It
was on the temporary bridge between the media centre and the Ellis Park
Stadium back in June when an expert in African football boldly advised me to
have a bet on Ghana to win the 2010 World Cup.
'The Black Stars' certainly have no worries as the frantic last round of
African qualifiers gets underway as they have already made it through to
South Africa with two games to spare after winning the first four of their
third qualifying stage matches without conceding a goal.
At least one bookmaker quotes them at 40-1 outsiders to lift the trophy next
summer and that's a handsome price for the most likely of all the African
nations to win the competition on home continental soil.
The current South Africa side is not good enough to get beyond the last 16
stage. So, all of Africa will be hungry to get behind another team and with
that following Ghana could take some stopping.
Under their Serb coach Ratomir Dujkovic, they surprised a few people in
Germany 2006 by beating the Czechs and USA before a second round loss to
Brazil that was closer than the 3-0 scoreline suggests.
Eight of the side that day, plus Chelsea's Michael Essien, who was badly
missed against Brazil because of suspension, will be expected to star again
in 2010.
Once again they have a wily Serb in charge. Milovan Rajevac, a craggy
defender in his time, worked wonders taking FK Borac from perennial Serbian
league relegation struggles into the UEFA cup and hopes are high in Accra
that he will perform another miracle next summer.
He has some very good players to work with - the midfield that helped clinch
a place in the finals with last month's 2-0 home win over Sudan epitomised
their potential.
Essien is a world star and alongside him he had the excellent captain
Stephen Appiah, whose commitment to his country was made clear at the 2006
African Cup of Nations when he played all three games despite his ankle
being strapped because of injury.
It was Appiah's penalty that beat the USA to take Ghana beyond the group
stage in Germany but he has one major concern though. Having fallen out with
Fenerbahce, he is not playing club football and his fitness could suffer in
coming months.
Also at the heart of things is Anthony Annan, a pocket powerhouse in the
Essien mould, who has just won the Norwegian title with Rosenberg. He's
nicknamed Aimar after the tricky Argentine which suggests he can play a bit
as well as break up opposition attacks.
Sulley Muntari completed the midfield last month. Returning to the side for
the first time in six months he scored the first goal and was back to the
sort of form that won him an FA Cup winner's medal with Portsmouth and the
Serie A title with Inter Milan last spring.
Jose Mourinho has criticised Muntari's lack of fitness this season and he
has had wrangles with the Ghanaian FA in the past, but on his day he can be
terrific and his scoring rate of 15 goals from 48 internationals demands
respect.
Haminu Draman (whose name was misspelt as Dramani on his 2006 shirt) has
genuine pace as a left-wing option and the under-20 captain Andre Dede Ayew,
son of former African Footballer of the Year Abedi Pele, could fight his way
into the squad after shining at the current U20 World Cup in Egypt.
He scored a 25 yard belter in the 4-0 win over England the other day and
nearly got another with an acrobatic back heel. Premier League clubs will be
watching the youngster who was playing in the Champions League for
Marseilles at 18 but has lost his way in France a little bit.
Another member of that under-20 side who will probably be in South Africa is
full-back Samuel Inkoom. Premier scouts have been impressed by his club form
at Basle and his recent performances for the full international side.
Ghana's defence also has experience in World Cup '06 veterans, John Pantsil
of Fulham, Sunderland's versatile John Mensah and Roda's Eric Oddo but
keeper Richard Kingson is not getting enough football at Wigan.
Up front Asamoah Gyan of Rennes has six goals for club and country this
season and 16 for Ghana in 30 appearances, while Matthew Amoah, who played
in Germany '06, has been a regular scorer over the years with Vitesse Arnhem
and NAC Breda.
Amoah is a small, quick, elusive scorer of important goals, netting three in
qualifying for 2006 and another four so far this time.
Junior Agogo will be familiar to English fans after a nomadic career in the
Football League. Apollon is currently his 14th club, but he is another who
could be called upon to get goals.
The likely first XI looks strong but the rigours of tournament football
could test the questionable quality of the rest of the squad.
The African Cup of Nations in the New Year will be an interesting dress
rehearsal. They finished third on home soil in 2008 and have not lifted
their continental crown since 1982.
If they do triumph in Angola, just watch their World Cup odds tumble.
CULLED FROM: BBC Sport
Ghana's talented talent-spotter
Alhaji
Sly Tetteh's name does not ring too many bells in Africa. However, nobody
can dispute his eye for a footballer's potential.
Tetteh is the president of Liberty Professionals FC, the Ghana Premier
League club that nurtured a certain Michael Essien.
He also runs three football academies under the Liberty banner in Ghana,
Togo and Kenya - overseeing dozens of youngsters united by a desire to win
professional contracts in Europe.
Sitting in his office at the Liberty Academy in Accra, Tetteh was, for once,
reflecting on his phenomenal success rate at identifying the superstars of
tomorrow.
"There are many clubs that have failed because of poor recruitment policies,
always going for quick-fix transfers," said the understated, unsung hero of
Ghanaian football.
"But at Liberty, we believe in scouting and developing our own players from
a very young age - and you can see some of them today playing for the
national team."
Tetteh is a man who shuns the limelight and spoke to BBC Fast Track
reluctantly, and only after being repeatedly coaxed to do so.
"In life, everyone has a talent and I believe my talent is to identify other
people's football talent," he continued.
"In Africa, talent abounds everywhere but my job is to look beyond the
talent to see how far the player can go.
"It gives me great pleasure to see a player who came through my hands
playing in the Champions League in Europe."
A meticulous football man, Tetteh told BBC Fast Track that he often
motivates his recruits by constantly reminding them that they can use
football to escape from grinding poverty.
But like any scout worth his salt, he admitted that spotting good players is
an art form where dismissing the chaff and retaining the wheat is what
matters most.
"Sometimes it's the parents who come and tell me that their son is going to
be the next Essien or Drogba.
"But not everyone has a future in football but almost every boy I meet
thinks he can play in Europe.
"My job is to assess the boys and advise whether they can go further or look
for something else to do in life outside football."
Aside from Essien, Tetteh has smoked many other players out of unglamorous
surroundings and dispatched them on the path to football stardom and untold
riches.
In fact, it almost goes without saying that Tetteh's ability to discover
future stars is one of the main reasons behind Ghana's resurgence as an
African football power.
No fewer than five members of the current Black Stars squad were signed by
European clubs on his recommendation.
Sulley Muntari, John Pantsil, Asamoah Gyan, Derek Boateng and of course
Essien, are the players in question - all of whom are key beneficiaries of
Tetteh's hawkish eye for talent.
What does he look for in a young player?
"When you look at Essien or Muntari you can see that both of them are strong
and powerful players," Tetteh explained.
"In Africa, there are a lot of skillful players but you need physical
strength to supplement the skills.
"I also look for players who have the desire to work hard because in this
field, nothing comes easy.
And what does it take to uncover a hidden gem?
"It requires a lot of patience to bring up and develop a player.
It's like an investment and it can take a few years before you see a good
return on that investment."
One of Tetteh's greatest assets is his ability to not only act as a friend
and father figure to the players under his wing, but also get to know their
families.
"It's very important for me to have a relationship with the parents because
it enables me to understand the players better, he concluded."
No wonder this urbane, charming man has a scouting track record few can
match and a contact book many would covet.
SOURCE: BBC Sport
MUNTARI PICKS UP ENGLAND'S FA CUP
Portsmouth ended their long wait for a second FA Cup victory as they defeated Cardiff 1-0 in the final at Wembley on Saturday. Both Premier League outfit Pompey and their Championship opponents, Cardiff, went into the 127th cup final hoping to follow up previous respective successes in 1939 and 1927. And it was Pompey who etched their name in the record books for the second time as a solitary first half strike from Nwankwo Kanu proved too much for Cardiff. The series of dramatic shocks and giant-killings in this term's competition has done much to restore the nostalgic magic of the FA Cup following the 13-year domination of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. Pompey and the Bluebirds, though, served up an inevitably tense finale as Kanu's goal proved to be the conclusion to the tournament and booked a place in next season's Uefa Cup. Heartbreak Ahead of kick-off there was heartbreak for veteran striker Robbie Fowler, who has been battling for fitness following hip surgery, as Cardiff manager Dave Jones opted to leave the 33-year-old out of his squad. Pompey boss Harry Redknapp, who had never previously appeared in a cup final in over 40 years as a player and a manager, named David James in goal following his recovery from a calf problem. And former Arsenal centre-back Sol Campbell - a two-time cup winner - started after a hamstring injury, while Kanu operated as a lone frontman in the absence of cup-tied forward Jermain Defoe. The magnitude of a final appearance was more than evident in a scrappy opening but it was Cardiff who enjoyed the better of possession, despite failing to truly threaten James. Heavy rain ahead of kick-off made intricate passing a difficult task, but it remained Cardiff who looked the most likely to break the deadlock as James saved well from Paul Parry and Peter Whittingham dragged a half-volley wide. However, Portsmouth then began to find their feet as Sulley Muntari floated a free-kick into the danger area and as Cardiff shot-stopper Peter Enckelman flapped, Sylvain Distin and Kanu failed to convert. And shortly after Kanu should again have done better as he jinked round a nervous looking Enckelman with trademark quick feet, only to somehow prod his effort against the upright. Proceedings then returned to a fashion similar to the tight opening half-an-hour with only a tame Pedro Mendes volley, which was gathered by Enckelman, calling either goalkeeper into action. However, on 37 minutes Portsmouth had their goal as Enckelman again fumbled a low John Utaka cross at the near post and Kanu banished the memory of his earlier miss as the Nigerian reacted the quickest to poke in a volley from close range. Almost immediately, Cardiff had the opportunity to respond as Parry broke down the left, but his far post cross asked too much of Kevin McNaughton, who could only deflect wide. Disallowed With the first half personal address system announcement of one minute added time still echoing around a sold-out Wembley, Cardiff thought they had drawn level as Glenn Loovens hooked in at a corner after James had spilled, but referee Mike Dean correctly spotted that the Dutch defender had used a hand to control the ball. Soon after the interval, Portsmouth could have doubled their advantage as Utaka raced onto an excellent Niko Kranjcar back heel to centre from the left, but Kanu saw his goal-bound effort deflected wide by Loovens. Portsmouth began to dominate and Jones recognised his side were losing the battle as he introduced Aaron Ramsey in place of Whittingham in an attempt to threaten in midfield. Highly-rated winger and semi-final goalscoring hero Joe Ledley appeared Cardiff's best outlet as the 21-year-old's pace visibly troubled Pompey, but James remained a spectator. Redknapp then opted to shuffle his hand as he replaced Utaka with striker David Nugent and Pompey looked to kill the game off, while Cardiff responded by replacing the ineffective Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink with Steve Thompson. Nugent almost justified his appearance with 20 minutes remaining as he latched onto a long ball from Muntari to warm the palms of Enckelman. Papa Bouba Diop then earned a cup final appearance as he came on in place of Mendes as Pompy attempted to shut up shop, but soon after Cardiff had their best chance of the half as Loovens nodded just over the bar at a corner. Loovens' header, though, was to be as close as Cardiff came as Pompey centre-back Distin surged forward from defence and came close to adding a second late on. But Kanu's goal proved enough to end a 69-year wait for FA Cup glory at Fratton Park as captain Campbell lifted the trophy. SOURCE: skysports.com
Pompey's FA Cup journey
JUST GR-EIGHT ... Sulley Muntari scored Pompey's winner against Man Utd in last 8.
THIRD ROUND IPSWICH (0) 0 PORTSMOUTH (0) 1 Nugent 51 FOURTH ROUND PORTSMOUTH (1) 2 PLYMOUTH (1) 1 Diarra 34, Kranjcar 45 FIFTH ROUND PRESTON (0) 0 PORTSMOUTH (0) 1 Carter (og) 90 SIXTH ROUND MAN UNITED (0) 0 PORTSMOUTH (0) 1 Muntari 78 (pen) SEMI-FINAL PORTSMOUTH (0) 1 WEST BROM (0) 0 Kanu 54 FINAL PORTSMOUTH (1) 1 CARDIFF (0) 0 Kanu 37 SOURCE: The Sun
Ghana send I. Coast Home, empty-handed
Hosts Ghana came from behind to claim a consolation third-place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations after beating Ivory Coast in a six-goal thriller. Sulley Muntari's swerving 25-yard free-kick gave Ghana the lead on 10 minutes before Ivorian Boubacar Sanogo hit back with a quick-fire brace. Quincy Owusu-Abeyie's equalised after half-time with a solo effort before Junior Agogo struck on 80 minutes. Ghana's Hamanu Draman then sealed the win with a 25-yard shot on 85 minutes. It is the best continental campaign for Ghana since they finished as runners-up at the 1992 Nations Cup held in Senegal. Though the game was a non-event for many, the local crowd in Kumasi turned out in numbers to see their beloved Ghana play, in what many had hoped would be the two teams contesting the final. And they witnessed a goalscoring feast as two of the pre-tournament favourites scrapped for the consolation prize. Another superb goal was added to the list of crackers from this year's Nations Cup after only 10 minutes. Muntari let rip with a 25-yard free-kick that swerved round the defensive wall and into the top corner, past a helpless Tiasse Kone. The Elephants, driven on by captain Didier Drogba, were not to be outdone though, and they were soon back in the game when Kader Keita showed great vision to play a through ball to Sanogo. The Werder Bremen-man strode into the Black Stars' box to place his shot past Kingson from 15 yards to equalise for the Elephants. Sanogo's effort was the 94th goal of the 2008 tournament and made the Ghana event the highest scoring in Africa Cup of Nations' history. The game was now dominated by the men in orange and a great double save was needed from Kingson to deny Salomon Kalou, who shot from the edge of the area, and then Drogba who pounced on the rebound with 30 minutes gone. Drogba forced another save from Kingson again seconds later, but this time there was no stopping the rebound as Sanogo stretched to direct the ball in and claim his second. The game was wonderfully open and Sanogo was only denied his hat-trick by the Ghanaian crossbar which he rattled on 38 minutes. Ghana started the second half keen to get back on level terms, with Draman proving a thorn in the Ivorian's side on the right flank. But the game's pace dropped markedly from the first half with a paucity of goal-scoring opportunities. Then with 20 minutes left to play Owusu-Abeyie picked up the ball in the centre of the pitch and sprinted past two Ivorian defenders into the area to slot home and make it 2-2. With penalties looming, the Kumasi Stadium was alive with cheers again and bizarrely suffered an invasion of insects that choked Michael Essien amongst others. Agogo then bagged his third of the tournament when he was played through with a clever pass from Essien to complete the simplest of finishes from 10 yards. Draman then put the icing on the cake when he cut in from the flank and shot from twenty yards out, only for his shot to take a wicked bounce off the turf to beat the diving Kone. ________________________________________ Ghana: Kingson, Sarpei, Pantsil, Mensah, Addo (Barusso 90), Annan, Essien, Muntari, Draman (Afful 89), Agogo, Baffour (Quincy 20). Subs Not Used: Adjei, Gyan, Kingston, Asamoah, Ayew, Kumordzi, Dauda, Asare, Alhassan. Goals: Muntari 10, Quincy 70, Agogo 80, Draman 85. Ivory Coast: Tiassa Kone, Boka, Zoro, Fae (Dindane 83), Romaric, Tiene, Zokora, Sanogo, Kalou (Gervinho 73), Drogba, Keita (Toure Yaya 64). Subs Not Used: Barry, Toure, Gohouri, Arouna Kone, Meite, Bakari Kone, Loboue, Djakpa, Eboue. Goals: Sanogo 24, 32. Ref: Jerome Damon (South Africa). CULLED FROM: BBC Sport
Coppell defends Bikey
READING manager, Steve Coppell is sure his player, Andre Bikey, must have been provoked into his bizarre African Nations Cup red card. The Cameroon defender was sent off in the last minute of his country’s 1-0 semi-final win over hosts Ghana for pushing over a medic who was on the pitch to treat skipper Rigobert Song. Bikey now misses the final against Egypt and Coppell, his boss at Reading, is certain it was no mere moment of madness. Coppell said: “He is not stupid. Something must have happened to spark it, for him to charge over and do what he did given what was at stake and what he will now be missing out on. “It’s the ultimate punishment and I imagine it was not on the spur of the moment. He will be in pain. To have played in all the games, and played well, then miss the final will hurt.” CULLED FROM: The Sun
Nkong goal stops the Ghana train
Substitute Alain Nkong's second-half goal gave Cameroon a 1-0 win over hosts Ghana to take the four-time Africa Nations Cup winners through to Sunday's final. Nkong slotted the ball past keeper Richard Kingson after being set up by Samuel Eto'o on 71 minutes at the end of a brilliant move which stood out all the more against the dullness of most of the game.
It was a hugely disappointing match, given some of the excellent football which has been played in the rest of the tournament, and Ghana will regret taking such a laid-back approach to a game in which they had the huge advantage of vociferous home support. It was not all joy for Cameroon as defender Andre Bikey will miss the final after being sent off in stoppage time for inexplicably pushing over a first-aid assistant attending to his captain Rigobert Song. Ghana: 22-Richard Kingson; 2-Hans Sarpei, 4-John Paintsil, 8-Michael Essien, 18-Eric Addo; 6-Anthony Annan, 7-Laryea Kingston, 11-Sulley Muntari, 20-Quincy Owusu Abeyie; 23-Haminu Dramani, 9-Junior Agogo Cameroon: 1-Idriss Carlos Kameni; 8-Geremi, 23-Andre Bikey, 4-Rigobert Song, 5-Timothee Atouba; 10-Achille Emana, 15-Alexandre Song, 19-Stephane Mbia; 21-Joseph-Desire Job, 17-Mohamadou Idrissou, 9-Samuel Eto'o CULLED FROM: Daily Mail
Essien propels Ghana into the last eight
Ghana are through to the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations after a 2-0 win over Morocco in Accra yesterday. Michael Essien, the Chelsea midfield player, was at the heart of the success, scoring the first goal and setting up Sulley Muntari, of Portsmouth, for the second. With Guinea booking the other place in the last eight from group A, after their 1-1 draw with Namibia in Sekondi, defeat put Morocco out in the group stage for the second successive tournament. Ghana’s third straight win, after beating Guinea 3-1 and Namibia 1-0, was watched by a near-capacity crowd at the 45,000-seat Ohene Djan Stadium. Their reward as group winners is a quarter-final in Accra on Sunday against the runners-up of group B, where Nigeria, perennial favourites, must beat Benin and hope that Mali lose to Ivory Coast, the leaders, if they are to avoid an early exit. Ghana were without Laryea Kingston, the influential Heart of Midlothian midfield player, who was suspended after receiving his second caution. In Kingston’s absence, Claude Le Roy, the coach, chose Anthony Annan. Henri Michel, the Morocco coach, made four changes to the team who lost to Guinea, including a switch of goalkeepers, with Khalid Fouhami making way for Nadir Lamyaghri. Ghana went into attacking mode from the start, Essien leading the charge from midfield. After 15 minutes, Lamyaghri had to be sharp to deal with a 30-yard free kick from Muntari, but the host nation took a deserved lead 11 minutes later when Muntari flighted a free kick from the right for Essien to volley past Lamyaghri. Morocco had the ball in the net shortly after with a little help from John Paintsil, but the West Ham United defender’s blushes were spared because the referee had blown for a foul. Ghana capped a fine first half with their second goal in stoppage time, Essien charging through midfield to flick the ball on for Muntari to shoot from the left of the penalty area. SOURCE: The Times
Agogo points Ghana towards gold
Striker Junior Agogo sent 10-man Ghana into the African Nations Cup semi-finals when his late goal gave the hosts a 2-1 victory over Nigeria. An exhausted Agogo battled in the second half with tiredness but was on hand to tap in virtually on the goalline after Sulley Muntari had squeezed a square pass through the Nigeria defence from the left with just eight minutes remaining. Yakubu Aiyegbeni had given Nigeria the lead in the Accra quarter-final with a 35th-minute penalty only for Michael Essien to equalise with a fine header on the stroke of half-time. Tournament hosts Ghana will meet either Tunisia or Cameroon in Thursday's semi-final in Accra. Agogo's winner came just over 20 minutes after the home team had been reduced to 10 men with the sending off of their captain John Mensah. The central defender was red carded after a professional foul on Peter Odemwingie on the edge of Ghana's penalty area. "I'm not sure he deserved it, it was speedy red card," claimed Ghana coach Claude Le Roy. Mensah will miss the semi-final. A lethargic-looking Nigeria failed to make use of their advantage and created just one chance in the second half. Nigeria took the lead 10 minutes from half-time when Eric Addo brought down Yakubu with a rugby-style tackle. The striker converted from the spot for only the third goal in their four matches by a disappointing Nigeria. Essien put Ghana level when he powered home a header from Quincy Owusu Abeyie's free kick, his effort coming off the inside of the near post to trickle over the line. "It's a fantastic team effort, they are really 11 heroes," said Le Roy of his team. "We took a risk not to change our formation and bring on a defender after Mensah had been sent off but we wanted to keep attacking. We wanted to win it," the Frenchman added. Nigeria coach Berti Vogts, who has clashed with Nigerian reporters seeking his resignation at the tournament, said Ghana had shown more experience at crucial times in the match. "We made one or two mistakes and that is not allowed in international football. I'm very disappointed," he said. Striker Yakubu added: "In football, you must take your chances. We missed too many, it's just disappointing to go out of the tournament." It was the first time in five Nations Cup tournaments that Nigeria have failed to reach the last four. SOURCE: Daily Mail
Agogo goal gets Ghana going
Ghana proved too strong for Namibia as the tournament hosts moved three points clear at the top of Group A. After Asamoah Gyan shot over the bar with the goal gaping, Junior Agogo bundled in a Quincy Owusu-Abeyie cross from close range on 41 minutes. But Namibia were not disgraced and had Brian Brendell showed a bit more calm on at least three occasions they might have snatched a surprise equaliser. Collin Benjamin also missed chances for Namibia as Ghana closed out the game. Ghana's two wins should take them through to the quarter-finals, though they need a draw against Morocco to be absolutely certain. Henri Michel's Morocco, who were beaten by Guinea earlier on Thursday, will probably need to win to have any chance of qualifying in that final group game on Monday. Sore from their 5-1 loss to Morocco, Namibia replaced goalkeeper Abisai Shiningayamwe with Athiel Mbaha. The Brave Warriors were far more organised defensively this time, and they managed to soak up plenty of Ghana pressure early on. On 19 minutes Namibia broke away and had an opportunity to take a surprise lead, but Brendell shot wide from the edge of the penalty area. Ghana wasted their chances too, notably when Gyan failed to shoot into an open goal on 34 minutes, with the goalkeeper committed. Agogo's goal came from the vision of Michael Essien, who was named man-of-the-match. The midfielder laid on a pass inside the penalty area to Owusu-Abeyie, who found Agogo inside the six-yard box. The finish was not elegant, but it was enough to delight fans in the packed stadium in Accra. The first 20 minutes of the second half were tame, though Ghana remained in control. But two more chances fell to Brendell mid-way through the second half, shooting wide after Namibia break, then firing over the bar a minute later. Benjamin shot wide in the 75th minute from a Namibia corner kick, and he also missed a chance five minutes from time. Ghana continued in search of a second goal, but faltered in the final third of the pitch. Ghana winger Laryea Kingston picked up his second yellow card of the tournament, for taking a free-kick too early, and misses the match against Morocco. CULLED from: BBC Sport
Muntari wonder wins Ghana opener
Sulley Muntari, the Portsmouth midfielder, struck an unexpected 30-yard winner in the last minute to lift hosts Ghana to victory in the opening game of the Africa Cup of Nations yesterday. Muntari unleashed a left-foot thunderbolt which soared into the top corner after his side had hit the post three times in the first half and had a goal disallowed. Udinese forward Asamoah Gyan put Ghana in front from the penalty spot early in the second half only for Guinea's Oumar Kalabane to equalise. Then, just as it looked as though the hosts would have to settle for a point, up popped Muntari with a long-range, left-footed, shot to send the capacity 44,000 crowd at the Ohene Djan Stadium wild. Ghana's Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien, said: "It's a good start for us. The game was difficult but we're happy we won. This will help our confidence." Ghana coach Claude Le Roy said: "It's a long way to Feb 10 [the final] but we knew it was important to win the opening game. Now we can concentrate on our next match against Namibia." The sides were all square after the first half, but it was a mystery how Ghana had not scored in the opening fixture in Group A. Guinea goalkeeper Kemoko Camara and the woodwork also played their part. Nottingham Forest's Junior Agogo then had his head in his hands after his angled header ricocheted off the inside of the far post and away to safety. Minutes later Gyan, allowed to play despite being sent off in Ghana's last competitive match against Brazil at the 2006 World Cup for diving, came up with an extravagant scissor-kick which flashed past the post. Another shot hit the woodwork before Ghana had the ball in the back of Camara's net, but Gyan's effort was disallowed after referee Eddy Maillet caught the forward pushing the Guinea defender. It was Muntari's turn to test the solidity of the Guinea goal frame in the 40th minute when he shot from the left, but again Guinea's luck held. Ghana finally got the goal they deserved eight minutes after the break when Kalabane brought down the charging Agogo. Up stepped Gyan to convert with a curling kick into the top left corner to send a deafening roar into the sky above the packed stadium where Ghana's President John Kufuor was watching. However, in the 65th minute, the celebrations were cut short when Guinea drew level. Kalabane made up for his earlier indiscretion when his header straight at Richard Kingston in the Ghana goal, was fumbled over the line by the Birmingham City keeper. Le Roy brought on Andre Ayew as a late substitute and, with his first kick, the Marseille midfielder forced Camara into a brilliant reflex save from close range. But it was Muntari who crowned the day, his 89th-minute shot flying past Camara to give Le Roy and the perfect start. Match details Ghana: Kingson, Sarpei, Pantsil, Mensah, Addo, Essien, Kingston, Muntari, Gyan (Baffour 84), Agogo, Quincy (Ayew 75). Subs: Adjei, Afful, Alhassan, Annan, Asamoah, Asare, Barusso, Dauda, Draman, Kumordzi. Booked: Addo, Muntari, Kingston. Goals: Gyan (54 pen), Muntari (89). Guinea: Kemoko Camara, Bobo Balde, Alseni Camara, Kalabane, Jabi, Feindouno, Sacko, Sylla (Bah 90), Bangoura, Correa (Soumah 60), Youla (Karamoko Cisse 60). Subs: Habib Jean Balde, Ibrahima Sory Camara, Mohammed Cisse, Diallo, Diarso, Johnson, Mansare, Yattara, Zayatte. Booked: Feindouno. Goal: Kalabane (64). Referee: E Maillet (Seychelles).
