult easily. It’s not like I’m being arrogant. I’ve been doing them since childhood and it’s not luck..

Photo Credit via footy-ghana.com

COVID-19:Accept pay-cut – Hon. Alex Agyekum tells local-based players

Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Sports, Youth and Culture, Alex Agyekum has advised players in the domestic leagues to compromise and accept pay cuts amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

With football activities being suspended due to the widespread of the novel disease coupled with the lockdown, – which has put all activities of football on hold – there have been calls on players to agree to slash their monthly salary.

All over the world, most players have been urged to empathize with their club administrators to save the clubs from financial constraints by accepting to reduce their remuneration.

There has been similar suggestions for local-based players to replicate same gesture as the domestic teams also face those challenges.

Last week, the hierarchy of the Ghana Football Association and GHALCA – a welfare body of the clubs – approached government to solicit for funds from the COVID-19 disease stimulus package to assist clubs to lessen their financial burdens.

But the Member of Parliament for Mpohor has urged club officials to engage their players about the need to sacrifice a portion of their salary in this conundrum times.

He told Asempa FM Sports: “I have this piece of advise for the players, they should condole with the club owners.

“They should sit down with management and come to a compromise (about salary reduction ).

“So that this COVID-19 crisis won’t decimate the clubs, gradually when things get back to normal, the clubs will bounce back.

“The clubs give them bonuses in good times, so why can’t they accept to compromise in difficult times. They should not insist on taking what exactly is on their contract forms. That wouldn’t be right,” he noted.

Photo credit via Ghanaweb

‘Rewind the world for me ‘ – Asamoah Gyan rues 2010 penalty miss

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Ghana Black Stars General Captain Asamoah Gyan has expressed regrets in his 2010 FIFA World cup quarter finals penalty miss against South American side Uruguay that eliminated Ghana from the competition.

Gyan, who had previously scored 2 penalties in that tournament and was clear favorite to take the penalty for Ghana.

Gyan maintains he’s been haunted by the miss, and sometimes feels the world should go back for him to correct his mistakes.

“Till today, anytime am alone, it still hunts me, sometimes I feel like the world should go back again so I can redeem myself, but I know this is something that will haunt me for the rest of my life, I accept that becuase there is nothing I can do about it”. Asamoah Gyan told TV3’s Juliet Bawuah.

The Indian premier league side, North-East United striker maintains he had good intentions of saving his country, but ended up being the villain with the Penalty miss.

“I went there to save my country, but ended up being the villain which I accept it, because I know how people feel.”

The former Liberty Professionals, Sunderland, Al Ain, Shanghai SIPG star is Ghana’s leading top scorer with 51 goals, and over 109 appearances for the senior national team.

By Seidu Adamu/Photo Credit via 442gh

Asamoah Gyan names his greatest ever Black Stars XI

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Ghana’s all-time leading goalscorer, Asamoah Gyan has named his greatest ever Black Stars XI.

Gyan – who had 51 goals to his credit in 109 appearances – named himself, Abedi Pele and Samuel Osei Kuffour in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

In the posts, Gyan picked former Black Stars goalkeeper’s trainer Richard Kingson.

At right-back, he selected John Painstil, and picked Samuel Osei Kuffor and John Mensah centre backs positions, and settled on Hans Adu Sarpei at the left-back role.

In midfield, he named Michael Essien, Stephen Appiah, Sulley Muntari, Laryea Kingston and Abedi Pele and then selected himself as the lead attacker.

Abedi Pele, who is Ghana’s third-highest goalscorer is the only player in the list that Gyan did not play with.
All the players, apart from Abedi Pele, who won Africa Cup of Nations in 1982, have featured at the World Cup.

The 34-year-old holds the record for the most goals (6) scored by an African in the history of the World Cup.

Photo Credit via Ghanaweb

Sometymer Otuo Acheampong fires back at K.K.Sarpong spokesman, Ben Nti for accusing him wrongly

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Astute Journalist and General Manager of Kumasi-based Oyerepa FM, Barima Otuo Acheampong Boadaa has fired back at former Asante Kotoko administrative manager Ben Nti for his weird accusations against him.

Ben Nti in an interview with Hello FM accused the Asokwa Deportivo director of masterminding his boss – Dr. Kofi Kodua Ssrpong – sacking from the Porcupines top positions.

In response to the ‘unfounded ‘ allegations, Otuo Acheampong, popularly known as Sometymer insisted that he had no hands in the resignation of Dr. KK Sarpong, noting that he had only provided suggestions for several Asante Kotoko past chairmen who had sought for his opinions on issues.