SOURCE: Telegraph
Le Roy blasts Ghana '08 organisers
Ghana coach Claude Le Roy slammed the state of the pitch after his side's 2-1 win over Guinea and suggested tournament organisers were to blame. "The first thing is not the quality of the armchair in the VIP room, but the quality of the pitch," he said of the field at Accra's Ohene Djan stadium. "In more than 20 years in Africa, it's the worst pitch I've ever seen." "We have a technical team which likes to play one-touch football and this pitch badly affected our game." The long grass seemed to impede both sets of players with the ball frequently held up on the turf, making passing difficult and resulting in many collisions. And Black Star defender John Paintsil was carried off on a stretcher after complaining of dizziness at the end of the match. Ghana's assistant coach Herve Renard said: "He had a knock to his jaw after a rough challenge during the first half." Team-mate Laryea Kingston added: "John felt weird at half-time, he could not remember anything from the first 45 minutes. "Now he's fine, he's just been sent to the hospital for a couple of checks." LeRoy blamed his team's poor finishing after the hosts left it late in the Group A tie, with Sulley Muntari scoring a spectacular winner in the final minutes. "We created so many opportunities to score, scoring seems to be very complicated for us," he said. "But it was a very good performance by the Black Stars. "We were also unlucky in the first half when we hit the post three times. We know that the future will be very difficult because all the teams in this competition are very good teams." LeRoy's opposite number and fellow Frenchman Robert Nouzerat slammed his team's performance. "This is the worst match Guinea have played under me," he said. "My regret is that we didn't play the way we should have. "The next game will be decisive for us. The consequence of losing the first game is that if we lose the second, we're out." Both sides next matches are on Thursday with Guinea facing Morocco while Ghana take on Namibia. CULLED from: BBC Sport
Africa calling… from Ghana
A friend from South Africa bumped into a Nottingham Forest fan yesterday who has given up watching his club for a month in the British winter and come to watch their star striker, Junior Agogo, play for the Black Stars in the Nations Cup. Good idea. There were two Forest flags draped from the upper tier of the stadium for the opening game, a 2-1 win for Ghana over Guinea. They were hanging next to one from the Women's Supporters' Union of Ghana (Wosugha). There must be a Forest follower out there somewhere who knows this intrepid traveller, so give him a call in Ghana and get him to log on at the local internet café and tell us about his experiences so far on this blog. What was it like in that section with all the women? A bit like Watford or Reading probably. (Only joking, honest). Was it a penalty? Junior was fouled and it looked like a homer decision from my seat. More important, how can he play at this level when he's that size? And have you seen anyone wearing a Forest shirt? There was one man wearing Pompey's colours (made locally by the look of it) and they could flog a good few more of those after Sulley Muntari's spectacular winner. I managed to stick my head out of the window on the way back from the stadium - the journey was probably the highlight of the day - to have a go at a roadside shirt stall owner for having Birmingham on display but no Pompey. Jonathan the driver was just sensational. He ignored all queues, drove on the wrong side of the road towards a set of red lights, went straight through them, hunted out two one-way streets and went down both the wrong way, skirted through a petrol station forecourt and straight into the oncoming traffic, forcing a gap he took to cut up a van, then dealt with one more one-way street and three more red lights to have us back at the hotel before the managers' press conference. The rest of the drivers here have a lot to live up to. Back to Junior. He missed a couple of sitters, but he was okay overall, unlike John Paintsil, the West Ham defender who hardly ever plays. The man next to me couldn't believe he's a Premier League player. If Ghana carry on defending like this they'll be in trouble. Great night, though, and what a well-timed winner by Sulley. Before the game an unbelievably irritating stadium announcer who loved the sound of his own voice kept on and on and on when he didn't need to say a word. He told us the names of the teams, their nicknames, their shirt colours, who was in the VIP seats (despite the fact that we'd already heard their speeches), who the sponsors were, who the captains were and all sorts of other drivel. He would not shut it, and was even still talking after kick-off. Just before the end he boomed 'Ladies and gentlemen...' and I thought we'd have to sit through it all again, he's going to tell us what the score is and which way the teams were kicking and explain the offside rule. Then Sulley scored. That shut him up.
CULLED FROM: The Guardian
Ghana 2008: host of the world's greatest players
The Elephants have barged their way across the border, the Eagles — all three varieties — have landed and the Pharaohs have sand-danced their way over the desert. Let the Africa Cup of Nations begin. When it comes to football backdrops, nowhere can compete with the spectacular tapestry that Africa sews. From supporters decked out in national dress to the official tournament ball, vibrant colour is what sets this biennial jamboree apart. For its soundtrack there is the insistent drum beat to which matches jig along.
Top Drog: Chelsea striker Didier Drogba will lead from the front for Ivory Coast in Ghana And don't forget the quirky chaos — part of the continent's daily life — that lends an unpredictable naivety to proceedings. In Mali four years ago, a BBC crew waited for over an hour for the Liberia team to turn up for a training session. Just when they were about to call off their vigil, the team bus chugged around the corner driven by a smiling George Weah — former African and World Footballer of the Year. In Nigeria in 2000 all telephone lines to the national stadium in Lagos were lost when a maintenance crew inexplicably chopped through the main communications cable two hours before the opening game. Tickets will be passed through railings to be used time and again, training sessions will be conducted to the accompaniment of music played by supporters' bands and the talk among squads is likely to be as much about unpaid bonuses as tactics and final glory. The tales of the unexpected used to extend to the pitch with players charging from right-back to leftwing, waist-high scissor tackles and shots launched from all angles and distances. Such has been the exodus of African players across all parts of European club football in recent years, however, that organisation and discipline have made unfettered naivety largely obsolete. 'You have less authenticity, less creativity than you had in the past,' said BBC analyst Marcel Desailly, born in Ghana, but a World Cup winner with France. 'Why? Because most of the players now are playing abroad. They are more integrated into a European style than an African style where the player wants to run everywhere, wants to get the ball and enjoy himself, forgetting that he is in a team.' The greater exposure to European nous is evident in the number of foreign coaches. Tunisia won the Cup in 2004 under their present coach Roger Lemerre, who led France to their 2000 European Championship triumph. South Africa's Carlos Alberto Parreira won the World Cup for his native Brazil in 1994 and Berti Vogts, now of Nigeria, famously guided Scotland to a draw against the Faroe Islands. Vogts agrees with Arsene Wenger and Avram Grant that the tournament should move to June, saying: 'All the boys are on big contracts with their clubs and the big clubs in England may be thinking in the future we won't sign African players. That would be fair for the clubs but bad for African football.' But Desailly has a different take, saying: 'It's good that fewer agents will be coming to Ghana. For the last five African Nations Cups you would see all the agents of the world at the airport coming to catch new players, new talent. Now there are no new players to discover. That time is past. They are playing abroad already.' In all, 37 Premier League players will be on show, with another seven from the Football League, including Rommy Boco, midfielder with Accrington Stanley and Benin. 'Accrington who?' you can already hear the locals in Accra asking as they drink their milk. As well as in the Ghanaian capital, matches will be played in the seaport of Sekondi-Takoradi in the south, Kumasi in the central rainforest region and Tamale in the north, where the harmattan, a dry desert wind, sweeps across the savanna to bring fierce daytime heat and biting evening chill. Former Crystal Palace and Sheffield Wednesday striker Mark Bright will be traversing the country with BBC co-commentator Simon Brotherton as they cover 17 games in 22 days. The adventure is in the journey into the unknown. Bright said: 'The sights and sounds are different from everything we experience in Europe. At a match in Egypt two years ago, a group of Guinea fans behind one goal were banging the drums continuously. They conceded a goal and the drums went dead for 10 seconds through the shock. Then they started up again.
Flare up: Tunisia fans (left) celebrate in 2006, Nigeria supporters wear body paint (centre) and a South African makes a spectacle of himself (right) 'It's more lovable as a tournament in many ways because you know so many things go wrong. They will play the wrong music as a national anthem and a team will be looking round shaking their heads.' By mid- February, outsiders Sudan, Benin and Namibia will have enjoyed their days in the African sun and the likely champions will be Ivory Coast, Senegal or Ghana. The football may conform to the European norm more these days but the riot of colour and noise coming out of Africa will endure. Out of Africa - the best team nicknames GHANA — Black Stars GUINEA — Syli Elephants, an indigenous breed NAMIBIA — Brave Warriors MOROCCO — Atlas Lions NIGERIA — Super Eagles IVORY COAST — Elephants MALI — Eagles BENIN — Squirrels TUNISIA — Eagles of Carthage SENEGAL — Lions of Teranga SOUTH AFRICA — Bafana Bafana (The Boys) ANGOLA — Black Antelopes EGYPT — Pharaohs CAMEROON — Indomitable Lions ZAMBIA — Copper Bullets SUDAN have two — Nile Crocodiles and Desert Hawks TV Coverage Highlights: BBC3 from 7pm (Jan 20-Jan 31). Group games: Live on BBC interactive (Jan 20-Jan 31). Quarter-finals, semi-finals and third place play-off: Live on BBC3 and BBC interactive (Feb 3-Feb 9). Final: Live on BBC2 from 4.30pm (Feb 10). Those playing away 44 England-based players will be on show at the African Nations Cup: ANGOLA — Manucho (Manchester United), Rui Marques (Leeds) BENIN — Rommy Boco (Accrington) CAMEROON — Geremi (Newcastle), Andre Bikey (Reading), Alexandre Song (Arsenal) EGYPT — Mohamed Shawky (Middlesbrough), Hossam Ghaly (Derby) GHANA — Michael Essien (Chelsea), Sulley Muntari (Portsmouth), John Paintsil (West Ham), Richard Kingson (Birmingham), Junior Agogo (Nottingham Forest) IVORY COAST — Didier Drogba (Chelsea), Kolo Toure (Arsenal), Emmanuel Eboue (Arsenal), Didier Zokora (Tottenham), Salomon Kalou (Chelsea), Abdoulaye Meite (Bolton), Emerse Fae (Reading) MALI — Mohamed Sissoko (Liverpool), Mamady Sidibe (Stoke) MOROCCO — Youssef Safri (Southampton), Nabil El Zhar (Liverpool) NIGERIA — John Obi Mikel (Chelsea), Yakubu (Everton), Joseph Yobo (Everton), Nwankwo Kanu (Portsmouth), Obafemi Martins (Newcastle), John Utaka (Portsmouth), Dickson Etuhu (Sunderland), Danny Shittu (Watford), Seyi Olofinjana (Wolves) SENEGAL — Abdoulaye Faye (Newcastle), Ibrahima Sonko (Reading), Papa Bouba Diop (Portsmouth), Diomansy Kamara (Fulham), Henri Camara (West Ham), El-Hadji Diouf (Bolton), Habib Beye (Newcastle) SOUTH AFRICA — Steven Pienaar (Everton), Aaron Mokoena (Blackburn) TUNISIA — Radhi Jaidi (Birmingham), Mehdi Nafti (Birmingham) CULLED FROM: Daily Mail
Goldfields grant Black Stars $480,000 to win
Goldfields Ghana Limited, headline sponsors of the Black Stars, has announced a $480,000 incentive-package for the team ahead of the MTN African Cup of Nations. The package is aimed at propelling the team who would be making a fifth attempt at gold when the competition commences in the Ghanaian capital, Accra on Sunday, January 20. Dr. Tony Aurbynn, Head of Corporate Affairs and Social Development of Goldfields Ghana Limited said the package was to ensure that the Stars, who are chasing Egypt's fifth Nation's Cup Gold, will be better placed to win the trophy in style. "We are hosting to win and we are more than convinced that this support will go a long way to motivate the players to annex the trophy. "To whom much is given, much is expected. With our effort so far, I do not think it will be too much to ask the Stars to deliver unto us the ultimate trophy in the end" The package is the last bit of the three-year sponsorship agreement signed between the two parties in 2005. Goldfields and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) are billed to announce an extension of the relationship that has spanned three years. The "Miners" in 2005 announced a three million dollar sponsorship package to the Ghanaians then playing in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Dr. Aurbynn said the relationship has so far fetched the desired mutual benefit. That contract would run out after the three-week fiesta. CULLED FROM: GNA
Owusu-Abeyie cleared to play for Ghana
Ghana have received a boost ahead of this month's Africa Cup of Nations with Dutch-born striker Quincy Owusu-Abeyie getting Fifa clearance to play for the Black Stars. Owusu-Abeyie, who plays for Celta Vigo in Spain, had a superb showing for Holland as they hosted the Under-20 World Cup in 2005. The striker, whose parents hail from the West African country, applied to play for the Black Stars last year. The approval from football's world governing body of his nationality switch comes just 12 hours before the deadline of the submission of the list for the tournament. Owusu-Abeyie, was named in Ghana's preliminary squad for the Cup of Nations last month even though he had not received the clearance from Fifa. "We can confirm that we have just received a letter from Fifa clearing Owusu-Abeyie to play for Ghana," Ghana FA vice president Fred Pappoe told BBC Sport. "We have told the boy that he is free to play for Black Stars and he is very excited about the news. It was worth the wait. "We are confident that he has all it takes to take African by storm by playing for us during the African Cup of Nations." SOURCE: BBC Sport
Cameroon ready for Ghana '08
Cameroon's German coach Otto Pfister named his 23-man squad on Thursday for the Africa Cup of Nations which kicks off in Ghana on 20 January. The list includes Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o, who has been excused from their training camp in Burkina Faso under an agreement with the Spanish club. "He's in very good form and will not have any problem integrating into the squad in Ghana," Pfister said. The players are expected to return home next week before leaving for Ghana. The Indomitable Lions open their Group C campaign against Egypt on 22 January before games again Zambia and Sudan. Cameroon Squad: Goalkeepers: Kameni Idriss Carlos (Espanyol, Spain), Hamidou Souleymanou (Denizlispor, Turkey), Janvier Mbarga (Canon Sportif) Defenders: Rigobert Song (Galatasaray, Turkey), Andre Bikey (Reading, England), Timothee Atouba (Hamburg, Germany), Bill Tchato (Qatar Sport, Qatar), Benoit Angbwa (Saturn, Russia), Gilles Augustin Binya (Benfica, Portugal) Midfielders: Geremi (Newcastle United, England), Alexandre Song (Arsenal, England), Achille Emana (Toulouse, France), Jean Joel Epalle (Vfl Bochum, Germany), Jean Makoun (Lille, France), Landry Nguemo (Nancy, France), Modeste Mbami (Olympique Marseille, France), Paul Tchamba Essola (Arsenal Kiev, Ukraine), Stephane Mbia Etoundi (Stade Rennes, France), Alain Nkong (Atlente, Mexico) Forwards: Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona, Spain), Bertin Tomou (Excelsior Mouscron, Belgium), Mohamadou Idrissou (MSV Duisburg, Germany), Joseph Desire Job (Nice, France). SOURCE: BBC Sport
Diouf Tips Senegal in Ghana '08
Senegal captain El Hadji Diouf believes his side should be ranked as one of the African Nations Cup favourites though there is not a bad side in this year's tournament. The Bolton forward said Nigeria, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Mali and Cameroon would also feel they had a good chance of lifting the trophy which kicks off on Jan. 20 in Ghana. "When you look around there isn't a bad side in the tournament," Diouf told reporters. "That means anyone can win it and it makes it interesting. But I have a real desire to win. For me, the African Nations is as important as the World Cup." Senegal boast a squad including Portsmouth's Pape Bouba Diop, Fulham's Diomansy Kamara and Olympique Marseille forward Mamadou Niang. They were finalists in 2002, when they lost to Cameroon on penalties. "We have a very good team. A lot of the players play in England or France," Diouf said. "We do not fear anyone...People will want to avoid us. There are one or two teams that you don't want to play until the later stages of the tournament but there are not many teams that will want to play us." Diouf said supporters at home would be expecting success. "The pressure is maybe different in Africa because they won't settle for a draw over there. They want to go for a win every time you play and that is hard. "They are pretty tough on you if they don't deliver the goods and get a victory." Senegal are in Group D along with Tunisia, Angola and South Africa, although Diouf is eyeing a possible game against rivals Ivory Coast in the later stages of the competition. "It is always a special encounter. It is a bit of a derby game and you can compare it to Arsenal v Manchester United. It will be hard if it happens but I'm up for it," he added. The former Liverpool forward said many of his team mates and rivals would be looking to gain moves to the Premier League on the back of their performances over the next six weeks. "It is a great opportunity. It is a shop window. They know if they put in a series of good performances in the tournament there will be clubs that want to snap them up."
CULLED FROM: The Guardian
Temporary coach for Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast have temporarily replaced coach Ulrich Stielike, two weeks before the start of the Africa Nations Cup. The German coach has dropped his duties with the team to attend to his son, who has fallen into a coma. French coach Gerard Gili, who steered Ivory Coast's under-23 team to their first Olympic Games in Beijing this year, is taking over from Stielike. Gili was also part of the Elephants' coaching team at the 2006 Nations Cup. Hopes of quick return The Ivorian Football Federation (Fif) hopes that Stielike will be back with the Elephants soon. "Stielike has a few family problems, notably his son who is in quite a critical situation," said Fif secretary general Ouattara Hegaud. "While we wait for Stielike's family situation to normalise, the team's preparations will be directed by Gerard Gili. "Everything that was planned by Stielike remains the same, this is simply a human issue. "But I think it is an issue which will be resolved very quickly and we will again see Stielike leading this team." Stielike has not ruled out the possibility of being back with the team during the Nations Cup. "I'll definitely miss the first two matches. Everything beyond that depends on my son's condition," he said. Stielike has been Ivory Coast coach since October 2006. He began by putting together an unbeaten run of six matches without conceding a goal. SOURCE: BBC Sport
SULLEY IS OVER THE MUN!
SULLEY MUNTARI will never experience a day like this on a football pitch again. The Ghanian midfielder was the architect of a smash-and-grab away win with two long-range efforts which will not have been bettered anywhere this weekend. Villa fans were left wondering how their team lost when Pompey scored more goals than they had shots on target. Harry Redknapp's slick side were helped by an early own goal by Craig Gardner. But Villa boss Martin O'Neill, named Manager of the Month before kick-off, can have no complaints at the two truly stunning strikes that gave Pompey a sixth straight away win — and their first at Villa Park in 37 years. The first saw him show enough craft to cut inside Gareth Barry and find the top corner with a 25-yard left-footed drive. Strong His second came as he nabbed the ball off Nigel Reo-Coker, waltzed past Zat Knight, and then impudently curved the ball past Scott Carson from 30 yards. Pompey boss Redknapp was troubled by the abuse from home fans but he was dancing for joy after Muntari's double blast. Redknapp admitted: "Sulley is like that. He can shoot but sometimes they go into the stand and other times they hit the back of the net. "They were tremendous goals and our fans will be grateful they made the long journey up for the early kick-off with the game being on TV. "They are supporting through good times at the moment. They've never known a better time since Jimmy Dickinson was playing for the club after the Second World War. "They were genuinely a great side in those days. But the last four or five years have been fantastic in terms of the football they have seen. "We are on a great run, scoring goals away from home and looking very strong. Villa Park is not an easy place to come and score three goals. We also missed some other good opportunities so it was an excellent performance from my players." Pompey enjoyed a perfect start when they edged ahead in the 10th minute with that own goal. Sylvain Distin's shot was deflected into the path of Benjani by Wilfred Bouma but Gardner reached the ball first and diverted it past Carson. And five minutes before the break the 1,500 Pompey fans who made it up to Villa Park were celebrating once more when Muntari scored the first of his two brilliant strikes. He took the ball 25 yards out and cut inside Barry before firing an unstoppable left-footed effort past Carson and into the top corner. In the 61st minute Muntari blasted his second. He robbed Reo-Coker and nutmegged Knight before finding the net with the outside of his left foot. Eleven minutes later Villa were back in it when Distin fouled Ashley Young and referee Mike Riley awarded a penalty. Barry's ferocious spot-kick gave his side hope but the late flourish was snuffed out comfortably by Distin and central defensive partner Sol Campbell. Redknapp is a realist above anything else and doubts that his side can maintain the kind of form that might see them challenge for a Champions League place as Everton did three years ago. He said: "I would think the top four are on another level to us. They have got the squads and are strong "But these are great times for Portsmouth. We are now 11 games unbeaten and we should be making the most of these times." Villa have given enough indication that they are well placed among the clubs with designs on giving the elite sides a run for their money. But O'Neill will probably feel like dumping his Manager award into the dustbin after this showing. His side were not given much help by referee Riley but their failure to cope with the pace of Portsmouth's counter-attacks will not not have escaped him. Strike Perhaps more worrying was the lack of a tracking run by Reo-Coker in the build-up to the second goal. The former West Ham captain went missing like a canoeist off the coast of Hartlepool as Muntari was afforded too much space before hammering in the crucial second. O'Neill said: "We were looking forward to the game and we were ready for the match. "Far from confidence being dented in last week's defeat to Arsenal, it was maybe even enhanced. "Early on we were knocked back by a fluke of a goal. If Wilfred Bouma had stepped over the ball it probably would have ended up at the corner flag. "Instead he deflected it into the path of Gardner and the own goal happened. That was far from fatal but then we were undone by two wonder-goals. "But I don't want to take anything away from a super strike and I suppose you could say the same about the third one. "We had our chances in the game and if we had taken them it would have been a different story." SOURCE: NOTW
Hosts Ghana win mini-tournament
Ghana fought back bravely to survive an early scare and beat Benin 4-2 to win the four-nation friendly tournament in Accra on Wednesday. Midfielder Laryea Kingston, who plays for Scottish side Hearts, scored two late goals to secure the victory for the hosts of next year's Africa Cup of Nations. Despite the early dominance of the Black Stars, the visitors shocked the home fans on 23 minutes when France-based Stephane Sessegnon scored from the spot. The Le Mans midfielder sent goalkeeper Sammy Adjei the wrong way after defender Haminu Dramani fouled Alain Gazpoz in the box. The goal spurred on the Squirrels and they should have doubled their lead two minutes before the interval but the Swedish league's top joint top scorer Razak Omotoyossi headed Abou Maiga's cross well wide. Maiga also fluffed another scoring opportunity two minutes later when with only Adjei at his mercy, he shot hopelessly wide. Omotoyossi was not to be denied just after the interval when he dummied two defenders before placing the ball on the blind side of the Ghana goalkeeper. But the visitors, who were guilty of wasting chances to extend their lead, were eventually punished for their profligate finishing. The Black Stars pulled one back through striker Junior Agogo on 47 minutes after being set up by Portsmouth midfielder Sulley Muntari. Muntari could have drawn the Black Stars level in the 62nd minute but Benin keeper Rachid Chitou held firmly after a terrific shot from the edge of the box. Just as the game threatened to run away from them, the home side showed more urgency in attack. Their determination paid off on 75 minutes when Kingston slalomed past four defenders before displacing Chitou on for the equaliser. Ghana went in front nine minutes later when captain Stephen Appiah shook off two defensive tackles before firing in from 25 yards. Kingston killed off the Squirrels' challenge two minutes later when he scored with the outside of his right foot directly from a free kick at the edge of the box. Meanwhile, Togo took third place after thrashing the United Arab Emirates 5-0 in Wednesday's other game. The four-nation tournament is to test Ghana's readiness to host football's Africa Cup of Nations in January.
SOURCE: BBC Sport
Osei tries out for Man. City
Manchester City's scouting net has trawled in two of the most promising young players in Africa. Ghanaian Ransford Osei, a star of the recent U17 World Cup, and Matthew Edile, whose penalty shoot-out goal helped Nigeria win the tournament, are both having trials with the club. SOURCE: Daily Mail
Man Utd capture Ghana’s 14-year-old Cofie
Manchester United have beaten Liverpool and Chelsea in the race for 14-year-old Burnley striker John Cofie and agreed an undisclosed fee with the Clarets. Burnley rejected a reported £250,000 bid from Liverpool for Cofie this week. But the German-born Ghanaian refused to return to training with the Clarets and they agreed he could leave Turf Moor. Burnley have inserted a 25% sell-on clause in the deal, which also gives them first refusal on any loan deal and a future friendly match with United. It will be three years before Cofie can sign professional terms at Old Trafford and the friendly game will take place within 12 months of that. Cofie was signed by the Clarets last summer after he was spotted at a youth tournament in Germany. "The player was unwilling to come back to Burnley so we didn't have a choice in keeping him here," Burnley operational director Brendan Flood told his club's website. "He was going to go to one of the clubs chasing his signature and in the end, we all felt that Manchester United was the right option. "He has a good future ahead of him and hopefully we can try and keep youngsters of John's quality at the club in future."
SOURCE: BBC Sport
Norwegian keeper opts for Ghana
Goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey Larsen has opted to play international football for Ghana instead of his country of birth, Norway. The 19-year-old, who plays for top Norway side Stromgodset, has turned down invitations to play for the European country's under-20 side. Kwarasey, whose father hails from Navrongo in the Upper East region of Ghana, says he turned down the opportunity to play for Norway because he prefers the West African country. "It is true that my mum is a Norwegian but it has always being a dream for me to play in the colours of Ghana," Kwarasey told BBC Sport. "Even though I have not received a call-up from Ghana so far, I am patient and will wait for the opportunity. "I went to Ghana some years ago as a kid and after playing with the other kids there I resolved to play for my fatherland. "I watch the matches of the Ghana national teams and I think the style of play is attractive and will also enhance my career. "I thank Norway for giving me the opportunity to develop my talent but Ghana is the choice for me." The highly rated youngster is hoping that his height will gain him a place in Ghana's squad for future matches. At 6ft 4in, Kwarasey is literally head and shoulders above Black Stars regulars Richard Kingston and Sammy Adjei, who average 5ft 8in. Meanwhile, the Ghanaian has warned Norway international Espen Johnsen that he expects to be Stromgodset's first-choice goalkeeper next season. Kwarasey managed five league appearances for his club for the just ended season with Johnsen playing in 21 matches. He said: "I have a lot of respect for Johnsen's achievements with the Norway national team and his experience in the game. "Johnsen is loan from Champions League side Rosenborg and it is likely he will to return before the start of the season. "Even if he stays, I want to be the first choice keeper. My message is clear - I'm ready to fight."
SOURCE: BBC Sport
Dede keen to flourish in Europe
Andre 'Dede' Ayew says his display in the Uefa Champions League has given him the confidence to believe he has a future on the world stage. The 17-year-old, son of Ghana legend Abedi Pele, who plays for French club Marseille was given his first start in the competition on Tuesday. Dede was named in the starting line-up ahead of France international striker Djibril Cisse in their 2-1 defeat at the hands of Portuguese outfit Porto. The youngster hardly put a foot wrong during the game and earned himself high praise for his performance. But Dede shrugged off the post-match comments stressing that keeping his place in the side will be his biggest challenge. "It is good to hear the praise from everybody but the most important thing is to stay in the squad and play better in every game," Dede told BBC Sport. "It is important that I stay here to develop and I am confident of helping to bring success to the club. "Even though there are big players in the team, the pitch will always decide and I am confident of using this opportunity to show the world what I can do." Dede signed a professional deal with Marseille in May after impressing with the reserves. OURCE: BBC Sport
Ghana to host 4-nation tournament
2008 African Nations Cup finals hosts Ghana will host a four-nation tournament in November to test facilities ahead of the finals, which start on Jan. 20. Renovated venues in Accra and Kumasi will be used for the tournament, to which Benin, Guinea and the United Arab Emirates have been invited to participate from Nov. 17-21. As part of preparations for the tournament, Ghana have scheduled a friendly against Jamaica in London on Oct. 14, the Ghana Football Association announced on Monday. It is the second meeting between the two countries in Britain in the last two years. Ghana emerged victors in their last meeting at Leicester, prior to the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany, where Ghana reached the second round.
CULLED FROM: The Guardian
Obi Gets All Clear for Ghana Tie in Accra
Nigerian U-23 coaches have indicated that Super Eagles maverick John Mikel Obi might be called up for the make or break Beijing 2008 qualifier against the Black Meteors of Ghana in Accra next month after returning to international duties against Lesotho in Warri on Saturday. The Chelsea midfielder’s wanton disregard for national cause incurred a sanction from the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) as well as a far reaching vow by the U-23 technical crew to exempt him from the Olympic party should Nigeria secure qualification for the Games. But Olympic team assistant coach Henry Nwosu (MON) revealed yesterday that the Mikel’s matter had been resolved following his pardon by the Nigerian federation. “We have not foreclosed the prospect of Mikel playing for the national team at this level. He can still play for us because he has been pardoned by the NFA. In the first instance, we never had any problem with him,” Nwosu said. He said the technical crew led by Samson Siasia would still decide whether or not to invite him for the game against the Ghanaians. It is, however, not yet clear if the Chelsea star would accept the invitation if the U-23 coaches decide they need him for the game. The Nigerian team is expected to regroup in the middle of next month in preparation for the crucial fixture against Ghana. Nigeria’s lead of the three-team group appears shaky following Ghana’s shocking 3-1 defeat of South Africa last Saturday before a hostile crowd at Olen Park Stadium in Potchefstroom. The Ghanaians, who lost 3-2 to Nigeria in Abuja, will aim for outright lead of the group when they host the Amagluglug next month. Two weeks ago the Nigerians were held to a 1-1 draw by the South Africans in Rustenburg Stadium with Chinedu Ogbuke scoring the equaliser. CULLED FROM: THISDAY
My Guinness! Essien the face of stout
Michael Essien has put himself on collision course with Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho - by signing a deal to sell Guinness. The midfielder, who cost £24.4m from Lyon in 2005, has agreed a contract to promote the Irish stout in his native Ghana. Essien, 24, has been named Guinness's ambassador in the West African country, and will star in a poster campaign. But a row could now be brewing with Mourinho, who strongly believes his players should follow healthy diets and lifestyles - and will be dismayed that his prize signing is endorsing alcohol. Essien said: "I am very excited to be Guinness's first football ambassador, and truly feel proud to be part of the greatness that is African football. "I hope I can act as a source of inspiration for many football fans across Africa, in the same way that Tony Yeboah and George Weah inspired me to reach greatness within my football career." Guinness recently reported a 17% rise in sales in Africa, in contrast to slumps in the UK and Ireland. The company's Ghana marketing head Agnes Emefah Essah said: "Guinness Ghana Breweries have a longstanding association with Ghana's Black Stars, and we believe that there is greatness in our players." SOURCE: Daily Mail
OSEI WINS SILVER SHOE
Inspite of his efforts to catch up with eventual leading scorer Macauley Christantus, Ghana’s Ransford Osei had to settle with the adidas Silver Shoe, at the just-concluded FIFA U-17 World Cup in South Korea. The diminutive forward, who stands at 1.68 metres, chased the tall Nigerian until the final whistle of Ghana's match for third place against Germany, where he scored his sixth goal of the tournament with a glancing header. In fact, Osei got off to a superior start to his chief rival in the beginning when he found the net twice against Trinidad and Tobago in his side's first group game. Osei went on to score two more goals against Germany and Colombia, then picked up another in the quarter-final defeat of Peru. Germany captain Toni Kroos was voted the best player of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Korea 2007, while Nigeria's Macauley Chrisantus took the adidas Golden Shoe as the tournament's top scorer. The Bayern Munich starlet received 26 per cent of the votes, which was carried out by the accredited journalists who attended the final between Spain and Nigeria at the Seoul FIFA World Cup Stadium. In addition to finishing as the seven-goal leading marksman in front of Ghana's Ransford Osei and Kroos, Chrisantus also pocketed the adidas Silver Ball, with Spain's Bojan judged the third most outstanding player on Korean soil. adidas Golden Ball and adidas Bronze Shoe: Toni Kroos (Germany) - 5 goals, 4 assists, 26 per cent of the votes. A key figure in the German midfield, captain Toni Kroos proved why he is regarded as the next great Bayern Munich and Germany No10 with his consistent performances throughout the tournament. His moves and passes across the middle of the park showed the essence of German efficiency, while the playmaker's five goals helped Germany become the most prolific team in the tournament with 20 goals. Kroos opened his account with a brace in Germany's second group match against Ghana, then he added one each against England and Nigeria. But his best goal would be the untouchable free-kick against Ghana in the match for third place. adidas Silver Ball and adidas Golden Shoe: Macauley Chrisantus (Nigeria) - 7 goals, 2 assists, 25 per cent Macauley Chirsantus was a nightmare for the defenders who had to mark him. His five goals in the first phase, which included braces against Japan and Haiti, had already made him a strong candidate for this award. His efforts were not spectacular but every one of them was crucial, especially in the second round. Indeed, his clinical finish from close range helped the Golden Eaglets fly over Argentina in the quarter-final, before he scored his seventh goal of the tournament against Germany in the semi-final, his trusted right boot again doing the trick. adidas Bronze Ball: Bojan (Spain) - 5 goals, 1 assist, 19 per cent Although he missed a chance to play in the final, Bojan was deemed the best player in the Spanish camp, scoring five goals, including the last-gasp winner against Ghana in the semi-finals. The Barcelona starlet found the net twice in the opening game against Honduras, but he could not score against Syria in the next match before being rested on the bench for the final group game with Argentina. However, the No9 came back to the starting line-up against Korea DPR and found his rhythm, scoring twice with powerful drives into the net. adidas Golden Shoe: Macauley Chrisantus - 7 goals, 2 assists adidas Silver Shoe: Ransford Osei (Ghana) - 6 goals, 3 assists adidas Bronze Shoe: Toni Kroos - 5 goals, 4 assists FIFA Fair Play Award: Costa Rica SOURCE: scoutingtalents.com
Ghana keen to repel underdog status
Ghana are hoping it will be third time lucky when they take part in the 2007 women's World Cup in China. The Black Queens have won only one game in two World Cup appearances, beating Australia 2-1 at the 2003 tournament. But the West Africans, the lowest ranked of the 16 finalists in China, have the opportunity to redeem themselves when they kick off their Group C campaign against Australia on 12 September. They will face highly-rated Canada four days later before completing their group campaign on 19 September with a game against Norway, the fourth best team in the world. But it goes without saying that the Ghanaians have improved since their last appearances at the World Cup. They are currently top of Africa's qualification table for the 2008 Olympics Games following recent 1-0 wins over continental giants Nigeria and South Africa. Captain Adjoa Bayor has been instrumental in the team's recent success and will no doubt be expected to do the business in China. The midfielder has blossomed into a world-class player, thanks largely to the invaluable experience gained while playing club football in the United States with FC Indiana. Bayor, who was selected for the World All Stars that took on China in April this year, says the Black Queens can cause an upset or two. "It's okay if our opponents want to talk big, but our concern is to get the results on the field," Bayor said. Even though Bayor will be without many of her team-mates who played at the last World Cup, coach Isaac Paha has drafted in several young promising players, notably Anita Amankwa. The teenage sensation, who is blessed with lightning speed, emerged as one of the top scorers at the African Championship last year. Inspirational goalkeeper Memunatu Sulemana makes a return to the national team after a two-year absence. The former Fifa All Stars player quit the game after her club Post Ladies refused her request to continue her career abroad. There is an air of excitement and optimism as the Black Queens aim to progress to the tournament's knock-out stages at the third time of asking.
SOURCE: BBC Sports
Ghana beat Morocco
Ghana kicked off the first of a two-game friendly series on a winning note against Morocco in the French town of Rouen on Saturday. The Black Stars got back on the winning road with a 2-0 win over the North African side, their first since March when they easily dispatched Nigeria 4-1 in a similar exercise as part the build up towards next year’s African Cup of Nations to be hosted by Ghana. Ghana had to wait until the second half before rounding up victory over Morocco, one of the nations to have qualified for Africa’s flagship sporting event, the CAN, after a barren fist half. Black Stars coach made a host of changes and the introduction of Barusso into the game saw captain, Michael Essien deployed to a central defensive role while the AS Roma played partnered Eric Addo, Andre Ayew and Laryea Kingston in midfield. And it was two second half substitutes, Junior Agogo and Ahmed Barusso who did the trick for Ghana. The Nottingham Forest striker controlled a pass from a Laryea Kingston cross at the far post and shot from the left channel to put Ghana in the lead after 47 minutes of play. Ghana pushed the opponents and in one of such attacks, the Moroccans conceded a freekick to the Black Stars. Kingston was on had again to float the ball into the six yard box of the Atlas Lions and Barusso managed to lose his marker and soared to nod in the second for Ghana. Morocco attempted to pull a goal back but Richard Kingson was in fine form to block a close effort on the left with his leg. Moses Sakyi was given run out by Claude Le Roy as the Black Stars guarded their lead over Morocco. Ghana would continue with the busy schedule four days later on September 12 with Saudi Arabia in Riyadh. SOURCE: ghanafa.org
Ransford Osei for CAN 2008
The striking prodigy of Black Starlets' attacker Ransford Osei, has attracted the attention of Black Stars' coach Claude Le Roy. And in his bid to parade and build a formidable frontline for the forthcoming Ghana 2008 tournament, the French trainer, has penciled down the young striker as a possible candidate to strike alongside his favourite, Asamoah Gyan.
For Le Roy, the young striker, like wine, is maturing as the weeks roll by and has all it takes to wear the senior team shirt. Le Roy said in a press conference in Accra.
So far 5 Goals in 6 Games at the U-17 World Cup and I won't be surprise he scores another goal in the 3rd place match. Ransford Osei has scored about 15 Goals for the Starlets in Competitive Games so far. Summary of Ransford Osei's Goals On 17th September, 2006 Ransford Osei scored a hat-trick during 1st Leg CAF U17 Nations Cup Qualifiers Ghana vs. Guinea 3-1 3 Goals On 15th October,2006 Ransford Osei scored the only goal of the 2nd leg qualifier CAF U17 Nations Cup Ghana vs. Guinea 1-1 1 Goal 12th December,2006 the second round of the CAF U17 Nations Cup Qualifiers 2nd leg against Ivory Coast Ransford Osei scored 1goal Ghana vs Ivory Coast 2-0(Starlets qualify) 1 Goal 7th CAF U-17 Championship Group Stage 3/11/2007 Ghana vs Burkina Faso 3-1 1 Goal 7th CAF U-17 Championship Group Stage 3/14/2007 Ghana vs Eritrea 6-0 1 Goal 7th CAF U-17 Championship Semi Finals 3/20/2007 Ghana vs. Togo 1-2 1 Goal Mini Tourney in Korea Match Day 1 6/17/2007 Ghana vs. Haiti 3-0 3 Goals Mini Tourney in Korea Match Day 2 6/19/2007 Ghana vs. Brazil 1-1 1 Goal FIFA U-17 World Cup Group Stage 8/20/2007 Ghana vs. Trinidad 4-1 2 Goals FIFA U-17 World Cup Group Stage 8/23/2007 Ghana vs. Germany 2-3 1 Goal FIFA u-17 World Cup Group Stage Ghana vs. Colombia 2-1 1 Goal
FIFA U-17 World Cup Quarter Finals Ghana vs. Peru 2-0 1 Goal
Tags: 2007 • Black • Cup • FC • FIFA • Ghana • Kessben • Korea • Osei • Ransford • star • striker • U-17 • World Flickr tags: 2007 • Black • Cup • FC • FIFA • Ghana • Kessben • Korea • Osei • Ransford • star • striker • U-17 • World.