Below, is the detailed reaction from Otuo-Acheampong Barimah Boadaa:

  1. It is factually incorrect to suggest that Dr Sarpong’s exit was orchestrated by any media person or persons because the good Dr resigned and subsequently took Kotoko to court and demanded monies owed him by Asante Kotoko, an act which was and is still unprecedented in the history of the club.
  2. Since Mr Nti’s was bent on destroying my reputation to achieve a planned result, he could have found some shred of credibility if he had mentioned one name of the supposed media friends i gathered to convince Dr Sarpong to tender in his resignation before the great King of Asanteman.
  3. I did not mince words about my respect for Ben, but wasn’t it surprising that he was saying this for the first time since Dr sarpong left office about 5 or 6 years ago.
  4. I would not want to believe that Mr Nti is all over the place lately because he has been promised a route back to Kotoko Management or is it true that a way is being paved for his boss to come back. I have had calls suggesting that I’m a potential stumbling block to the above hatched plans.
  5. It is instructive to note that I have never ever met a single media person to discuss the exit of any Kotoko Chairman in my over two decades of journalism practice. And to those supposed media friends of Mr Nti, one of you should come and lead evidence to save is reputation since he is struggling to find any.
  6. Those who really know me and journalists/presenters who have worked with me will easily attest that I have always minded my ‘business’ and do not meddle in the affairs of other people. I do not obviously take delight in who becomes Chairman of Asante Kotoko, though I must admit that I have offered counsel to some Kotoko chairmen who have demanded my opinion on certain matters on many occasions. Mr Herbert Mensah, Nana Bantamahene, the late Major Larson, Mr Opoku Nti et al at one point or the other sought my opinion on some issues. I do recall my heavy involvement in the recruitment of certain players even under Dr Sarpong’s regime. The likes of Awal Muhammed ,Yaw Frimpong etc were brought in  when things became difficult for Dr Sarpong in his first season.

Let me conclude by saying that, I have demonstrated enough professionalism in my career, something Ben  Nti and those who sent him are aware of, and cannot erase. Asante Kotoko belongs to Otumfuo and its supporters. My close contact with the great club came way many years before the likes of Ben Nti joined.  His attempt to parade me against the rank and file has failed big time.


I shall continue to have an opinion on Kotoko in so far as I remain a journalist.

I have been in club administration both  directly and indirectly for a very long time and served on the GHALCA Executive Council for over three years and don’t need people like Ben Nti to educate me on administration, after all I hold a First Class [Degree] in Public Administration and an Msc in Supply Chain Management and Currently manage one of the biggest radio stations in Kumasi and my other businesses so well.

Photo Credit via 442gh

‘We will be insensitive to cut players’ salary ‘ – Eleven Wonders CEO

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Chief Executive Officer of Techiman Eleven Wonders, Albert Commey has ruled out slashing player salaries during this CoronaVirus induced football break.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has had huge financial implications on the global sports economy resulting in various sporting organizations and football clubs implementing measures to mitigate these challenges.

Top European Football clubs like Barcelona, Juventus and Bayern Munich have all carried out salary cuts measures to stay financially able.

Such measures have been advised for Ghanaian football clubs with Asante Kotoko being the first to officially initiate such a process.

However, Albert Commey argues that it will be a callous indifference on the part of clubs to implement salary cuts when its obvious it won’t be favorable to the players.

He has confirmed Eleven Wonders won’t engage their players to slash salaries.

He told TV3 Sports, “to cut players pay means that we are insensitive to their plight”.

“They will not be working, so how will they feed their families” he asked.

“In fact, we as a club have decided that we have to do whatever we can to make sure that at least their salaries they have to get so in order for them to withstand the pressure that is coming with this pandemic” he noted.

By Nana Asare

Photo credit via footballmadeinghana

Emmanuel Agyemang Badu donates to Ghanaian community in Italy

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Ghana midfielder, Emmanuel Agyemang Badu has donated some food stuffs to the Ghanaian community and foreign nationals in the city of Udine, Italy.

Badu extended his benevolent activities to the less privileged in the city he first played Professional football,  as part of his efforts to combat the novel COVID-19 pandemic

The items donated through his Foundation in collaboration with Aseda Foundation included Packs of Spaghetti, Bags of rice, drinks, boxes of oil and other important food stuff.

Photo credit via Ghanasoccernet

“So we contacted the Italian government you know how it works, then they gave us some of the items and after I got some of the African foods to add to it,” said the former Asante Kotoko midfielder.

“You know Udine is my second home because all of my career this is where I have been staying. And the people have been wonderful to me,” he added.

“Even last year when I got injured they were there for me so I guess it was time to say thank you,” he concluded.

Badu is now on loan at Hellas Verona.

Photo credit via Ghanasoccernet

Strike duo complete Vision FC move

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Vision FC has beefed up its squad with the signing of teenagers Fawzan Yousif Mohammed and Manuel Korley from Young Barcelona and Somanya Bazuka FC respectively.

The forwards who were on trial at the club before the indefinite break impressed the Prince Owusu-led Technical team with superb attacking displays.

Sixteen-year-old Fawzan joins the Eewo lads after committing to a three-year contract.

Photo credit: visionfc

His counterpart Manuel Korley, 17-year-old, also penned a three-year deal to make his Division One League dream a reality.

The teenage duo is expected to aid in the club’s quest to gain Ghana Premier League qualification this season. This takes to six the number of new signings in the just-closed second transfer window.

Source:Sportsafric.com