SOURCE: scoutingtalents.com
Ghana race enters final straight
The lineup for next year's CAF Africa Cup of Nations should become a lot clearer after a busy weekend featuring 19 qualifying matches across the continent. Angola, Cameroon, Morocco, Nigeria, Sudan and Tunisia have already booked their places alongside hosts Ghana at the tournament but that number should at least double over the coming days, with the outcome in all but two of the 12 groups expected to be settled by Sunday night. FIFA.com asssesses the state of play. Group 1 - Gabon need a miracle Côte d'Ivoire travel to face Alain Giresse's Gabon without injured captain Didier Drogba but needing only to avoid defeat by a six-goal margin to secure qualification. With Djibouti's withdrawal having left just three teams, this is the final match of a section that the Elephants - who have claimed maximum points without conceding a goal - lead by three points from their opponents. Group 2 - Egypt on the brink Defending champions Egypt can secure qualification with victory over Burundi in a fixture postponed from June. A point clear of a Botswana side who must visit Egypt next month, the Pharoahs welcome back striker Mido but are missing his fellow forward Mohamed Zidan due to a foot injury. Group 3 - Spotlight on Kampala With Nigeria already assured first place, the focus is on the Nelson Mandela stadium in Kampala where some 60,000 fans will watch Uganda host Niger aiming to bolster their hopes of finishing among the best three runners-up. Victory will move Uganda on to 11 points but a big score would also help given the possibility of goal difference deciding who heads to Ghana. Group 4 - Summit meeting in Sudan With 13 and 12 points respectively, both Sudan and Tunisia have already qualified but their meeting in Omdurman on Sunday will decide which team advances as group winners. Tunisia have not conceded a goal in five matches but they can expect a fierce test against Sudan, whose success in qualifying has been mirrored by the fortunes of club side Al Hilal, surprise semi-finalists in the CAF Champions League. Group 5 - Minnows chasing dream Having taken seven points from five games, Equatorial Guinea retain an outside chance of reaching their first continental finals but to keep that dream alive they must beat group winners Cameroon on Sunday. That could prove easier said than done against the Indomitable Lions. Save for the absence of injured strikers Samuel Eto'o and Achille Webo, coach Jules Nyongha has taken his strongest possible squad to Malabo, where the home supporters should see a home debut for Real Madrid starlet Javier Balboa, capped for the first time in Rwanda in June. Group 6 - Eritrea on a mission Eritrea are another second-placed side harbouring hopes of qualification as one of the best runners-up but they will need a handsome win over Swaziland in Manzini on Sunday to stand any chance of making it to Ghana. "We want to qualify for the Nations Cup in Ghana next year. Not that we're taking Swaziland lightly, but our mission is clear - we need to win this one at all costs," said Eritrea coach Haile Taber, whose charges have eight points, five adrift of group winners Angola. Group 7 - Senegal a step away No group is more closely contested than this one which features three teams all capable of claiming first place. Leaders Senegal have eight points and can secure top spot with a home victory over Burkina Faso but should they slip up, both Tanzania - also on eight points - and Mozambique - two points further back - could yet leapfrog them. Tanzania host Mozambique in the other game but the visitors travelled to Dar Es Salaam under a cloud following the death in a car accident of defender Nando. He was killed along with his wife and two children driving back to Maputo from his South African club Black Leopards on Sunday. Group 8 - Tight at the top Guinea and Algeria are level on eight points at the group summit ahead of their final matches against Cape Verde Islands and Gambia respectively. The Guineans, leaders on goal difference after winning in Algeria, have been buoyed by the availability of captain Pascal Feinduono who had been doubtful because of injury. Coach Robert Nouzaret also has defender Dianbobo Balde back for a match Guinea go into knowing that any slip-up could let in Algeria. The North African team welcome back Hameur Bouazza for their visit to Gambia and will hope to improve on their poor recent away record - while keeping their fingers crossed for good news from Conakry. Group 9 - Matches postponed Mali, Togo and Benin all retain a shout of winning the section but their last set of matches has been postponed to 12 October because of elections in Sierra Leone this weekend. Group 10 - Striker boost for Congo DR Congo DR go into the final round with eight points, one clear of both Namibia and their opponents on Sunday, Libya. Victory over the Libyans will secure their ninth successive appearance in the continental showpiece and the prospect of Lomana Tresor Lua Lua and Shabani Nonda teaming up in attack for the first time in two years has boosted Congolese hopes further. The duo are among 14 players called up from European clubs as Congo seek to assure their progress. Second-placed Namibia must beat Ethopia and hope for a draw in the match in Kinshasa. Group 11 - McCarthy returns Benni McCarthy's return from a self-imposed international exile of 18 months has given the South Africa squad a lift as they look to secure the point they need against second-placed Zambia to earn their seventh consecutive Nations Cup berth. Group 12 - Job done With Morocco already qualified, this three-team section concludes with the meeting of Zimbabwe and Malawi in Bulawayo - a fixture that the hosts go into with new coach Norman Mapeza at the helm. SOURCE: FIFA.com
Boateng for first team start
Eager for first team start: Boateng Michael Dawson stepped up his return to fitness from an ankle injury by playing 65 minutes as Tottenham's reserves beat their Birmingham counterparts. Midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng also played and he set up the only goal of the game, scored by Andy Barcham in the 81st minute. First-team hopeful Adel Taarabt also featured in the game at Leyton Orient's Brisbane Road. SOURCE: Daily Mail
Leverkusen face up to Sarpei loss
Bayer 04 Leverkusen may have to begin their UEFA Cup campaign without Hans Sarpei after the Ghana international suffered a groin strain in Friday's 1-1 draw with FC Schalke 04. Greško replacement The 31-year-old lasted just 25 minutes of the Bundesliga fixture before being replaced at left-back by Vratislav Greško. Sarpei is expected to be out for a fortnight, meaning he could miss Bayer's UEFA Cup first round first-leg meeting with Portuguese side UD Leiria on 20 September. He should be back for the return two weeks later, however. CULLED from: UEFA.com
Ghana U-17 stun Brazil
Ghana knocked tournament favourites Brazil out of the under-17 World Cup in South Korea with a 1-0 win on Wednesday. Isaac Donkor scored the only goal of the game with a deflected shot on 51 minutes. The Black Starlets played the entire second half of the game in Gwanyang with ten men after Francis Boadi was sent off a minute before the break. They were very effective on the counter-attack against the skilful Brazilians. Ghana will play Peru in the quarter-finals on Saturday in Changwon. Meanwhile, Tunisia suffered a 3-1 defeat in extra time against France. in another second-round tie. France took the lead just before half-time with a free-kick from Henri Saivet, but Nour Hadhria gave the Carthage Eaglets the equaliser four minutes after the break with a stunning 25-metre drive. It was still 1-1 after 90 minutes, but France scored twice in extra time through Damien Le Tallec. Tunisia had been reduced to ten men after 76 minutes, when Mohamed Karoui was sent off for a foul. The resultant penalty was saved by goalkeeper Habib Tounsi. SOURCE: BBC Sport
Ghana, Tunisia record World under-17 wins
Ghana beat Trinidad and Tobago 4-1 and Tunisia held off Belgium at the under-17 World Cup in South Korea on Monday. Youssef Msaki scored twice in Tunisia's 4-2 win over Belgium in Group E. Oussama Boughanmi opened the scoring in the 20th minute and Khaled Ayari met Nour Hadria's corner kick at the first post to double the lead four minutes later. Belgium rallied with two goals in nine minutes to Nill Depauw and Kevin Kiss to equalize before Tunisia again took the lead just on halftime when Msakni scored his first. Boughanmi was sent off after collecting his second booking in the 52nd minute, although Belgium was unable to capitalize and Msakni gave the 10-man Tunisia lineup a two-goal cushion with a goal in the 79th. Meanwhile, a brace by Ransford Osei helped Ghana to move to the top of Group F after Germany held Columbia to a 3-3 draw in group's opening game. Osei led the way for the Black Starlets, whose explosive attacking delighted their audience. The Ghanaians were up 3-0 by half-time thanks to Osei's brace and another strike by Sadick Adams. Trinidad and Tobago pulled one back through Stephan Campbell before Reading striker Kelvin Bossman sealed the win. "It was important to make a successful start, and we'll be confident about our remaining matches now," Ghana captain Paul Addo said. The Black Starlets face Germany in their next game on Thursday and a win will guarantee them a place in the next stage of the competition. "It'll be tough against Germany, but we still have every chance of winning," Addo added. Action continues on Tuesday as Togo take on Peru in Group A.
SOURCE: BBC Sport
Asamoah in racist abuse claim
The German Football Federation (DFB) has opened an investigation into Borussia Dortmund's goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller over alleged racist comments. Schalke 04's Ghana-born striker Gerald Asamoah claims Weidenfeller made the comments before Asamoah scored in his club's 4-1 Bundesliga win on Saturday. It is alleged that in the 51st minute of the match, Weidenfeller called Asamoah, the first black player to be selected for the German national team, a "black pig". The match in Gelsenkirchen was a tense affair between the two rivals, especially as Dortmund had beaten Schalke 2-0 on the penultimate weekend of last season to deny the Royal Blues their first Bundesliga title. "In the heat of the moment, things are often said which people later regret, and tensions were high for that game," Ghana-born Asamoah said. "But when you hear something like that, it makes you really disappointed. "He regretted saying it and he apologised to me during the game, but I don't know why he didn't admit it after the match. "He should tell the truth." In September 2006, monkey cries made by supporters of Hansa Rostock led to the DFB fining the club US$26,000. SOURCE: BBC Sport
Levante reject Riga offer
Levante have rejected an offer for Ghanaian winger Riga Mustapha. Five Premiership clubs watched the Ghana-born wide-man in action at the weekend as he scored two in a win over Racing Santander. Manchester City, Wigan, West Ham, Portsmouth and Middlesbrough all watched Mustapha and one of them is now believed to have lodged an offer. Spanish reports say Middlesbrough, via an agent working on their behalf, lodged a €2million (£1.3million) bid - although it remains to be seen which club indeed made a firm approach. One thing which is clear is that the offer was not acceptable. "The offer is insufficient," president Pedro Villarroel told the Valencian. Reports suggest Levante want €4million (£2.7million) before they would consider letting Mustapha leave. SOURCE: skysports.com
Ghana 4-1 Nigeria
Ghana beat Nigeria for the first time in 15 years, thanks to four second-half goals in Tuesday night's friendly at Griffin Park. Goals from Laryea Kingson, Sulley Muntari, Junior Agogo and substitute Asamoah Frimpong clinched a comfortable win for Claude Le Roy's side - and prompted extravagant celebrations from the Ghanaian fans, dozens of whom charged on to the pitch after the second and third goals. The Super Eagles earned a consolation through Taiwo Taye's 65th-minute penalty, but Ghana's attacking prowess proved too much for a Nigeria side in which Chelsea midfielder Mikel Jon Obi was surprisingly included. Mikel was not expected to feature in the match, after Blues manager Jose Mourinho said he had picked up a thigh injury which would rule him out for two weeks. But the young playmaker played for the full match, while club-mate Michael Essien managed 87 minutes for Ghana. There was no sign, however, of Obafemi Martins in the 18-man Nigeria squad - despite Newcastle saying the forward had been given permission to play. In the 11th minute, Mikel played a superb through ball to John Utaka, whose close-range effort was blocked smartly by Ghana goalkeeper Richard Kingson. Six minutes before that, Laryea Kingson almost gave Ghana the lead when his curling cross from the left was missed by team-mate Agogo but was palmed away by Vincent Enyeama in the nick of time. In the seventh minute, Kingson fired just wide from 30 yards. Mourinho would have been watching intently when Essien fell awkwardly under a Nigerian challenge in the ninth minute. The Chelsea midfielder spent almost two minutes off the field with what appeared to be pain in his back, before he rejoined the action. Asamoah Gyan and Sulley Muntari both came close for Ghana, but the best chance of the half fell to Mikel - who put a free header over the bar from eight yards after he had been picked out by Utaka's right-wing cross. Ghana went back on the attack, with Gyan blazing well wide after fine work from Essien and Stephen Appiah - and Iliasu Alhassan shooting over an open goal after Enyeama had flapped at a corner. A minute before the break, Muntari headed John Mensah's long cross too close to Enyeama. Ghana found the attacking edge their first-half play had lacked, scoring three times in the first 15 minutes of the second period. Laryea Kingson gave them the lead with a low shot from 20 yards in the 50th minute, with Muntari adding a stunning second four minutes later - a searing drive into the roof of the net from an acute ankle. Le Roy's men then made it three on the hour mark with a delightful goal, Gyan collecting Appiah's superb pass before crossing from the right for Agogo to volley in smartly at the near post. Ghana briefly lost their cool five minutes later, though, Hans Adu Sarpei bringing down Utaka for a penalty which Taiwo calmly converted. But the Black Stars soon recovered their composure - Appiah, Gyan and Essien combining to set up substitute Frimpong who guided in the fourth from 10 yards after 76 minutes. SOURCE: soccernet.com
Ghana’s Queens tame Angola’s
Ghana’s quest for a place in the women’s football competition at the 2008 Beijing Games kicked started on Saturday with a 2-1 away win over Angola. The women’s Olympic qualifying series begins over the weekend for Africa’s sixteen nations vying for the single slot to the 2008 Beijing Games. Ghana's women’s Olympic team proved too strong for their Angolan opponents scoring a goal apiece in each half of the game in Luanda. Rumunatu Tahiru scored to put Ghana in the lead before the hour mark. Ghana held onto the lone goal to end the first half. However, back from recess, the Angolans cancelled out Ghana’s first half lead as the score cards read 1-1. And 17 year-old prodigy, Anita Amankwah a revelation during the African Women’s Championship last year in Nigeria was on hand to crown off the efforts of the Black Queens when she grabbed a brace on the day to make it 2-1 for Ghana. The return leg is slated for March 11 at the Coronation park. Africa has a single slot for the Olympic Games and the 16 nations competing in the qualifiers this weekend are seeking to pick the sole ticket. Aside the single slot for Africa, the runners-up from the CONCACAF and CAF qualifiers would be compete in a one-off decider for a place in the Olympic competition. The other fixtures for the qualifying rounds are Liberia-Ethiopia, Nigeria-Senegal, Guinea-Zimbabwe, Eritrea-Morocco, Equatorial Guinea-South Africa, Namibia-DR Congo and Mozambique-Algeria. SOURCE: ghanafa.org
Asante Kotoko beat Port Authority
Kumasi Asante Kotoko struggled to a 1-0 win over Gambian side, Port Authority in the first leg fixture of the CAF/MTN Champions League preliminary round. Dan Acquah’s second half goal from a spot kick ensured that Kotoko left the Len Clay stadium in Obuasi winners. Kotoko handed new signings, Nii Adjei and Ahmed Nyame their debut in continental club football but had it tough dominating play as their opponents without five regular players on national duty looked a formidable unit. Watching from the sidelines for the Porcupine Warriors was their most expensive signing in the January transfer window, Isaac Vorsah. The victory was Kotoko’s second in succession in all competitions they are involved in, that is both the domestic and continental campaign. Kotoko started superbly but easily lost their early minute dominance as they struggled to break through the rear of Port Authority. Both sides battled it out strongly but ended the first half goalless. Back from recess, the Gambians still stood tall but the Porcupine Warriors at least deservedly scored through a spot kick which was converted by defender, Dan Acquah. The return leg comes off in Banjul next week. The first leg should have come off a last week. But Port Authority requested for the postponement of the game due to the unavailability of the some of their players who were representing Gambia in the African Youth Championship which ends Saturday in Congo. The Confederation of African Football – CAF, heeded to the request of the Gambians and postponed the game.
SOURCE: ghanafa.org
Benfica sign on Ghana’s Lion
Portuguese side, SL Benfica look into the future as they sign on young Ghana international defender, Jerry Akaminko before the European transfer window shuts at midnight on Wednesday. Benfica, who are five points adrift league leaders FC Porto, are keen to see the young defender develop through the club’s youth ranks. The three and half year deal would see the 19-year-old stay at the Estádio do Dragão until 2010. The former junior national team captain joins Benfica from local side, Kpando Heart of Lions. Jerry Akaminko would be joining the club’s junior team and could be handed his Benfica debut on Saturday in the Portuguese junior league but would not be expected to feature in the UEFA Cup Round of 32 tie against FC Dinamo 1948 Bucuresti next month. The central defender, a key figure in the set up of Heart of Lions has risen through Ghana’s junior teams having played for the Black Starlets, Black Satellites and now with the Olympic team, the Black Meteors. SOURCE: ghanafa.org
Ghana's Obodai joins Waalwijk
Ghanaian midfielder Anthony Obodai has ended his stand off with Dutch side Sparta Rotterdam by joining rivals RKC Waalwijk. The 24-year-old handed in a transfer request on Monday after being expelled from the club's training ground by coach Wiljan Vloet following a furious row over team selection. Obodai has joined struggling side Waalwijk on a three-and-a-half-year contract. Waalwijk are bottom of the Dutch top league and Obodai is confident of helping them avoid the drop. "I'm very happy to have joined Waalwijk and I know with the help of my team-mates will not be relegated," Obodai told BBC Sport. "I have come here to help improve the fortunes of the club and to get regular playing time and also to fight for a place in my national team. "Sparta did not treat me with respect and it was time to leave. I can concentrate on the challenges ahead." Waalwijk are hoping that the acquisition of the Ghanaian will help improve the fortunes of their club. "Anthony is a strong defensive midfielder who can improve a lot things for our club," Waalwijk's general manager Henry van Vegt said. "He is a major addition to our squad and we are proud to have him." Obodai, who was captain of Sparta, fell out with coach Wiljan Vloet after being told to sit on the bench last week. He played in 47 games for Sparta Rotterdam since moving from rivals Ajax Amsterdam in 2005. SOURCE: BBC Sport
Ashgold in crucial Champs League win
Jonathan Quartey's stunning finish gave Ghana's Ashanti Gold a crucial 1-0 away win against Renacimiento of Equatorial Guinea in the Champions League on Sunday. Quartey volleyed home in the 55th minute to give the Obuasi side a victory in their first appearance in the tournament in ten years. Ashgold, finalists in their last appearance in 1997, could have won the first-round, first-leg tie by a wider margin but striker Lamini Nasir failed to convert a spot kick just after the break. Also on Sunday, DR Congo side TP Mazembe beat visiting Police XI of Botswana 3-0 thanks to a hat-trick by international striker Mputu Mabi. Egyptian club Zamalek defeated Burundi's Vital'O 4-1 in their game in Cairo. Strikes from Amr Zaki, Hazem Emam, Mostafa Gaafar and Tarek Al-Sayed secured the win for the home side. Cameroonian sides Coton Sport and Canon Yaounde were other clubs to take advantage of playing at home, winning by against Uganda Revenue Authority and Etoile du Congo respectively. Nigerian champions Ocean Boys failed to benefit from their home advantage as they were held to a goalless draw by FC Kallon, the club owned by Sierra Leone international striker Mohammed Kallon. Meanwhile, Cape Verde's Sporting Club failed to turn up for their game against Guinea's Felo Star, staying at home over safety concerns after a violent general strike. Human rights organisations say at least 60 people were killed and many more injured in a violent 18-day general strike against Guinean President Lansana Conte, which was suspended late on Saturday under a deal with unions. Felo Star's secretary-general Mamoudou Drame said Sporting Club had forfeited the tie by failing to turn up, although Confederation of African Football officials were unavailable for comment.
SOURCE: BBC Sport
Kwame Ayew returns to boost Setubal
Portuguese side Vitoria Setubal have signed former Ghana striker Kwame Ayew to boost their chances of league survival. Kwame, young brother of former African Footballer of the Year Abedi Pele, signed a six-month contract on Friday. It will be the 33-year-old's second spell with Setubal, having scored eight goals in 23 appearance for the club in the 1997/98 season. Ayew moves from China side Xian Zhang Ba International Football Club where he was the league highest scorer last season with 17 goals. Setubal, who are third from the bottom of Portugal's top league, are hoping the signing for the former Ghana international will help them avoid relegation. It will be Ayew's second spell in Portugal having played for Uniao Leiria and Sporting Lisbon. He also played for clubs in the Ivory Coast, Saudi Arabia, France and Italy.
SOURCE: BBC Sport
Ghana's Gyan lands record $10.5m deal
Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan has joined Lokomotiv Moscow in the biggest purchase of the Russian pre-season. The 21-year-old moves from Italian Serie A side Udinese in a deal worth US$10.5m. Ghana international spent the last two seasons on loan at Serie B club Modena before rejoining Udinese at the start of this season. He played for his country at the World Cup in Germany in June and scored in the Black Stars' thrilling 2-0 victory over the Czech Republic. The transfer fee reflects the demand for a player who has scored 12 goals in 19 appearances for his country. But Spartak Moscow's acquisition of Argentinean Fernando Cavenaghi for US$13m in 2004 remains a Russian record. Gyan moved to Udinese from the local side Liberty Professionals in 2003.
SOURCE: BBC Sport
Ghana and Nigeria reschedule tie
Nigeria Football Association (NFA) and their Ghanaian counterparts have agreed a new date for an international friendly in London. The Super Eagles were scheduled to take on their African rivals at Loftus Road on 7 February. But a clash in date with an England fixture means the game will now take place a day earlier. The match will be hosted by Brentford FC at their Griffin Park on 6 February. According to Justin Addo, CEO of Jv2i Consult, organisers of the game, a change of date and venue is the only alternative to ensure the game takes place next month. "The English FA ruled that since England play Spain on 7 February in Manchester, we need to look for an alternative date," Addo told BBC Sport on Friday. "We made strong efforts to still have the game played at Loftus Road, home of Queens Park Rangers, but the ground is not free for our new date, hence, we have to settle for Brentford. "The Nigerian FA and the GFA have endorsed this new date we are happy that the match will still take place." The match will serve as a warm-up for the Super Eagles' Nations Cup qualifier against Uganda on 24 March. Nigeria lead Group 3 of the qualifying tournament for the 2008 Nations Cup to be staged in Ghana, with six points after two rounds of matches. Uganda are two points adrift in a group that also includes Niger and Lesotho. Ghana are using the game in preparation towards the hosting of the 2008 African Nations Cup. Both sides are keen for the game to go ahead after a previous friendly was cancelled in August at the last minute. Nigeria coach Augustine Eguavoen said the timing was poor for his team. The last clash between the sides was at the 2006 Nations Cup in Egypt, with The Super Eagles triumphing 1-0. SOURCE: BBC Sport
Ghana set for Nigeria friendly
Ghana are seeking a first win over Nigeria in fifteen years when the two sides meet in a friendly clash in London on Tuesday. Not only are Ghana Nigeria's keenest rivals, but game at Griffin Park will be seen as a contest to determine pre-eminence in Africa. Super Eagles have not lost to Black Stars since 1992, and are the highest ranked African team in the Fifa world rankings, but Ghana impressed at the World Cup - for which Nigeria did not qualify - and are unbeaten since their defeat to Brazil in the second round of that tournament. "A game between Nigeria and Ghana is always contentious, competitive," Nigeria captain Kanu said. "There is no cup at stake, but because of the rivalry between the two teams, we will take it seriously. "Nigeria are number one in Africa by the Fifa ranking but some of my Ghanaian friends have been saying the ranking is no true reflection of form and that they are the best team in Africa. But don't forget that we beat them when we met in Egypt a year ago." Characteristically, Nigeria's build-up has been shrouded in chaos, with Vogts's appointment only ratified by the Nigerian Football Association following an emergency meeting last week. "Our little disagreement has also been resolved, there is always friction amongst a family and ours has been sorted amicably," NFA chairman Sani Lulu said. "We've resolved that Berti Vogts will sign his contract on February 5 in London and also use the opportunity to meet the players he will be working with. "According to our schedule, he will be in Nigeria in the first week of March to start his job." The divisions caused by Lulu's decision to bring in Vogts have not been entirely smoothed over, though. Peter Singabele, one of the 14 members of the NFA board, accused Lulu of "consistently violating" the NFA's statutes, and insisted that Vogts's appointment "did not have everyone's blessing". Austin Eguavoen, who has been in charge for the past two years, remains as assistant coach, and it was he who selected the 21-man squad for Tuesday's game. That, surprisingly, included full-back Ifeanyi Udeze, who had not played for the national team since he accused NFA officials of neglect after picking up an injury in a game in November 2005. Udeze himself admitted he was surprised by his call-up, given he has played only three league games this season, and parted company with his club, AEK Athens, last week. Ghana, too, have had their off-field problems, with Kwesi Nyantakyi, the president of their Football Association, engaged in an on-going dispute with the Graphic Sports newspaper over allegations of financial mismanagement during the World Cup. Manager Claude Leroy again omitted former Bayern Munich defender Sammy Kuffour, but there were recalls for strikers Joetex Frimpong and Isaac Boakye. Club Brugge forward Ibrahim Salou and Quincy Owusu-Abeyie of Spartak Moscow were called up for the first time, although there is doubt as to the latter's availability because he represented Holland at Under-20 level. The match in London is one of the several matches involving African countries to be played on Tuesday and Wednesday. Other midweek friendlies: Tuesday: Mali v Lithuania, Paris Tuesday: Ivory Coast v Guinea, Rouen Wednesday: Caf 50th anniversary international match (Egypt v Sweden, Cairo) Wednesday: Senegal v Benin, Rouen, France Wednesday: Mozambique v Swaziland, Maputo Wednesday: Morocco v Tunisia, Rabat Wednesday: Lesotho v Zimbabwe, Maseru Wednesday: Algeria v Libya, Algiers Wednesday: Botswana v Namibia, Gaborone Wednesday: Angola v Vitoria Setubal, Lisbon Wednesday: Togo v Cameroon, Lome
SOURCE: BBC Sport
Ghana coach keen on U17 title
Ghana coach Fred Osam Duodu is confident of a record third title despite a tough draw at the African under-17 Championship. The Black Starlets were drawn on Wednesday to face 2001 champions Nigeria in Group B of the tournament to be held in Togo in March. The two-time champions will also play 1999 finalists Burkina Faso as well as Eritrea. Duodu, who led Gambia to the title two years ago, says even though the draw has pitted them against three difficult teams, it could work to their advantage. Duodu added that being pitched in the so-called 'Group of Death' means that the Black Starlets must ensure they hit the ground running from the very first match. "In some ways it is good too, we have to be on our toes from the start," Duodu told BBC Sport on Thursday. "Any team that has qualified is well prepared for this tournament. "Burkina Faso have a good youth system. They have a good side and over the years they have shown how strong they are in youth competitions. "Nigeria comes with big players physically but football doesn't deal with size. "On the whole, we are getting on with our preparations. And I think we will be fine," he said. Togo will take on South Africa in their opening match of the seventh edition of the competition on 10 March.
Group B Ghana Nigeria Burkina Faso Eritrea The host nation will also play Tunisia and Gabon in Group A. The final of the two-week championship will take place on 24 March. Only the top two in each group progress to the semi-finals. The two finalists and the third-placed team qualify for the Fifa World under-17 championship to be held in South Korea, from 18 August to 9 September. Ghana is the only country to have won the African under-17 Championship twice, having triumphed in 1995 and 1999. Egypt, Nigeria, Cameroon and Gambia, meanwhile, have all won the competition once. SOURCE: BBC Sport
Kotoko's Champions League tie postponed
Two-times African champions Asante Kotoko have had their opening match in this year's African Champions League postponed until next weekend, the Confederation of African Football said. Kotoko's opponents Gambia Port Authority sought a postponement because two of their players are competing with Gambia's under-20 side at the African youth championships in the Congo. Gambia on Thursday qualified to play in the World Under-20 Cup in Canada later this year. Kotoko will now host Port Authority in Obuasi on Feb. 3 with the return in the Gambian capital Banjul on Feb. 11. CULLED from YAHOO! Sports
Hearts move in on Kingston, Gogua
Hearts are closing in on the signings of Russian Premier League duo Gogita Gogua and Laryea Kingston. Head coach Valdas Ivanauskas travelled to Moscow on Saturday to check on Georgia international midfielder Gogua of Spartak Nalchik and Lokomotiv Moscow's midfielder Kingston. While two transfers are in the pipeline, Hearts are unlikely to be able to tie up the signing of Portsmouth loanee Ognjen Koroman. Ivanauskas told the Edinburgh Evening News: "There is progress with Gogua. When the contract is signed or we have more details I can explain more, but we have made progress. "This should be finished in the next few days, I am confident of that. "We have also moved forward with Kingston and the prospects of signing him look much better. "You don't know what each day will bring but there is also progress there. "Lokomotiv was my last club in Russia and I have very good contacts there, I have a lot of information about the football in Russia." Ivanauskas is less hopeful of procuring Serbia midfielder Koroman, who is on loan to Portsmouth from Terek Grozny. "There is a big question over him. It's not money but I don't want to say exactly what the situation is," added Ivanauskas SOURCE: skysports.com
Kotoko appoint Turkish coach
Ghana Premier League champions Asante Kotoko have appointed Turkish coach Telat Uzum until the end of the season. The 43-year-old replaces Emmanuel Kwasi Afranie who resigned two weeks ago. Afranie quit after the two-time African champions suffered their second straight loss in the league. Uzum's main task is to win the league title and qualify for the Champions League. "We expect him to help the team win the league and for qualify for the lucrative Champions League," Kotoko spokesman Kwame Bah Nuakoh told BBC Sport. "We will extend his contract at the end of the season if we are satisfied with his performance." Uzum played for the Bundesliga sides FC Cologne and Karlsruher in the 1980s. He has had previous coaching stints with the Turkish team Besiktas and the youth sides of the German clubs FC Cologne and Kaiserslautern. SOURCE: BBC Sport
Frimpong confident of Sfaxien title win
Ghanaian striker Joetex Frimpong believes CS Sfaxien will lift the Champions League thanks to the morale gained by drawing the first leg 1-1 with Ahly in Egypt. The Tunisians host the reigning African champions on Saturday, although the match will be played in the 60,000-seater Rades Stadium rather than their home town of Sfax. The Ghana international knows what it takes to win the title as he is seeking a third Champions League success in four years, having triumphed with Nigeria's Enyimba in 2003 and 2004. "I believe we are going to win on Saturday because everybody is happy and when you are happy, you do something very good," Frimpong told BBC Sport. "The result we got in Egypt is a morale booster and now we need to put in a bit more effort to win. "Everybody is determined because everyone knows the importance of the game: if you see the amount of effort the officials are putting in, you will see how serious we are." CS Sfaxien coach Mrad Mahjoub was against the move to play the final at Rades, a decision taken because the capacity is five times greater than Sfax's ground, but Frimpong is not too bothered. "Wherever you play, the only important thing is the effort you put in and how you prepare for the game," he explained. "We went to Egypt which is not our home ground and we played a draw there so whether it's Rades or Sfax, if we prepare fine I believe we will make it." "It should be a fantastic atmosphere at Rades because the stadium is good and I believe all the Tunisian people will come and support us." Sfaxien have never won the Champions League before but they have already beaten Ahly this season, winning 1-0 in Sfaxien in the group stages to end the Egyptians' 54-match unbeaten run. "When I came here, I saw the quality of our players and I believed we could not only reach the Champions League final but win the cup as well," added Frimpong, who joined the Sfax club at the start of the season. Meanwhile, Sfaxien coach Mrad Mahjoub admitted he has one eye on representing Africa at December's World Club Cup in Japan, which victory on Saturday will guarantee. "It's very important for us to be there but we are working step by step," he told BBC Sport. "Actually, we're not thinking about Japan just about this cup. "But if we win the Champions League, we have time to think about Japan and if we do go there, we won't be going only to participate but to do something." SOURCE: BBC Sport
Ghana's Frimpong seeks 'divine' glory
CS Sfaxien's Ghanaian striker Joetex Frimpong is seeking divine intervention in his quest to score in the second leg of the African Champions League final on 11 November in Tunis. Frimpong netted the vital away goal for Sfaxien in Cairo to earn his side a 1-1 draw with reigning champions Ahly of Egypt in the first leg on Sunday. "Every time I play a match I wish to score a goal and God will help me get another one again. I'm expected to score because I'm a striker," he told BBC Sport. The first-leg goal was Frimpong's third in this year's Champions League campaign for Sfaxien. The striker already has two Champions League medals in his collection from his time with Nigerian club Enyimba, who won the titles in 2003 and 2004. He also recognises that the second leg will be tough. "We have a better chance but it's not going to be easy, but we are going to try our best to be victorious," he said. "It is very difficult to get a draw at Ahly, so we performed well." Frimpong also enjoys support from more than just the Sfaxien fans. "Ghana, Nigeria, all of them support me - because I am from Ghana and I stayed in Nigeria, so both countries support me."
SOURCE: BBC Sport
GHANA BREEZE INTO SEMI-FINAL, MALI SHOCKS CONGO DR
Two-times finalists ,Black Queens of Ghana stole a late winner to beat arch-rivals, the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroun 2-1 to join South Africa and Nigeria in the semi-final stage of the 5th African Women Championship in Delta State, Nigeria. Ghatel Ladies star, Anita Amankwa scored perhaps the best goal of the tournament in the 28th minute when she lobbed Cameroun keeper Valentine Nguelle expertly from 25 yards to keep the Queens ahead. The brave Lionesses,finalists at the last edition came into the game in the second half and skipper Bella Francoise did well to draw level on the 52nd minute. Amankwa however restored the lead on the death with a brilliant strike. Black Queens Coach, Isaac Paha said his girls deserved to carry the day. ""We were swifter and we had better technique",he said.The Queens meet DR Congo in the last group match on saturday. Earlier, the Eagles of Mali came from behind to defeat returnees DR Congo 3-2 on wednesday in Oghara Township stadium to stake a claim for one of the groups semi-final tickets. Congo DR, whose last outing in the Championship was in 1998 where they won a bronze medal, were in front on 28th minute when captain Cyrille Zuma received tailored pass ,controlled the ball once before burying it behind a frantic Malian keeper Djeneba Bamba. Eight minutes later, the Malians,beaten 1-0 by Ghana in their opening match, responded brilliantly through Fatoumata Doumbia who hit target with a brilliant left foot shot at the edge of the box for the equaliser.Her compatriot Samake Rokiatu was the architect of that goal for she threatened all afternoon with incisive passes and excellent control. Then halfway into the second stanza, Fatoumata Diarra put the Malians in front on the 69th minute with a well taken drive that gave keeper Nganzale no chance. The Congolese would not lie low and threw in everything to salvage the game. After much pressure,their efforts paid off when Mavuta Maluivudi drew level with four minutes remaining. Just when it seemed it would be honours even, Fatoumata Diarra scored her second of the day on the death to give Mali the maximum points when she ran onto a pass in the Congolese box before rifling home the winner. The victory means Mali's Eagles now boast four points from two matches while DR Congo who drew one-all with Cameroun in their first match, only have a point in their kitty and face a possible elimination as they will confront the Black Queens of Ghana.
There is no escaping Black Stars fever at the moment in Ghana.
For days to come Ghana's qualification for the 2010 world cup on home
soil in Accra will dominate discussions in this football mad-nation.
But the players and coach are already saying it's time to move on and
plan how they can improve on their showing at the World Cup in Germany
in 2006.
The scenes in Accra were nothing compared to those across the country
when the Black Stars reached Germany.
But the crucial 2-0 victory over Sudan was achieved before a passionate
and enthusiastic crowd accompanied by constant drumming, dancing and the
sounds of the now famous vuvuzelas.
That party atmosphere had begun with the news that Benin grabbed a last
gasp goal to ensure a draw against Mali a few minutes before kick-off in
Accra.
So after years of frustration at their inability to reach the biggest
football showpiece event in the world, Ghana is heading there for a
second consecutive time and the country is basking in the glory.
And they have achieved qualification in some style with two games to
spare, winning all four games in the final stage of qualifying without
conceding a single goal. The Black Stars have managed to be efficient
without being spectacular under coach Milovan Rajevac.
"I am very proud because after four games we scored seven goals and
didn't concede any goal," he told BBC Sport, after he had been soaked in
champagne by his players.
"This is my greatest success as a coach and I hope there are going to be
many more."
Ghana's qualification for the 2010 world cup was achieved on the back of
a solid team effort but there is no denying that once again Michael
Essien was the star of the show.
He drove the team forward with his energy in previous games and struck
the second goal against Sudan that raised the noise level at the Ohene
Djan to deafening levels.
The Chelsea star was carried off the pitch on the shoulders of his
team-mates, but was quick to insist the real work starts now.
"We must take it easy because we have a game to play on Wednesday
[against Japan in Holland]," he told BBC Sport.
"But I really feel good because we did a lot of work for this.
"We have been there before so we will go to South Africa with a lot more
experience and not in fear of anyone."
Captain Stephen Appiah was singing a similar tune declaring after the
frenzied celebrations that there is 'no way' the Black Stars will fear
any team in South Africa.
They seem to know that the hard work is yet to come.
CULLED FROM: BBC Sports
Ghana qualify for 2010 World
Cup
Ghana are the first African country to qualify for the 2010 World Cup
finals after a 2-0 win over Sudan in Accra.
Tunisia remain the top team
in Group B as Nigeria fail to overcome the North Africans in Abuja.
Egypt and Cameroon both won
away from home to keep alive their chances of qualifying for the 2010
World Cup.
Cameroon scored two quick
goals to beat Gabon 2-0, in what was their first home defeat of the 2010
qualifiers.
African champions, Egypt
scored in the second half to edge past Rwanda 1-0 in Kigali.
Ivory Coast moved to within
one point of reaching their second successive World Cup with a crushing
5-0 win over visitors Burkina Faso.
The victory does make the
Elephants the first side to qualify for next year's Africa Cup of
Nations in Angola.
Malawi earned their first
points of the final stage of 2010 qualifying with a 2-1 win over
visitors Guinea, but both sides hopes of reaching the World Cup are
over.
The five group winners will
qualify for the World Cup in South Africa while the top three in each
group advance to the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.
Below is a full round-up of
Saturday's results and a look ahead to Sunday's matches.
GROUP A
Cameroon
scored two goals in two minutes to secure a 2-0 win over Gabon in
Libreville.
Achille Emana, who plays for
Spanish second division side Real Betis, scored the opening goal after
66 minutes.
Samuel Eto'o, who is the new
Indomitable Lions captain, made sure of the win moments later.
The goals were Cameroon's
first in the final stage of qualifying and takes them to four points
from three games, two behind Gabon.
The two sides meet again on 9
September in Yaounde.
The game went ahead in
Libreville despite a backdrop of post-election violence in some parts of
Gabon.
Ali Bongo, winner of the
presidential election that triggered the civil unrest, was among the
20,000 crowd in a national stadium named after his late father and
former ruler Omar Bongo.
The match was due to have
been played in June but was postponed because of the funeral of Omar
Bongo.
Moustapha Salifou struck
early in the first half to give Togo a 1-0 lead over Morocco
in Lome.
Togo looked set to claim all
three points and go top of Group A, Adel Taarabt scored in injury time
to earn a 1-1 draw for the Atlas Lions.
The Hawks are second in Group
A with five points, while Morocco remain bottom with three.
GROUP B
Nigeria
suffered a huge blow in their bid to take over the top position in Group
B after a 2-2 stalemate against Tunisia in Abuja.
Peter Odemwingie opened the
scoring for the Supereagles halfway through the first half, but Nabil
Taider struck one at the other end for the North Africans almost
immediately afterwards.
With ten minutes to go, it
seemed victory was within the hosts' grasp when Michael Eneramo scored.
It was the most cruel of
finishes for Nigeria as Oussama Darragi put the ball in the back of the
net with a mere minute to go.
The result leaves Nigeria
second in Group B with seven points.
Tunisia remain top with two
points more.
Mozambique
edged out Kenya 1-0 in Maputo on Sunday to keep alive the Mambas
slim hopes of qualifying for the World Cup.
Tico-Tico scored the only
goal of the game in the 67th minute and that win sees Mozambique
leapfrog over Kenya into third place in the group.
But Mozambique have a tough
game next up in October when they travel to play Nigeria.
----------------------------------------
GROUP C
Reigning African champions
Egypt got their qualifying campaign back on track with a 1-0 win in
Rwanda.
Al Ahly midfielder Ahmed
Hassan, who had come on as a substitute, hammered an Ahmed Fathi pass
into the net on 68 minutes before a near-capacity crowd at the
35,000-seat Amahoro Stadium in the Rwandan capital.
The win gives Egypt seven
points from four matches.
Algeria
remain three points clear of Egypt at the top of Group C after beating
Zambia 1-0 in Blida in the final game of the weekend on Sunday
evening.
Rafik Saifi scored the only
goal of the game in the second half.
GROUP D
Ghana
have qualified for their second successive World Cup
after a 2-0 victory over Sudan in Accra.
The Black Stars reached the
2006 tournament in Germany under Ratomir Dujkovic and another Serb
coach, Milovan Rajevac has repeated the feat.
Ghana knew World Cup
qualification was in their hands when Benin scored an equaliser against
Mali just a few minutes before the kick-off in Accra.
Sulley Muntari's strike early
in the first half put the hosts in the driving seat.
Michael Essien made sure of
the three points and World Cup qualification when he scored just a few
minutes after half-time.
Ghana remain unbeaten in
Group D.
They are top with 12 points,
while Sudan are bottom with just one point.
Mali
looked to have spoilt Ghana's World Cup celebration party when Mamadou
Samassa scored on his debut in the 72nd minute.
Samassa is a former French
youth international who was only cleared to play for Mali three days
ago.
Benin's
Mohammed Aoudou destroyed Mali's hopes of an away victory when he fired
home an equaliser just three minutes from time to earn the hosts a 1-1
draw.
So Mali remains in second
place in Group D with five points, while Benin is third with four.
GROUP E
The Ivory Coast's 5-0
win over Burkina Faso in Abidjan means the Elephants are just one
point away from qualifying for their second successive World Cup.
The comprehensive win does
mean that the Ivory Coast have qualified for the Nations Cup in Angola
next year.
The first goal was an own
goal from the Portugal-based Saidou Panandetiguiri after just 12
minutes.
Captain Didier Drogba scored
twice in the second half with Barcelona's Yaya Toure and Turkey-based
Abdel Kader Keita also finding the target to secure the emphatic win.
Malawi
came from behind to beat visitors Guinea 2-1 to grab their first
points of the final qualifying stage.
Oumar Kalabane scored for the
Syli Nationale in the 37th minute after Malawi failed to deal with a
corner.
Malawi coach Kinnah Phirri
then made what proved to be an inspired substitution at half time
bringing on Chiukepo Msowoya to replace David Banda.
With virtually his first
touch of the ball Msowoya equalised for the Flames just two minutes into
the second half as his low, hard shot beat Kemoko Camara in the Guinea
goal.
Msowoya, who plays his club
football in Mozambique, then headed home the winner from an in-swinging
corner from Joseph Kamwendo in the 58th minute.
Malawi captain Peter Mponda
was happy with the win.
"This is an exciting win as
it shows we are still in contention for Angola," he said.
The results mean that neither
Malawi nor Guinea can qualify for the World Cup but both are still
battling for a place at the Nations Cup.
The Ivory Coast need just a
single point from their last two games to earn a spot at the World Cup.
Burkina Faso's only hope is
for them to win their last two qualifiers and for the Ivory Coast to
lose their last two, even then the Stallions need big wins in order to
overhaul the Elephants huge goal difference of plus 12.
CULLED FROM: BBC Sports
ELEPHANTS LAND IN SOUTH AFRICA 2010
Ivory Coast became the second African nation to qualify for the 2010
World Cup after a second-half strike from Didier Drogba earned them the
point they needed to secure their place in South Africa.
There were also vital wins for Egypt and Cameroon in the penultimate
round of qualifiers, but the biggest celebration no doubt occurred in
Blantyre, where the Elephants drew 1-1 with Malawi.
The west Africans, who now join Ghana at next year's finals, had to
fight hard for their place after being given a scare by their hosts.
Jacob Ngwira opened the scoring for Malawi after 64 minutes, but four
minutes later Ivory Coast were level.
Chelsea striker Drogba, who had been on for just three minutes after
replacing Sekou Cisse, was on hand to finish for the vital point.
The draw ended their 100% winning record, but manager Vahid Halilhodzic
will certainly not be worried after his side moved to an unassailable 13
points in Group E with one game remaining.
Burkina Faso, who play Guinea on Sunday, have six points, three more
than their opponents, while Malawi now have four points.
All three sides remain in contention for a top-three finish, which will
secure a place at the 2010 African Nations Cup in Angola.
Elsewhere, Hosni Abd Rabou was the hero for Egypt scoring the only goal
to help the African champions to a critical 1-0 victory over Zambia in
Chililabombwe.
The winger, who plays for Ahli Dubai, scored after 70 minutes to lift
the Pharaohs to 10 points in Group C, behind Algeria on goal difference.
A defeat for Hassan Shehata's men would have all but ended their
chances, but the three points means that they can now sit back with less
pressure watching their north African rivals take on Rwanda on Sunday.
Even if Algeria win that game, they face a daunting final game against
Egypt in Cairo - a match they will need to at least draw to secure their
passage to the World Cup finals.
In Yaounde, Cameroon left nothing for chance with goals from Geremi
(30), Jean Makoun (48) and Achille Emana (57) securing an emphatic 3-0
win over Togo, whose chances of a second World Cup appearance came to an
end.
However, the Indomitable Lions will have to wait for the final round of
qualifiers to learn their faith after Gabon matched their rivals' three
points with a 3-1 win over Morocco.
A 44th minute own goal from Hicham Mahdoufi set the hosts on their way
in Libreville, before further strikes from substitute Eric Mouloungui
(71) and Daniel Cousin (76) put Gabon three up.
Adel Taarabt (89) grabbed a late consolation, but it was not enough as
the Atlas Lions also saw their dreams of a place at the global showpiece
go up in smoke.
With a game to play, Cameroon lead the way in Group A on 10 points, one
ahead of Gabon (nine), Togo (five) and Morocco (three).
SOURCE: sportinglife.com
Mensah weighs options
WIGAN target John Mensah has given Steve Bruce a boost by revealing he is keen on a move to England. The Rennes defender is a Latics target although they may be put off by the £7million asking price. Ghana international Mensah, 25, insists he is happy in France for now — but admits it would be a dream if, one day, he could play in England. He said: “My family is English speaking and would like to live in England. “Last season I could have left for Reading but I am still here. “For now, I feel fine at Rennes. I appreciate the club and the city.” SOURCE: The Sun
Redknapp is 'a legend now' - Pompey-keeper David James
Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp reflected on his first major honour as a manager, describing victory over Cardiff City at Wembley as a "dream come true". Under slate grey skies in North London, Kanu scored the only goal of the game, capitalising on an error by Peter Enckelman to tap in after the Cardiff goalkeeper had fumbled a John Utaka cross late in the first-half. The victory gave Portsmouth their first FA Cup success since 1939 and means they will play in next season's Uefa Cup. "It's fantastic for everybody - my family, the players, it's great," said Redknapp. "It has been a difficult year off the field so to win the FA Cup is a dream come true. "Cardiff were putting us under pressure, putting balls in the box, they played well and worked hard. "When we get in front we're difficult to break down and the defence were terrific." When asked if Redknapp had instructed his side to target a perceived weakness in Enckelman the Portsmouth manager was initially lost for words before praising the player for his contribution aside from the goal, though it was evident from his reaction that it had been discussed. Asked about the moment that decided the game, Enckelman said: "It was a tough one to deal with. "It just started dropping down and I should maybe have done better but it is one of those things. "The defence could maybe have cleared it, I thought I might try to catch it. It just dropped over." "It just wasn't to be but it's been fantastic. "Look at the fans. We have lost the game but they are still cheering us on." Enckelman's opposite number David James praised his defence's contribution to their successful season, culminating in today's victory. "It was another hard game, a bit scrappy again but we deserved to win," he said. "The lads held tight, we've only conceded one goal in the whole competition and we've been good." Asked about his manager, James said: "Harry's a legend now isn't he? Hats off, well done Harry." Defender Sol Campbell, part of the Pompey defence that withstood some late pressure from the Championship side, said: "It's fantastic, this is a brilliant day for everyone who's connected with Portsmouth. "We worked hard, we had our luck through the rounds but in the end the result was good. "Cardiff played good football, they had good chances but I think the quality came through in the end." In the first-half of an absorbing game Cardiff were at least the equal of their Premier League opponents and despite the defeat were able to leave Wembley with a degree of pride. "A slight mistake cost us, we gave it everything we've got and we've done everyone proud," said manager Dave Jones. "What we have done today is prove that maybe other teams can achieve what they thought was impossible. "I'm very proud of my players, my staff, the chairman, and especially the fans. They have been magnificent and I'm just sad we couldn't see it through to the death for them. "There wasn't a great deal in it, there's no-one to blame, but it's hard to swallow." Asked whether the run to the final should be a springboard for the club to now mount a challenge for promotion to the Premier League, Jones said: "It has to be. We've struggled for two years, no money for the last two years. "We've now got a brand-new stadium, fantastic training facilities and if we don't move on from here, we want shooting." Match-winner Kanu, sporting a cap with 'king' written on it, said: "They call me king. "I have to deliver and hopefully I did. I have to thank God - God made it possible for me to score. "This is the best moment of my life. I started the game and I won the cup for Portsmouth. I have felt nothing like this." Kanu hit the post with an earlier chance, but added: "I kept going, I kept my head down and I scored. "You have to take your chance and that's what I did. Portsmouth is not one of the four big clubs, no-one could believe we were going to do it and we did it." The Nigerian now hopes to extend his stay on the South Coast where his career has been revived under Redknapp. "I hope the fans, Harry, everyone at the club will remember this day and they are going to give me a contract," he said CULLED FROM: Telegraph
Defending champions Egypt won a record sixth Africa Cup of Nations with a fully-deserved victory over Cameroon. The only goal of the game came in the 77th minute when Mohamed Aboutrika pushed home a Mohamed Zidan pass after a mistake by Cameroon's Rigobert Song. The Pharaohs also came close when Hosni Abd Rabou hit the post on 61 minutes and become the first side to win back-to-back titles twice. Cameroon were seeking a fifth title, but rarely troubled the Pharaohs. It was a triumph for Egypt coach Hassan Shehata who becomes only the second coach to win successive trophies and his team had much the better of the first half, creating most of the scoring chances with their speed and mobility. Once again Cameroon based their game on physical power, taking a defensive approach that supplied few openings to lone striker Samuel Eto'o. Aboutrika came close on 13 minutes, with a 35-yard shot that was pushed around the post by Cameroon goalkeeper Carlos Kameni. Two minutes later the Indomitable Lions were forced to make a substitution, with Gilles Binya replacing Alexandre Song, who was carrying an injury from the previous game. Cameroon defender Geremi forced a save from Essam Al-Hadari from a free-kick, but the Pharaohs almost took the lead seconds later. Hadari's clearance found Emad Moteab, whose 15-yard shot was parried brilliantly by Kameni, but into the path of Aboutrika, whose shot was too high. Nine minutes before half-time a ball over the Cameroon defence found Moteab inside the area, Kameni made a fine save from the shot, and it remained goalless. Cameroon came back from the break with purpose, causing the tempo of the match to increase considerably, but Egypt quickly took control of the game again. Kameni had to make two more fine saves, from a close-range Amr Zaki shot, then from Abd-Rabou's 25-yard cracker that he punched away. The Pharaohs continued to pile on pressure, and Abd-Rabou hit the post with a header on 61 minutes. With 13 minutes remaining, Egypt finally got the goal they deserved. Cameroon captain Rigobert Song was punished for untidy defending, losing a tussle with substitute Zidan. Zidan pushed the ball along the edge of the box into the path of Aboutrika, who had a simple finish from 15 yards. As Egypt celebrated, Song covered his face with his shirt, knowing that he should have cleared the ball away. Song headed over the bar in stoppage-time, but there was to be no redemption for the defender, in his seventh Nations Cup. Egypt won the first two editions of the tournament, in 1957 and 1959, but with the competition far more intense now, these victories have far greater significance. Shehata's feat of two Cups in a row matched that of Ghana's CK Gyamfi, who won the tournament in 1963 and 1965. Aboutrika's goal was the 99th of the tournament, which produced more goals than any other Nations Cup. CULLED FROM: BBC Sport
Muntari praises Ghana supporters
Ghana midfielder Sulley Muntari praised his team's fans for the part they played in the 2-1 quarter-final defeat of Nigeria. Supporters of the hosts had been critical of the side in the group stage, but they rallied behind the team after Michael Essien's equaliser. "They helped us a lot, it was fantastic," Muntari told BBC Sport. "You can't describe it, we thank them for coming and cheering us, and we'll try our best not to let them down." Muntari conceded that the road to the final will be harder without captain John Mensah, who is suspended after being red-carded. "It's a big blow but we'll try our best to go in and play without him," he said. "It's too early to say that we're going to win the tournament, but we're on our way. "We have to think about the semi-final first, and we'll be ready for either Tunisia or Cameroon." Ghana coach Claude LeRoy said that he decided to stick with his game plan after the 60th-minute expulsion of Mensah. "We took a risk not to change our formation and bring on a defender after Mensah had been sent off but we wanted to keep attacking," he said. "We wanted to win it." Nigeria coach Berti Vogts would not answer questions concerning his future with the team. "I'm very disappointed, we paid dearly for our mistakes," said Vogts. "But I have a young team, they're not so experienced as Ghana, who were in the last World Cup. "My boys gave 100% today, we lose together, we win together." Super Eagles midfielder Osaze Odemwingie was disappointed with his team. "We know we can play better than we did," he said. "But we just won the Under-17 World Cup, we always have young players coming up, and our football will always be alive." CULLED from: BBC Sport
Nigeria no powerhouse - Odemwingie
Nigeria have to accept they are no longer the soccer powerhouse of Africa, striker Peter Odemwingie said following their exit from the African Nations Cup. Sunday's 2-1 quarter-final defeat by Ghana meant Nigeria failed to reach the last four for the first time in five tournaments. "Football has changed. We are used to being the big team of Africa but the game has changed. We can't afford to underrate anyone any more," he said. The Lokomotiv Moscow striker, who played in all of Nigeria's games in Ghana, said they had lost concentration at vital times in their four matches at the tournament. "We have a good team, we just have to learn to play together, we have to work harder," the 26-year-old said. "We are all disappointed, we could have played much better." Odemwingie said Nigerian soccer still had a bright future despite the setback. "We must not give up. There is always talent coming through in Nigeria, particularly with our young boys, who have done well in amateur competitions," he said. (Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Sonia Oxley)
CULLED FROM: The Guardian
Essien to wear band in absence of Appiah
Michael Essien has been told he must be the inspiration for hosts Ghana when the African Cup of Nations kicks off, Jan. 20. Chelsea's 25-year-old midfield star will be handed the leader's mantle by coach Claude Le Roy when the country comes to a standstill to watch their opening clash with Guinea. Frenchman Le Roy - who will celebrate his 60th birthday in the middle of the tournament and is starting his sixth African finals - has turned to Essien after losing skipper Stephen Appiah with injury. And he said: "It has been a big blow to us to lose a player of Stephen's quality and now we will need the men who have big experience with big clubs to take the responsibility." Essien is one of four Premier League-based players in Ghana's side - along with Portsmouth's Sulley Muntari, West Ham's John Pantsil and goalkeeper Richard Kingson from Birmingham. And Le Roy knows he will live up to his name as The King of Ghana if the hosts are to win the tournament, as Egypt did two years ago. But the Frenchman, who also guided Cameroon to the 1998 World Cup finals, will have to lean heavily on the experience of his four Premier League players as he tries to deal with the weight of expectation. Some 41 English-based players are involved in the competition, 35 of them from Premier League clubs, and every match of this tournament will be screened live on Eurosport. Le Roy, whose ill-fated couple of months as manager of Cambridge sit oddly in a CV that includes spells at AC Milan and Paris St Germain, has taken the team off to Dubai for an 11-day training camp away from the enthusiastic home fans. He said: "I decided I could not allow anything to interfere with our hopes of achieving something, and the players knew that if they were going to succeed they must make sacrifices. "We have had a good time together and have had the chance to work on how we can develop our team, and try to give the people who have been waiting years for this tournament some excitement and rewards."
CULLED FROM: Sunday Mirror
Le Roy targets third win
Ghana coach Claude Le Roy insists his team will go all out for the win when they face Morocco, despite only needing a draw to qualify for the last eight. The Black Stars top group A after recording their second successive win with a 1-0 victory over Namibia. And with only one group game remaining Le Roy knows what his team need to do. "Now we've got Morocco, we only need a draw but we'll play to win," said the Frenchman. "We'll be ready for them on Monday at five o'clock." After Namibia lost heavily to Morocco in their first game, everyone was expecting the hosts to produce a similar result. However, the teams were only separated by a Junior Agogo goal and despite Ghana dominating for large periods of the game, the Brave Warriors had chances to claim a draw. "We may not have played fantastically well but we've still got six points from our first two games," added Le Roy. "I knew Namibia wouldn't lose 5-1 against us like they did in their first match. "They were well organised, compact in defence." Namibia coach Arie Schans said he was proud of his players and was happy with how they responded after that defeat to Morocco. "This was a big difference to our first game when the players appeared nervous," he said. "This time we showed we could play good football. "Now our next goal with a bit of luck will be to pick up three points against Guinea." CULLED from: BBC Sport
Ghana football fever more infectious than ebola
It is hard to walk or drive anywhere in Accra without being coaxed into supporting Ghana's Black Stars at the moment. If you are stuck in one of the capital's maddening traffic jams, the souvenir shop comes to you. Whistles, T-shirts, baseball caps, plastic horns are all thrust in your face. Stick on flags are planted on car windows and in an attempt to win you over, the hawker pulls an expression which says: "Now you're in a REAL car." For around $5 there are even red, gold and green wigs for those who fancy a change on top. But smokers beware. Nylon wigs and cigarettes are a bad mix. And there is little point in asking: "I like it but do you have it in blue?" Over the past few months as questions were asked about the speed of preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations, many here have told me: "Don't worry. In Ghana we like to do things at the last minute. "We will be ready." Toilet trouble And sure enough the new stadia are all in place and the grass is green. But one hotel owner was just a shade too laid back. When the guests from London arrived with their suitcases looking forward to a good sleep, the manager had to explain that the hotel was not yet entirely built. The toilets were... invisible. Perhaps someone had borrowed a design from the France '98 World Cup and opted for the Parisian hole in the floor style. But then there were also no beds. Ghana has had plenty of practice at hosting recently. Last year there were 50th anniversary celebrations of Ghana's independence and then the African Union summit. Hotels mushroomed (although Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi still opted for his tent) and prices soared. But there is still a mad scramble for accommodation and some families have moved out of their own homes and doubled up at friends' houses in order to collect a tidy $250 a night for a three-bed house. $5,000 for three weeks in a strange bed is not bad. Spiritual training Ghanaians have massive expectations of their team. These are the fans who were convinced Brazil would be a pushover in the last World Cup. The Black Stars lost that game but I am not sure the referee would have received too many hugs if he had chosen Ghana for a beach holiday. In addition to the players' physical preparation for the tournament, the fans are playing their part with spiritual training. Last weekend special prayer sessions were held for Ghana's team in various churches around Accra and pastors in sharp suits screwed up their eyes and waved their arms as they shouted out: "Jesus help our Black Stars lift this Cup. Oh Lord when our defence is stretched let the linesman's flag be raised high. Halleluiah! Amen." "I'm not a football fan but Ghanaians are well versed when it comes to prayers, so obviously everybody should go to church and pray," says journalist Mildred Ataa. One church on Accra 's Spintex Road has invited the entire congregation to stay behind after Sunday's service to watch the opening game against Guinea on giant screens and see if their prayers come true. Turf war It will certainly be easier to watch at the church than at the stadium, as tickets are as rare as snowflakes in Tamale. In Accra, $4 tickets are being sold for as much as $120 on the black market but many are wondering where the tickets have all gone. "The point is the tickets came in secretly and were sold secretly. So what do we do?" asked sports enthusiast Benjamin Tewiah. Down the coast in Takoradi there are reports of a looming turf war between the prostitutes. The Ghanaian women of the night (and day) have sent out the first salvo, warning their Nigerian and Ivorian competitors to stay away. In Accra, the prostitutes have apparently hiked their prices to new special tournament rates. Why? The need to buy new dresses and shoes was the official excuse given. Meanwhile, the Ghana Aids Commission has said it would provide free condoms at hotels but an official has warned: "That should not entice our women to flock the hotels looking for customers". Football fever is here and it is more infectious than Ebola. CULLED from: BBC Sport
Ghana 2008 Nations Cup pundit predictions
The 26th Africa Cup of Nations takes place in Ghana from Sunday 20 January to Sunday 10 February. The tournament is expected to produce plenty of quality football on the pitch as well plenty of atmosphere and colour off it. Our BBC team of Nations Cup experts explain what they expect to happen during the tournament and why they are looking forward to it. Marcel Desailly: Who are your favourites to win the tournament? Ivory Coast has potentially the best team. They impressed a lot of people at the World Cup in Germany in 2006. They are the most complete team - they have a top striker in Didier Drogba but also good defenders and midfielders. Are there any surprise packages to look out for? I do not think this will be a tournament for surprises but I am hoping for some. I think that Angola have the players to do something special while Tunisia are a team with the technical capacity to do well. They are coached by former France boss Roger Lemerre, with whom I won Euro 2000. Which players should we keep an eye on? Things have changed - 10 years ago we might have discovered a player and thought 'who is he, where is he playing, I would like to buy him at a cheap price'. We know all the star players now and that they are playing in top leagues. For example, there is only one player in the Indomitable Lions squad who plays his domestic football in Cameroon. What are you most looking forward to about the tournament? This is the first time I have covered the Africa Cup of Nations as a journalist and I am looking forward to ensuring the watching viewers know just exciting it is.
Efan Ekoku: Former Nigeria international Who are your favourites to win the tournament? If Ghana do not get to the last four it will be a catastrophe and they certainly have a team to go all the way. They are my favourites along with the Ivory Coast. Are there any surprise packages to look out for? I'd rule out any of the north African nations as I do not think they travel particularly well. If Mali can produce a massive performance against either Nigeria or Ivory Coast and sneak through from their group then I think they could go a long way. Which players should we keep an eye on? The stars will be the players who have already made their name in the European leagues. However, a couple of players to keep an eye on and who might not be so familiar to British fans are Ivory Coast duo Bakary Kone and Aruna Dindane.
Leroy Rosenior Former Sierra Leone international: What are you most looking forward to about the tournament? I am waiting to be surprised by what happens. Who are your favourites to win the tournament? If I had to put some money on it then I would say Nigeria. Are there any surprise packages to look out for? I think that there will be three or four dark horses. A lot of people have talked about Guinea but I would go for Mali. Which players should we keep an eye on? There is going to be someone who few people know about who is going to become a superstar. We know about the likes of Michael Essien and Didier Drogba but if they are not quite fit then someone will come out of the pack, perhaps somebody from the likes of Guinea or Benin. What are you most looking forward to about the tournament? What makes this tournament exciting and unique, more exciting that the European tournament, is that it is like a show, it will be an event that will make you smile.
Mark Bright BBC Sport pundit ? Ghana, as the host nation, have a good chance but for me the team that should have won it two years ago are Ivory Coast. They are organised, they play the best football and were unlucky last time. Are there any surprise packages to look out for? There are quite a few strong nations at the tournament. Senegal, Nigeria, Guinea, Tunisia - they all play some great football. The list could go on. Which players should we keep an eye on? The names you recognise are the people who will be the stars. What are you most looking forward to about the tournament? The atmosphere will be fantastic. In Egypt last time there was chaos and confusion but there was an incredible passion and it was a very real tournament. Farayi Mungazi BBC World Service presenter: Who are your favourites to win the tournament? Ivory Coast - they have the most experienced and balanced team. At least, that is, on paper. I do not think Ghana will be able to handle the pressure of being the host nation. Are there any surprise packages to look out for? Keep an eye out for Mali. They are in a very difficult group with Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Benin but I think that they will go a long way if they qualify from their group, which I think they will. Which players should we keep an eye on? One player to watch is Ivory Coast's Yaya Toure. He is the brother of Arsenal defender Kolo and a very solid player. Yaya is a better player than his brother and part of the reason why I think the Ivory Coast will do so well. Another to keep an eye out for is Egypt's Mohamed Aboutrika. He is a very good attacking player. What are you most looking forward to about the tournament? I'm looking forward to seeing some good football, great goals and hopefully the Ivorians going one better than last time, when they lost in the final.
Jake Humphrey BBC presenter: Who are your favourites to win the tournament? I cannot look past home nation Ghana but I think that the absence of Stephen Appiah is a big loss. My second favourites are Nigeria. I think Berti Vogts and Steffen Freund will have them well organised. Are there any surprise packages to look out for? Perhaps Benin given the excitement that surrounds them qualifying for the tournament. They will not win it but it would be great if they could give a good account of themselves. Which players should we keep an eye on? I'm looking forward to seeing Ivory Coast midfielder Emerse Fae. Reading paid £2.5m for him in August but he has hardly played for them. I'd like to see him do well. What are you most looking forward to about the tournament? The razzmatazz, the excitement and the buzz. I think the tournament will be unreal in terms of atmosphere.
Simon Brotherton BBC commentator: Who are your favourites to win the tournament? Host nations always seem to do well and I think it will be the same here. If Ghana had a Samuel Eto'o or a Didier Drogba up front then I would fancy them strongly. Ivory Coast would be my other pick. If they can deal with the loss of coach Ulrich Stielike they have a very good chance. Are there any surprise packages to look out for? I don't think we will see surprises in terms of lifting the trophy. I think we have gone beyond that, but we might see the equivalent of Ireland at the cricket World Cup, who caused a major surprise by beating Pakistan. Which players should we keep an eye on? Compared with previous tournaments I think there is less chance of seeing someone come through from nowhere. What are you most looking forward to about the tournament? There is a real sense of adventure about covering the tournament that you simply do not have with the Premier League. After returning to England in 2006 I really missed the rhythmic music that is constantly played in the games in Africa. CULLED from: BBC Sport
Ghana drop Amoah
Hosts Ghana have released their final 23-man squad for the African Nations Cup, leaving out Germany-based striker Matthew Amoah but featuring injured midfielder Laryea Kingston. The team, currently preparing for the tournament in Abu Dhabi, are expected to arrive in Ghana on Jan. 15, ahead of their opening match with Guinea five days later. Squad: Goalkeepers: Richard Kingson (Birmingham City), Sammy Adjei (Ashdod), Fatau Dauda (Ashantigold) Defenders: John Mensah (Stade Rennes); John Paintsil (West Ham United), Nana Kwasi Asare (FC Mechelen), Alhassan Illiasu (FC Saturn), Harrison Afful (Asante Kotoko), Hans Adu Sarpei (Bayern Leverkusen) Midfielders: Anthony Annan (IK Start), Eric Addo (PSV Eindhoven), Michael Essien (Chelsea), Bernard Kumodzi (Panionios FC), Laryea Kingston (Hearts), Haminu Draman (Lokomotiv Moscow), Sulley Muntari (Portsmouth), Andre Ayew (Olympique Marseille), Ahmed Barruso (AS Roma) Strikers: Asamoah Gyan (Udinese), Baffuor Gyan (FC Saturn), Junior Agogo (Nottingham Forest), Quincy Owusu-Abeyie (Celta Vigo), Kwadwo Asamoah (Liberty Professionals).
CULLED FROM: The Guardian
Grant warns of rethink over African players
Top clubs will have to rethink their policy of signing African players if the Nations Cup continues to be staged in January, according to Chelsea manager Avram Grant. Grant has lost four players to the African Nations Cup which runs from Jan. 20 to Feb. 10, with strikers Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou set to represent Ivory Coast, Michael Essien playing for Ghana and Nigeria fielding fellow midfielder John Obi Mikel. "I think we need to think about it (signing Africans) again," the Israeli coach told reporters on Friday. "Especially big clubs that want titles. "If they miss players for six or eight games it's a big loss. I was a visitor to the last African Nations Cup finals and I saw many good players who could play in Europe. "But when you sign players and you don't see them for several games, you need to think if you should sign four players or just two. I respect the African Nations Cup, but I think they need to find another date or do something else."
CULLED FROM: The Guardian
African exodus leaves English clubs short
As 40 African players have left their Premier League clubs for the African Cup of Nations, starting January 20, in Ghana, over a three-week period, English clubs feel the pinch, leaving them short of dividends. The Premier League's dressing rooms became quieter places this week after almost 40 players left their clubs for Ghana and the African Cup of Nations, a tournament that ignites national pride but also sparks despair in managers who find themselves short of players. David Moyes and Sam Allardyce have led the now common calls for the competition, which kicks off on January 20, to be moved to the summer. Their protests are not surprising: between them, Everton and Newcastle will lose seven players this month. The Nigerian Football Association gave Yakubu Ayegbeni permission to play in Everton's Carling Cup semi-final tie at Chelsea but there was no such dispensation for Steven Pienaar who was told by South Africa to ignore his club manager's demands and join up with the squad immediately. Moyes's desire to keep players for as long as possible is born out of past experiences; he knows the effect a new year exodus can have. In January 2004, he lost Joseph Yobo to the African Cup of Nations in Tunisia. The Nigerian was a regular in Everton's defence and without him the side lost four league games, including a 4-3 reverse to Manchester United and a 3-0 loss to Birmingham. Everton had only conceded three or more goals in three of their 29 previous matches that season, without Yobo, they did it twice in five days. Yobo's return stabilised a side that was close to being relegated, they lost just once in their next nine games, kept three clean sheets and managed to stay in the division by just six points. Had the African Cup of Nations been longer, or Nigeria progressed further than the semi-finals, Everton could now be in the Championship. Allardyce's despair is also based on past experiences. As the manager of Bolton, he lost four players to the 2006 tournament, held in Egypt, including El Hadji Diouf. The Senegal forward's departure coincided with the club's Uefa Cup tie at home to Marseille. They drew 0-0 before losing the second leg 2-1, a result that ended their first European campaign. Diouf also aggravated a hernia in Egypt, which meant he could not play again until late April. Bolton failed to qualify for Europe that season by seven points. Diouf could have been an important source of goals then and could be even more so now should the club, as expected, sell Nicolas Anelka to Chelsea. But Diouf will be on international duty again and Senegal's gain could prove to be Bolton's ruin. They are only three points off the relegation zone and the loss of two regular strikers this month could see them slide into the bottom three. "The African Cup of Nations is never going to move. It makes life difficult for Premier League clubs because more teams are taking more players from Africa," Allardyce said last week. "I don't think Fifa will contemplate shifting the tournament because it is such a big thing for the African boys and it's when they want it." The African Cup of Nations, being held for the 26th time this year, is held in January through necessity. Most grounds in the continent do not have floodlights meaning matches have to be played during the day, impossible during the searing heat of June and July across much of the continent. There is an obvious retort to managers who complain about scheduling: stop buying African players. According to a Uefa survey, 204 African players were playing in Europe in 2006, 24 in England. That figure surged to 40 last year and the success of the likes of Didier Drogba at Chelsea and Kolo Touré at Arsenal will only see more arrive. As Joe Jordan, Ports- mouth's assistant manager, said as his club lost four players to this year's Cup of Nations, "We're signing players from Africa because of their ability and that outweighs the handicap of losing them for a few weeks." The African Cup of Nations' effect on the Premier League title race has been negligible and this is perhaps why Arsène Wenger remains calm despite Arsenal regularly seeing a January exodus. The Gunners lost two players, Nwankwo Kanu and Lauren, in 2002 yet still won the championship, beating Liverpool, who lost no one, into second place. Arsenal's invincibles then stormed to the title in 2004 despite losing Kanu again. Touré and Emmanuel Eboué missed matches at the start of 2006 but so did Drogba and Chelsea still won their second consecutive title. "I consider the players who go away to be injured," Wenger said. "The day they return, they are no longer injured and I put them back in my team." The price of going Rigobert Song's departure to the African Cup of Nations in 2000, which was co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria, was the start of the end of his Liverpool career. The Cameroon captain competed with Sami Hyypia for a place in the centre of defence before the tournament but played only four more times in the league that season after he returned. He lost his place to Stéphane Henchoz, who went on to form a formidable partnership with Hyypia over the next few seasons. Frédéric Kanouté's participation in the 2004 African Cup of Nations gave Jermain Defoe the chance to establish himself in the Tottenham side. Defoe scored four goals in three games while Kanouté was away and Kanouté lost his place as a regular and joined Sevilla in May 2005, still angry that Spurs had tried to stop him competing in the tournament. The former France Under-21 international had registered with Mali just beforehand, which went down badly with club officials. Ghana bound Arsenal Kolo Touré and Emmanuel Eboué (Ivory Coast), Alexandre Song (Cameroon) Birmingham Richard Kingson (Ghana), Mehdi Nafti and Radhi Jaidi (Tunisia) Blackburn Aaron Mokoena (South Africa) Bolton El Hadji Diouf (Senegal), Abdoulaye Méïté (Ivory Coast) Chelsea Mikel John Obi (Nigeria), Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou (Ivory Coast), Michael Essien (Ghana) Everton Joseph Yobo and Yakubu Ayegbeni (Nigeria), Steven Pienaar (South Africa) Liverpool Nabil El Zhar (Morocco), Mohamed Sissoko (Mali) Middlesbrough Mohamed Shawky (Egypt) Newcastle Obafemi Martins (Nigeria), Geremi (Cameroon), Abdoulaye Faye and Habib Beye (Senegal) Portsmouth Pape Bouba Diop (Senegal), Nwankwo Kanu and John Utaka (Nigeria), Sulley Muntari (Ghana) Reading André Bikey (Cameroon), Emerse Faé (Ivory Coast), Ibrahima Sonko (Senegal) Sunderland Dickson Etuhu (Nigeria) Tottenham Didier Zokora (Ivory Coast) West Ham John Pantsil (Ghana), Henri Camara (Senegal) Wigan Salomon Olembe (Cameroon), Julius Aghahowa (Nigeria)
CULLED FROM: The Guardian
Ghana call up Owusu-Abeyie
Ghana coach Claude Le Roy has named the former Dutch under-20 international Quincy Owusu-Abeyie in his preliminary squad for the Nations Cup. The youngster has applied to Fifa for a change of nationality, but the move has not yet been confirmed by football's world governing body. Owusu-Abeiye started his career at Arsenal and then moved to Spartak Moscow. He has been on loan at Celta Vigo in Spain since September. He is one of 40 players named by Le Roy in the initial line up for the hosts. The French coach has picked 11 uncapped players, including English-born Gillingham striker Chris Dickson. Dickson, who has Ghanaian and Jamaican heritage, caught the eye of Leroy with his seven goals in England's League One (third division) this season, on loan from Charlton Athletic. The squad will be cut down to the regulation 23 by January 10th. Ghana kick off the tournament against Guinea in Accra on January 20th. They also meet Namibia and Morocco. SOURCE: BBC Sport
Ghana hosts mini tournament
Ghana host Togo, the United Arab Emirates and Benin in a mini-football tournament this weekend. According to officials, the four-nation tournament is to test Ghana's readiness to host football's Africa Cup of Nations in January. "This is a test run for us to see whether we are ready," Paa Kwesi Plange, spokesman for the CAN 2008 Local Organising Committee, said. "We have co-ordinators for accommodation, protocol, transportation, media, marketing and all. "So at all these levels we are engaging all our co-ordinators as part of arrangements for the main tournament in January." The tournament begins on Saturday, with a match between Benin and the United Arab Emirates. On Sunday, Ghana take on Togo. The winners of these two fixtures will meet in the final on 21 November to determine the winner of the tournament. The Ghana Football Association (GFA) is spending about one million dollars to stage the four-nation tournament and hopes it will provide a good platform to further prepare the national team for the CAN 2008. "At least we are going to get our objective of getting the boys to play two strong matches within a period of four or five days. That for us means a lot," said Fred Pappoe, the GFA Vice President. "These boys haven't played in Accra for about two years. "Some of them haven't played in Accra at all and we wouldn't want to wait until January for them to be introduced to the city on a very electric competitive platform." Togo are playing in this weekend's tournament as the replacement for Sudan, who were originally billed to participate but withdrew a couple of weeks before it was due to start. This weekend's tournament takes place at the Ohene Gyan Sports Stadium in Accra. Built in the 1951, the stadium has been specially renovated for the tournament in January. In addition two new stadia have been built in Sekondi in the west and Tamale in the north.
CULLED from: BBC Sport
Ghana’s Olympic fate hangs in balance
Ghana and Nigeria both failed to secure a place at next year's Olympic Games, when they drew 0-0 in Accra on Friday. Nigeria have the chance to overhaul the Black Meteors at the top of the table in their final group game next year. But Ghana have no more matches to play. They top the table in pool A by two points. So, if Nigeria beat South Africa in March, they will pip Ghana at the top of the table and go to the Olympics. But a draw or a defeat for the Nigerians will see Ghana claim the pool A ticket. Ghana had put out a star-studded team in a bid to secure qualification. Asamoah Gyan - who also plays for the Black Stars - was drafted in to the side. But he and the rest of the team missed several chances to secure victory in front of their home crowd.
SOURCE: BBC Sports
Tettey shrugs off Turkey nerves
Alexander Tettey is confident he can handle the occasion as second-placed Norway face Turkey and Malta in their remaining UEFA EURO 2008™ Group C qualifiers. One cap Inexperienced on the international stage, having won his first and only cap in August's friendly victory against Argentina, the 21-year-old Rosenborg BK midfielder has been called up by coach Åge Hareide to replace the injured Martin Andresen. However, despite the magnitude of Saturday's visit of third-placed Turkey, Ghanaian-born Tettey refuses to be overawed having experienced UEFA Champions League football already this season, starring in back-to-back wins against Valencia CF. "I stopped being nervous when I was 16," he said. "I feel I have the qualities to do well at this level." Norway 'benefit' "I have no doubt that Alexander and Per Ciljan Skjelbred have grown in stature from these big matches," said Hareide as he reflected on two of the Rosenborg youngsters he hopes will boost his side's finals hopes. "Norway will also benefit from the experience they get from playing and doing well among Europe's élite clubs." Norway are two points clear of Turkey having taken 13 points from their last five qualifiers, and require four more from their final two matches to be certain of a place at next summer's tournament. CULLED from: UEFA.com
Buabeng seals Dundee win
Dundee United picked up all three points against a poor Kilmarnock at Tannadice to remain undefeated at home. Noel Hunt opened the scoring after just eight minutes, latching on to a Darren Dods flick-on before driving home. In a pulsating last 10 minutes, Hunt missed a penalty after Prince Buaben was tripped by Ryan O'Leary, then Buaben sealed it in the last minute. Jordan Robertson was sent off trying to retrieve the ball from Alan Combe as United were awarded their penalty. Dundee United had to make do without the suspended Lee Wilkie and skipper Barry Robson after their Pittodrie red cards last time out, Willo Flood was also dropped to the bench. In came Gary Kenneth, Mark Kerr and Jon Daly who was making his first start in six months after rupturing his cruciate ligament. For Killie, Craig Bryson and Ian Flannigan came in for the benched Willie Gibson and Jamie Hamill from the side beaten by Celtic last weekend. The home side were keen to get back on the winning trail following their defeat to Aberdeen and they went in front after just eight minutes. Kenneth's throw was flicked into the path of Noel Hunt by Darren Dods and Hunt took a touch before driving the ball passed former United keeper Alan Combe. Hunt - called into the Republic of Ireland B squad for the friendly with Scotland's B team - scoring his eighth goal of the season. Prince Buaben then saw a shot was well saved by Combe before Jordan Robertson somehow contrived to clip the rebound over the bar when it looked easier to score. A Sean Dillon corner then found Darren Dods in the six yard box but his downward header bounced over. Combe and Colin Nish took knocks but recovered as the Ayrshire men somehow made it to half-time just one behind. Jim Jefferies refrained from changing things at the break and his side began brighter as the match got back underway but a cutting edge was still lacking. Combe was forced back into action as he parried a Hunt free-kick before Robertson saw a shot blocked by Simon Ford. Killie then changed things with Gary Locke, Rhian Dodds and Gibson entering the fray. The longer the game went on the deeper United defended and the more encouraged Killie became. Rhian Dodds' 20 yard strike flew just wide seconds after Szamotulski - still having not conceded at home this season - denied Gary Wales with another magnificent stop. With just four minutes to go, United had the chance to seal the points as Buaben was taken down by O'Leary in the box. Jordan Robertson - in trying to retrieve the ball from Combe - appeared to go head to head with the goalkeeper and received a straight red card. It was United's third ordering off in two matches, their seventh of the season. Hunt stepped up but somehow, Combe produced a sublime save to keep the spot-kick out, at the expense of a corner. The game was over as a contest as the match went into injury time when Buaben slammed home from Hunt's cross.
SOURCE: BBC Sport
Junior Agogo inspires Forest to win
The beautiful game failed to flourish at Huish Park, but two elegantly-executed goals helped Nottingham Forest confine the misery of last season's play-off defeat by Yeovil to the sunken subconscious of their supporters' minds. For visiting manager Colin Calderwood, Saturday's outcome generated fuel to power Forest's promotion fight. "The momentum that we now have will give us a psychological advantage over other teams in the division," he said. Despite the colloquial cauldron-like atmosphere bubbling through the ground, Forest resisted a shaky start as the first half passed by without cause for either side's attack to celebrate. Junior Agogo, whose yo-yoing, box-to-box movement and searing pace exposed weaknesses in the Yeovil rearguard, scored what may turn out to be Forest's goal of the season in the second half. After charging down a clearance, the Ghanaian sent a soaring, swooping 40-yard effort over Yeovil goalkeeper Romain Larrieu and in under the bar. Defender Luke Chambers had powerfully headed Forest in front earlier. Any hopes of a Yeovil comeback ended when, with six minutes to go, Kris Commons delicately dinked the ball over Larrieu for Forest's third. Events might have been different. Yeovil's Paul Warne went close with a rasping shot before the break and a Marcus Stewart half-volley required a decent save from Forest keeper Paul Smith. But captain and centre-back Terry Skiverton limped off injured as the interval approached, a loss that softened the centre of Yeovil's defence. SOURCE: Telegraph
Kingston ruffles Ghana’s feathers
Laryea Kingston is hoping to delay joining Ghana's Africa Cup of Nations preparations to help Hearts' Scottish Premier League challenge. The midfielder is in negotiations with his national association. And he told Hearts' website: "I am still talking to my national manager to see if he will allow me to stay a bit longer so I can play more Hearts games. "The tournament will take about a month and the squad is supposed to meet up two or three weeks prior to the start." The tournament is scheduled to start on 20 January. "But I have asked if I can maybe join up four or five days before the beginning," said Kingston. "Seven weeks is a long time to be away. "Playing competitively for Hearts will be much better than being at a training camp with my country and hopefully they will understand that. "The manager wants us all to be together as early as possible, but I think it will be better to stay with Hearts." SOURCE: BBC Sport
Kingston released from hospital
Birmingham goalkeeper Richard Kingston has been released from hospital a day after a head-injury scare. The Ghana international was stretchered off when he collided with a goal post during his side's 3-0 League Cup loss to Blackburn Rovers. But the 29-year-old says he is now ready to return: "I feel fully fit and the doctors think the same." "I thank God I have been released from hospital and I now plan to return to training with my team," Kingston said. "I didn't know what had happened until I regained consciousness in the hospital and thankfully I didn't have any cuts whatsoever." Despite the accident, Kingston says he is not afraid to make daring saves in future. 'Brave saves' "I will not unnecessarily endanger my life but I will go for the ball with the same hunger as I did before. "That's the nature of my job," he said. "I want to defend Birmingham to make sure we win all matches so this accident won't prevent me from making the brave saves." Birmingham manager Steve Bruce was relieved to have his player given the all-clear. "He was a little dazed and confused but that is understandable. "But he has now had all the relevant tests as a precaution and I'm relieved to say he is absolutely fine."
SOURCE: BBC Sport
Hearts' morale picking up – Kingston
Hearts midfielder Laryea Kingston believes a new-found team spirit could see his side challenge for the Scottish Premier League title this season. The 26-year-old Ghana international had previously stated morale at the Edinburgh club was poor. But Kingston believes the team have rallied since defeats early in the season and are now a tighter unit. "From the beginning the team spirit was low, but now it has improved a lot and that is very important to us," he said. "The most important thing is the players have to be happy with each other all the time. "Sometimes we have to go out and eat together - that brings team spirit. "We need to share jokes in the dressing room, on the pitch and on the training ground - I think now it happens a lot. "When I was at Lokomotiv Moscow, we would normally be together after every game. "We would have a players' lunch after every game, you would sit down with your family and drink and eat something together." Kingston's influence from the middle of the park will be crucial if Hearts are to bridge an already large 10-point gap to league leaders Rangers. But he is convinced time is on Hearts' side, ahead of Sunday's trip to St Mirren. He added: "We still have lots of games until the end of the season and the squad we have now is quite a good squad. "Everyone is working hard, it's quite unfortunate we didn't start well in the season. "But we still have hope that we can catch up on those at the top."
SOURCE: BBC Sport
Kingston suffers neck scare
Birmingham keeper Richard Kingston was carried off in a neck brace after six minutes of treatment at Ewood Park. Blackburn defender Chris Samba, who was carried off unconscious after catching Andriy Shevchenko's flailing boot full in the face at Stamford Bridge, recently, was the one looking on anxiously this time after challenging Kingston for a David Bentley free kick and seeing the 29-year-old smash into the far post as he followed the flight of the ball out of play. Kingston was left flat on his back, inside his goal, but appeared to have recovered as he was being helped to his feet by Birmingham's physio. But worried medical staff dashed from the dugout after he suddenly collapsed, and he needed lengthy treatment before eventually being taken off. Kingston was taken to hospital for tests, though Birmingham officials later said it was a precautionary measure. After squandering more chances, Blackburn finally went ahead with an unstoppable 25-yard drive from Bentley in the 66th minute. Then Matt Derbyshire was hauled down by Rafael Schmitz in the box and converted the spot-kick, and victory was sealed with a 90th-minute header from Roque Santa Cruz. Birmingham manager Steve Bruce had changed his entire starting XI following Saturday's goalless draw at Anfield, and soon saw his makeshift side put under intense pressure by a far more recognisable Blackburn line-up. Kingston had already seen a David Bentley free-kick curl just wide when he was bailed out by a goalline clearance by former Blackburn favourite Damien Johnson from Derbyshire's fifth-minute header. Birmingham hardly helped themselves with a shambolic piece of defending that almost handed Blackburn a breakthrough. Radhi Jaidi made a complete hash of a low cross from Derbyshire, swinging his boot wildly at it and slicing it behind him, where it struck Jason Roberts on the chest and flew towards the top corner. It took a spectacular reflex stop from Kingson to save Jaidi's embarrassment. Kingston was the one owing a debt of gratitude in the 14th minute after Brett Emerton's through ball sent Derbyshire scampering clear down the right. The England Under 21 striker lifted an angled shot over the advancing Ghana keeper, only for Stuart Parnaby to pop up with a saving header on the line. Birmingham finally fashioned an opening in the 29th minute as Gary O'Connor took the ball off Mikael Forssell's toes, after darting run by the former Chelsea striker, and hit a low shot that forced a full-length save from Brad Friedel. SOURCE: Daily Mail
Starlets miss the bronze
A stoppage-time goal condemned Ghana’s hopes of winning the bronze medal at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup as Germany went on win 2-1 in the third place match. Unlike the slow start that characterized Ghana’s approach to the Group F game against the Germans on August 23, the Black Starlets dominated the early minutes of exchanges holding onto 60 percent of possession until the Germans took the lead. A 17th minute freekick curled in by Toni Kroos from 25 yards out far from the reach of Ghana goalkeeper, Joseph Addo put the Germans in the lead. And the goal swung the game in the favour of the Germans as Ghana appeared stifled. Several attempts by the Black Starlets to break through German defence failed as Ghana’s two attackers, Ransford Osei and Kelvin Bossman could not receive supplies from the middle. The first half ended with the Germans being the better of the two sides. Ghana returned from recess without Kelvin Bossman, whose place was taken by Isaac Donkor. The Black Starlets bench made another substitution, bringing on Naza Alhassan for the injured Enoch Adu. Both second half changes really benefited Ghana as the Germans were pinned to their area. Ghana piled on the pressure as the Germans were caught up in the tense moment of clearing their lines. However, Ghana could not be denied a well deserved equalizer which came on the 67th minute through a header by Ransford Osei from an Abeiku Quansah cross. Ghana played out the Germans but failed to double their lead as Francis Mpong came on for Tetteh Nortey. Then seconds into injury time, Ghana lost the plot when a stoppage-time goal from Alexander Esswein won the Germans bronze. Esswein was sent off seconds after his stunner for two bookable offences. CULLED FROM: ghanafa.org
OWUSU SINKS SWINDON
Lloyd Owusu's fourth goal of the season 13 minutes from time helped high-flying Yeovil sneak a 1-0 win that ended Swindon unbeaten league start. Owusu won the game with a bullet header from on-loan Manchester United midfielder Ritchie Jones's corner as last season's beaten play-off finalists held on to earn a third win in four games. Yeovil's former Swindon goalkeeper Steve Mildenhall also produced a fine performances as the Glovers survived an onslaught from the home team. Mildenhall produced a stunning 39th-minute save to turn Christian Roberts' left-foot curler past the post. Veteran defender Jamie Vincent was unlucky not to open the scoring soon after when he snicked Mildenhall's right-hand post with a 30-yard drive but it was left to Owusu to break the deadlock. Substitute Jon-Paul McGovern could have earned Swindon a point seven minutes from time when he raced onto Sofiane Zaaboub's pull back only to blaze over from 12 yards. McGovern gave Yeovil another fright in the dying seconds when he shot across the face of Mildenhall's goal. SOURCE: sportinglife.com
Ghana edge closer to Olympics
Ghana struck three superb goals to defeat South Africa 3-1 on Saturday to close in on a place at the 2008 Olympics Games. UAE-based striker Prince Tagoe scored with his right and left foot inside eight minutes during the first half to give the visitors a two-goal half-time advantage. And Obed Ansah added a third goal five minutes from full-time before Lance Davids reduced arrears for the home side South Africa, who were held at home by Nigeria in their previous Group A outing, are all but mathematically out of contention. Ghana entertain South Africa in October and Nigeria the following month and two home victories will clinch first place and a second consecutive appearance at the quadrennial under-23 tournament for the west Africans. Tagoe, who scored in an away loss to Nigeria last June, showed wasteful South Africa how its done after 26 minutes by dashing down the middle and blasting a close-range shot over goalkeeper Ithumeleng Khune. Davids and Lerato Chabangu squandered chances to equalise before Tagoe struck again, sprinting into space and volleying the ball across Khune into the far corner. South Africa failed to expose the discomfort of Ghana goalkeeper Eric Baah with crosses during the second half and Ansah unleashed a 'rocket' to put the result beyond doubt before Sweden-based Davids netted from close range. SOURCE: BBC Sport
Ghana suffers heartbreak-loss
Ghana suffered a painful semi-final defeat to Spain at the under-17 World Cup in South Korea on Wednesday. The game was tied at 1-1 after 90 minutes, and with a penalty shoot-out looming, Spain scored with four minutes of extra-time remaining for a 2-1 victory. Sadick Adams had pulled the Black Starlets level in the 80th minute, after Daniel Aquino had given Spain the lead on 67 minutes. But Bojan scored in the 116th minute, and Ghana were unable to respond. The game was a hard-fought and evenly-balanced affair. Two-time winners of the tournament, Ghana had knocked Brazil out in the second round of the competition. Africa's hopes now rest on Nigeria, who play Germany on Thursday in the other semi-final match. SOURCE: BBC Sport
Ghana, Saudi Arabia game confirmed
Ghana will play Asian Cup runners-up Saudi Arabia in a friendly match on 11 September. Confirming the fixture, the Asian Football Confederation said that the game will take place in Riyadh. Saudi coach Helio dos Anjos has recalled most of the squad that reached the final of the Asian Cup in July, where they lost 1-0 to Iraq. Ghana will also continue their preparations for their hosting of the 2008 Nations Cup by playing Morocco on Saturday in the French town of Rouen.
SOURCE: BBC Sport
Riga confirms English intent
Ghana international Riga Mustapha has admitted he would like to move to England after a number of Premiership clubs showed an interest in him. Mustapha, 25, has impressed hugely for Levante since moving to Spain in 2005. The winger began his career in Holland before his switch to La Liga and his displays for Levante have seen him attract a great deal of interest from abroad - particularly England. Manchester City, Wigan, West Ham, Portsmouth and Middlesbrough were all believed to have been in attendance on Sunday at Racing Santander when Riga scored twice in a 3-2 Levante victory. "It is certain for a month now that there have been several clubs [from England] looking at me and that want to sign me," Mustapha told AS. "But I have not been saying anything because the first thing was to save Levante. Now I can say yes, the interest exists and I know that they are going to make an offer soon. "I just want the best thing for everyone, and I cannot deny that I would like to play in England. "One of my dreams as a footballer was to be in the Premier, I could have gone before I joined Levante but I thought it was best to come to Spain. "Now after two years here, I have fulfilled the objectives that I gave myself and now I would like to play in England." Mustapha has two years left on his contract, but he hopes Levante will not stand in his way. "I came for free to Levante and I believe I have proved myself as they expected," he continued. "Now the offers have arrived and they will duplicate my pay and I just believe this is the best things, especially for a player who cost nothing." SOURCE: skysports.com
Ghana pools roster for Olympic duty
Three tickets to next years football competition at the Olympic Games will be up for grabs from the African continent when Ghana begins the qualifiers for a place in the event to be hosted by China. Ghana’s male Olympic team would seek to pick one of Africa’s tickets when the Black Meteors begin the continental qualifiers on February 7 with an away game to the Young Stallions of Burkina Faso in Ouagadougou. However on Tuesday, a 28-man squad comprising of domestic and foreign players would be moving to Bolgatanga in the Northern region of the country to commence preparations for the Stallions test. Cecil Jones Attuquayefio together with his backroom staff have been busy scouring around for players to deliver Ghana an Olympic games ticket. The squad dominated largely by local talent includes eight foreign-based players. And according to the Olympic team officials, the setting up camp in Bolgatanga would present the players with the same climatic conditions that would be prevalent in Ouagadougou when both nations line up for the first leg game. The Black Meteors technical team has kept faith with mostly players who have inched Ghana closer to an All-African Games place. But the competition for places is expected to be keener with the call up of players based outside the shores of the country. Some of the invited players, Prince Tagoe and Nana Kwasi Asare, have enjoyed some play time with the Black Stars at the senior level with Asamoah Gyan and Haminu Draman still members of the senior national side. Two other players called up could be earning their Ghana debut. Emmanuel Boakye (pictured) and Yao Kumordzi have both received their first invitation by Ghana. The players called up would be meeting at the FA’s headquarters in Accra before been flown to the Northern region. Goalkeepers: Eric Nii Baah (Asante Kotoko), Kotei Blankson (Liberty Professionals), Frank Andoh (AshantiGold) and Ernest Sowah (Tema Youth) Defenders: Dan Addo (Kessben FC), Bawa Mumuni (Liberty Professionals), Iddi Yayaha (King Faisal), Isaac Vorsah (Asante Kotoko), Emmanuel Boakye (Heracles, Holland). Midfielders: Obed Ansah (Heart of Lions), Cudjoe Sampson (Mighty Jets), Michael Akuffo (Feyenoord Academy), Tuaha Khamix (Liberty Professionals), Haminu Draman (Gençlerbirliği, Turkey), Nana Kwasi Asare (KV Mechelen, Belgium), Mohammed Abubakari (Feyenoord Rotterdam), Yao Kumordzi (Egaleo, Greece) Attack: Sherriff Mohammed (Midtjyland Mamobi), James Boadu (Berekum Arsenals), Gilbert Ayikade (Real Tamale United), Emmanuel Allan (Liberty Professionals), Kennedy Korli (Liberty Professionals), Harry Euchill (Gamba All Blacks), Eric Bekoe (Heart of Lions) Emmanuel Clottey (Great Olympics), Asamoah Gyan (Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia), Samuel Yeboah (Hapoel Kfar-Saba, Israel) and Prince Tagoe (Al Shabbab, UAE). SOURCE: ghanafa.org
Kotoko, others, sets out to dethrone Ahly
The climb to the summit of African club football begins this weekend when the first round Champions League qualifiers get underway across the continent. Seven former champions are in the hat, although Ghana's Asante Kotoko start their campaign next week as opponents Ports Authority of Gambia have five players involved at the African Youth Championship. The other former winners - Cameroon's Canon Yaounde, Tunisia's Esperance, JS Kabylie of Algeria, DR Congo's TP Mazembe, Wydad Casablanca of Morocco and Egyptian giants Zamalek - all enjoy home advantage. Defending champions Ahly of Egypt have a bye to the second round in March, as do Asec of Ivory Cosat and Morocco's FAR Rabat. The desire to be crowned club kings of Africa remains fierce despite no prize money being on offer until the eight-club group phase with Canon and Wydad turning to South America for reinforcements. Three-time winners Canon have signed Brazilians Washington dos Santos and Godofredo Netto while 1992 champions Wydad lured Argentinian duo Claudio Ortiz and Christian Jeandet. At the other end of the scale, Sierra Leone's Mohammed Kallon will keep an eye out for FC Kallon as the club he owns makes its Champions League bow against Nigerians Ocean Boys. "I'm so proud and happy for the boys," Kallon, whose Monaco side host Rennes this weekend, told BBC Sport. "Sierra Leone has been out of football for a long time, and we haven't had a team to represent us for 6 years at this tournament. "I'm trying hard to give some contribution back to my national country, and I'm trying to give my boys the opportunity to play what they love, and that's football. "Ocean Boys are a very good team with some experienced players, so I'm trying to calm my team down. I will be in contact on Sunday with the guys when they play." Friday's scheduled game between DR Congo's St Eloi Lupopo and visiting APR of Rwanda was called off due to bad light. Weekend fixtures: Highlanders (Zimbabwe) v Pamplemousse SC (Mauritius) Sundowns (South Africa) v Royal Leopards (Swaziland) St Pierroise (Reunion) v Desportivo Maputo (Mozambique) Zamalek (Egypt) v Vital'O (Burundi) Al Hilal (Sudan) v Polisi SC (Zanzibar) Asante Kotoko (Ghana) v Gambia Ports Authority (Gambia) ASFA Yennenga (Burkina Faso) v Nasarawa United (Nigeria) Fello Star Labe (Guinea) v Sporting Praia (Cape Verde Islands) Diaraf Dakar (Senegal) v Maranatha Fiokpo (Togo) FC St Eloi Lupopo (DR Congo) v APR FC (Rwanda) USM Alger (Algeria) v AS FNIS (Niger) Al Ittihad (Libya) v Mogas '90 (Benin) Canon Yaounde (Cameroon) v Etoile du Congo (Congo) St George (Ethiopia) v ESCOM (Malawi) Wydad Casablanca (Morocco) v ASC Mauritel (Mauritania) Stade Malien (Mali) v AS Douanes (Senegal) Ocean Boys (Nigeria) v FC Kallon (Sierra Leone) Petro Atlético (Angola) v Civics (Namibia) Young Africans (Tanzania) v AGSM (Comoros Islands) Likhopo (Lesotho) v ZANACO (Zambia) Esperance (Tunisia) v Renaissance (Chad) Renacimiento (Equatorial Guinea) v AshantiGold (Ghana) TP Mazembe Englebert (DR Congo) v Police XI (Botswana) AS Adema (Madagascar) v Anse Reunion (Seychelles) JS Kabylie (Algeria) v OS Balantas (Guinea Bissau) Primeiro Agosto (Angola) v Mangasport (Gabon) Coton Sport (Cameroon) v Revenue Authority (Uganda) Sewe Sport (Ivory Coast) v Mighty Barolle (Liberia) The return legs will be played between 9-11 February.
SOURCE: BBC Sport
Valentine Day departure for Queens
Ghana’s Olympic team will fly out of Accra on Valentine’s Day for the first leg game of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games competition in Luanda on Saturday. Ghana will host the return leg on March 11. Ghana narrowly missed out of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games after failing to clear the hurdle in the last qualifier when they fell to Nigeria. However, coach Isaac Paha is confident of Ghana’s chances in the first leg. “Our chances are bright because I am confident we have what it takes to win." Ghana’s women’s footballers last month commenced preparations for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games qualifiers with the call up of thirty players by Black Queens coach, Isaac Paha to the national camp in Prampram. Isaac Paha and his backroom staff are bent on ensuring that Ghana makes her debut in the Women’s football competition at the Olympics. "Our strength is the players' ability to move around and play in different positions at any given time. "I am convinced that with this kind of strength, we can get a positive result on Sunday." Africa has a single slot for the Olympic Games and the 16 nations competing in the qualifiers this weekend are seeking to pick the sole ticket. Aside the single slot for Africa, the runners-up from the CONCACAF and CAF qualifiers will compete in a one-off decider for a place in the Olympic competition.
The other fixtures for the qualifying rounds are Liberia-Ethiopia, Nigeria-Senegal, Guinea-Zimbabwe, Eritrea-Morocco, Equatorial Guinea-South Africa, Namibia-DR Congo and Mozambique-Algeria.
Owusu-Abeyie denies Ghana switch
Dutch winger Quincy Owusu-Abeyie has denied reports he will quit playing for his native country and represent Ghana instead. The 20-year-old, whose parents hail from the West African country, was named in the Black Stars' squad two days ago for next month's friendly against Nigeria. According to the Ghana Football Association (GFA), the Spartak Moscow star agreed to play for the Black Stars last month after meeting officials of the FA to discuss the switch of allegiance. But Owusu-Abeyie insists he is keen on playing for the Dutch national team. "The media always make up stories like that, but in my case it's not true at all," Owusu-Abeyie said. Owusu-Abeyie had a superb showing for Holland at the Fifa World Youth Championship in 2005. But he failed to hold down a regular position at English side Arsenal and joined Russia's Spartak Moscow last year.
SOURCE: BBC Sport
Just another game for Le Roy
The soccer rivalry between Ghana and Nigeria kick off the programmes for both countries, this year, as Brentford prepares to host the first fixture between both West African sides outside the shores of Africa at the senior level. Ghana and Nigeria would be lining up at the Griffin Park in Brentford on February 6 in an international friendly. The last time both nations met, the Super Eagles came out tops beating the Black Stars 1-0 the group stages of the 2006 African Cup of Nations hosted by Egypt. Ahead of the crunch game with Nigeria, Claude Le Roy, coach of Ghana hopes to enjoy a good game as he leads his side to his first All-African match since taking over as coach of the Black Stars last year. “For me, it is a friendly game, the important game would be on 20 January, 2008, and 10 February, 2008, when the CAN begins and ends here (Ghana). “We can win all the games and lose in 2008. For me what is important is to be ready for the start and 10 February to win the African Cup of Nations. “Even if we get to the finals and lose in the final, it would be a bad result for us. “I am looking to enjoy a good game and look at my players,” Le Roy said. The friendly with the Super Eagles forms part of Ghana’s build up towards the African Cup of Nations next year. Ghana, by virtue of being host of the 2008 African Cup of Nations finals, will not play any competitive match until January 2008, when the tournament kicks off in Accra. The game with Nigeria would be the first match against an African opposition for Claude Le Roy who goes into his fourth game as Ghana coach. Le Roy guided the Black Stars to their double Asian conquest where Ghana beat Japan and South Korea in separate international friendlies, in October last year. The coach drew in his third match in charge against Australia later in November and will be hoping to build on the impressive performances in the New Year. Ghana, undefeated in four international matches since her round of 16 exit at last year’s World Cup, would be making a second appearance in Brentford, after playing Senegal at the same venue last year. SOURCE: BBC Sport
Ghana FA congratulates Michael Essien
The Ghana Football Association has sent Chelsea midfielder, Michael Essien, a hearty message of congratulations for his achievements of being crowned the BBC African Footballer of the Year. The Ghana player last week won 8000 votes representing 66 of approximately 12,000 votes to beat Chelsea teammate, Didier Drogba of Ivory Coast, and Egypt’s Mohammed Aboutrika to the award. Essien became the second Ghanaian to win the award after Samuel Osei Kuffour. “We recognise this noble achievement as a just reward for a year of hard work, discipline, dedication and commitment to the call of club and country. “We believe that this award coming at such a time, bears ample testimony to the remarkable efforts and sacrifice that you and your colleagues in the Black Stars (the national soccer team) have put in, over the past years to lift the flag of Ghana. “We believe that the award will spur you on to further hard work and greater heights. We have watched with profound admiration your dedication to duty and positive attitude both on and off the field and we believe this award is an ample justification for all your attributes as a professional footballer who has set high standards of excellence for himself. “Whilst celebrating this award with you, we know that it will inspire you and your colleague teammates as well as the numerous talented Ghanaian footballers to put in the extra effort of hard work, personal sacrifice, dedication and pride to responding to the national call. “As we enter the final leg in our nation’s preparations to successfully host and possibly win the African Nations Cup 2008, we hope this award will see a fresh renewal of your commitment and those of all your colleagues in the national team to ensure that the much cherished dream of all Ghanaian to win the Cup for a fifth time becomes a reality. Keep up the hard work and the positive spirit,” the statement read. The 24 year-old midfielder in also in the running for the 2006 CAF Footballer of the Year.
Michael Essien has been shortlisted again among the last three which also includes Ivory Coast and Chelsea teammate, Didier Drogba and Barcelona’s Cameroon striker Samuel Eto Fils.
SOURCE: ghanafa.org
AshantiGold win four-club tournament in South Africa
Ghana’s AshantiGold transferred their fine form from the domestic front to the international stage, upstaging favourites Mamelodi Sundowns, to win the special Macufe Cup, Sunday. AshantiGold beat local side, Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 in the final of the one-day event which attracted two Ghanaian clubs. Veteran attacker, Emmanuel Osei Kuffour handed the Miners the $10,000 cash prize scoring the only goal in the final. The Miners beat Bloemfontein Celtic 1-0 in the first match before advancing to the finals. Accra Hearts of Oak, Ghana’s other participant failed to go past Sundowns in the opening game, losing on penalties after drawing 2-2 in regulation time. The Phobians got both goals through Eric Gawu and Ishmael Addo. The Macufe Cup tournament featured two teams from South Africa, Bloemfontein Celtic and Mamelodi Sundowns.
SOURCE: ghanafa.org
Ghana down Japan
Ghana has begun life under Claude Le Roy on a winning note lifting the 2006 Kirin Challenge Cup after the Black Stars beat host, Japan 1-0. The Black Stars got the match winner in the second half through substitute, Haminu Dramani to silence the partisan crowd clad in a sea of blue who had filled the Nissan stadium in Yokohama. Haminu who had replaced Sulley Muntari crashed home at the near post a pullout from the right by another substitute Razak Pimpong to score in the 72 minute. The goal was Haminu Dramani’s second international goal for the senior national side, the Black Stars after scoring his major goal at the World Cup against the United States. The host could have gone ahead in the third minute after a shot across the face of the Ghanaian goal was cleared to corner by Hans Adu Sarpei after goalkeeper, Richard Kingson had been beaten. Ghana quickly turned the heat on their opponents Asamoah Gyan saw his powerful strike fly above the crossbar. The Japanese came close again in the 16th minute but failed to find the back of the net. Then in the 24th minute, Asamoah Gyan poorly hit the ball into the arms of goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi after he had been put through by Junior Agogo. Two minutes later, Junior Agogo’s strike was blocked by a Japanese defender. Ghana afterwards were rarely troubled and had several chances to take the lead in the first half through Asamoah Gyan, Stephen Appiah, Muntari and Essien. The first half ended goalless. In the second half, Japan debutant Satoru Yamagishi hit the post with a lucky shot off his knee just before the hour. With 18 minutes remaining, Ghana got their reward when Haminu crashed home at the near post a pullout from the right by another substitute Razak Pimpong to score. The Yokohama showdown was the Black Stars' second international friendly after Germany 2006 having, defeated Togo 2-0 in London two months ago. After the game, Ghana captain, Stephen Appiah lifted the giant trophy. Ghana move on to play South Korea in another friendly on Sunday, October 8 in Seoul. A crowd of 52,437 attended a match held in the venue for the 2002 World Cup final. Ghana line up: Richard Kingson, Hans Adu Sarpie, Habib Mohammed Shilla Illiasu, John Mensah, Stephen Appiah, Michael Essien, Laryea Kingson, Sulley Muntari/Haminu Dramani, Junior Agogo, Asamoah Gyan/Razak Pimpong.
SOURCE: ghanafa.org
I Won’t Manage Players — Le Roy, Ghana coach
New Black Stars coach, Claude Le Roy, has given a firm assurance that he would resist the temptation of finding himself in a conflict of interest situation by managing players and acting as their agent with a view to securing them foreign clubs. He is also working out a possible international friendly next year with Argentina as a farewell for UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, whose distinguished career as the world’s No. 1 diplomat comes to an end in December. The Argentina game forms part of negotiations by the coach and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to arrange friendly games for the Stars who are exempted from the qualifying matches for the 2008 African Cup of Nations tournament. In November, Ghana will face Australia, one of the second round teams at this year’s World Cup, in another friendly international. Le Roy’s predecessors, Ratomir Dujkovic and Mariano Barreto, were both accused by the media and some club administrators of going beyond their contracts and engaging in player management and as a result failed to provide a level playing field for player selection into the national team. When confronted by the media on the issue at his official introduction as national coach last Friday, the Frenchman pledged he would avoid any such act as it would compromise discipline and weaken his control over the player(s) concerned. "I will remain a coach only. I will not manage any player or act as agent. Any coach who does such a thing creates disrespect for himself and problems with discipline," Le Roy said. Portuguese Barreto and Serbian Dujkovic took issues with the media after they were accused of managing and acting as agents for such players as William Tiero and Haminu Dramani respectively.While Barreto vehemently denied complicity, Dujkovic said he only helped facilitate Dramani’s transfer to Serbian club Red Star Belgrade. They both quit their jobs unceremoniously, citing media harassment as part of the reasons for their shocking decisions. Later events, however, exonerated the press. The rest is now history.In building a strong Black Stars team, the Frenchman who officially assumes duty on Sunday, October 1, says he will be combing the domestic league, as well as Europe, in search of clinical finishers to solve the team’s scoring problems. "I like skilful players and I have the nose to find such players and give them the confidence…a lot of confidence to be great players. A coach must give naturally-gifted players a lot of confidence to hone their talent. I want to make the team better and I am sincere about it. There is huge potential in Ghana."Le Roy’s main task during his 21-month contract is to build a strong team capable of winning the 2008 Nations Cup, a target he envisages as a reasonable benchmark for assessing his stewardship, particularly as Ghana presently has a good team and as hosts of Africa’s flagship competition. The Frenchman has laid to rest speculation that he might make sweeping changes to the Stars technical team, insisting his assistants will remain Ghanaian. However, he wants to engage the services of a top class physical conditioner with whom he has worked for a long time and whose input would be crucial to the future success of the Stars. Next week Le Roy will meet his charges for the first time in the Japanese city of Yokohama for an international friendly with Japan on October 4 and travel to Seoul for a date with the Korean team five days later. It will be Ghana’s second game with the Koreans after their 3-1 win over the Asians in a pre-World Cup friendly in Edinburgh on June 4.The Frenchman becomes Ghana’s 35th coach as well as the highest earning national coach on a $30,000-a-month salary — twice the salary received by his predecessor Dujkovic. According to the GFA, Le Roy will not receive bonuses higher than those received by the players, unlike Dujkovic who received bonuses slightly higher than his players were paid.
It
was on the temporary bridge between the media centre and the Ellis Park
Stadium back in June when an expert in African football boldly advised me to
have a bet on Ghana to win the 2010 World Cup.
Alhaji
Sly Tetteh's name does not ring too many bells in Africa. However, nobody
can dispute his eye for a footballer's potential. 
Portsmouth ended their long wait for a second FA Cup victory as they defeated Cardiff 1-0 in the final at Wembley on Saturday. 
Hosts Ghana came from behind to claim a consolation third-place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations after beating Ivory Coast in a six-goal thriller. Sulley Muntari's swerving 25-yard free-kick gave Ghana the lead on 10 minutes before Ivorian Boubacar Sanogo hit back with a quick-fire brace. 
READING manager, Steve Coppell is sure his player, Andre Bikey, must have been provoked into his bizarre African Nations Cup red card. 
Substitute Alain Nkong's second-half goal gave Cameroon a 1-0 win over hosts Ghana to take the four-time Africa Nations Cup winners through to Sunday's final. 
Striker Junior Agogo sent 10-man Ghana into the African Nations Cup semi-finals when his late goal gave the hosts a 2-1 victory over Nigeria. 
Ghana proved too strong for Namibia as the tournament hosts moved three points clear at the top of Group A. 
Sulley Muntari, the Portsmouth midfielder, struck an unexpected 30-yard winner in the last minute to lift hosts Ghana to victory in the opening game of the Africa Cup of Nations yesterday.
Ghana coach Claude Le Roy slammed the state of the pitch after his side's 2-1 win over Guinea and suggested tournament organisers were to blame. 
The Elephants have barged their way across the border, the Eagles — all three varieties — have landed and the Pharaohs have sand-danced their way over the desert. Let the Africa Cup of Nations begin. 
Ghana have received a boost ahead of this month's Africa Cup of Nations with Dutch-born striker Quincy Owusu-Abeyie getting Fifa clearance to play for the Black Stars. 
Cameroon's German coach Otto Pfister named his 23-man squad on Thursday for the Africa Cup of Nations which kicks off in Ghana on 20 January. 
Ivory Coast have temporarily replaced coach Ulrich Stielike, two weeks before the start of the Africa Nations Cup. 
SULLEY MUNTARI will never experience a day like this on a football pitch again. 
Ghana fought back bravely to survive an early scare and beat Benin 4-2 to win the four-nation friendly tournament in Accra on Wednesday. 
Manchester City's scouting net has trawled in two of the most promising young players in Africa. 
Manchester United have beaten Liverpool and Chelsea in the race for 14-year-old Burnley striker John Cofie and agreed an undisclosed fee with the Clarets. 
Goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey Larsen has opted to play international football for Ghana instead of his country of birth, Norway. 
Andre 'Dede' Ayew says his display in the Uefa Champions League has given him the confidence to believe he has a future on the world stage. 
Michael Essien has put himself on collision course with Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho - by signing a deal to sell Guinness. 
Inspite of his efforts to catch up with eventual leading scorer Macauley Christantus, Ghana’s Ransford Osei had to settle with the adidas Silver Shoe, at the just-concluded FIFA U-17 World Cup in South Korea.
Ghana are hoping it will be third time lucky when they take part in the 2007 women's World Cup in China. 
Ghana kicked off the first of a two-game friendly series on a winning note against Morocco in the French town of Rouen on Saturday.
The striking prodigy of Black Starlets' attacker Ransford Osei, has attracted the attention of Black Stars' coach Claude Le Roy.
Eager for first team start: Boateng
Bayer 04 Leverkusen may have to begin their UEFA Cup campaign without Hans Sarpei after the Ghana international suffered a groin strain in Friday's 1-1 draw with FC Schalke 04.
Ghana knocked tournament favourites Brazil out of the under-17 World Cup in South Korea with a 1-0 win on Wednesday. 
Ghana beat Trinidad and Tobago 4-1 and Tunisia held off Belgium at the under-17 World Cup in South Korea on Monday. 
The German Football Federation (DFB) has opened an investigation into Borussia Dortmund's goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller over alleged racist comments. 
Levante have rejected an offer for Ghanaian winger Riga Mustapha. 
Ghana beat Nigeria for the first time in 15 years, thanks to four second-half goals in Tuesday night's friendly at Griffin Park. 
Ghana’s quest for a place in the women’s football competition at the 2008 Beijing Games kicked started on Saturday with a 2-1 away win over Angola. The women’s Olympic qualifying series begins over the weekend for Africa’s sixteen nations vying for the single slot to the 2008 Beijing Games.
Ghanaian midfielder Anthony Obodai has ended his stand off with Dutch side Sparta Rotterdam by joining rivals RKC Waalwijk. 
Jonathan Quartey's stunning finish gave Ghana's Ashanti Gold a crucial 1-0 away win against Renacimiento of Equatorial Guinea in the Champions League on Sunday. 
Portuguese side Vitoria Setubal have signed former Ghana striker Kwame Ayew to boost their chances of league survival. 
Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan has joined Lokomotiv Moscow in the biggest purchase of the Russian pre-season. 
Nigeria Football Association (NFA) and their Ghanaian counterparts have agreed a new date for an international friendly in London. 
Ghana coach Fred Osam Duodu is confident of a record third title despite a tough draw at the African under-17 Championship. 
Hearts are closing in on the signings of Russian Premier League duo Gogita Gogua and Laryea Kingston.
Ghana Premier League champions Asante Kotoko have appointed Turkish coach Telat Uzum until the end of the season. 
Ghanaian striker Joetex Frimpong believes CS Sfaxien will lift the Champions League thanks to the morale gained by drawing the first leg 1-1 with Ahly in Egypt. 
CS Sfaxien's Ghanaian striker Joetex Frimpong is seeking divine intervention in his quest to score in the second leg of the African Champions League final on 11 November in Tunis. 
Two-times finalists ,Black Queens of Ghana stole a late winner to beat arch-rivals, the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroun 2-1 to join South Africa and Nigeria in the semi-final stage of the 5th African Women Championship in Delta State, Nigeria.
There is no escaping Black Stars fever at the moment in Ghana. 
Ivory Coast became the second African nation to qualify for the 2010
World Cup after a second-half strike from Didier Drogba earned them the
point they needed to secure their place in South Africa.
WIGAN target John Mensah has given Steve Bruce a boost by revealing he is keen on a move to England. 
Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp reflected on his first major honour as a manager, describing victory over Cardiff City at Wembley as a "dream come true".
Defending champions Egypt won a record sixth Africa Cup of Nations with a fully-deserved victory over Cameroon. 
Ghana midfielder Sulley Muntari praised his team's fans for the part they played in the 2-1 quarter-final defeat of Nigeria. 
It is hard to walk or drive anywhere in Accra without being coaxed into supporting Ghana's Black Stars at the moment. 
Ghana coach Claude Le Roy has named the former Dutch under-20 international Quincy Owusu-Abeyie in his preliminary squad for the Nations Cup. 
Ghana host Togo, the United Arab Emirates and Benin in a mini-football tournament this weekend. 
Ghana and Nigeria both failed to secure a place at next year's Olympic Games, when they drew 0-0 in Accra on Friday. 
Alexander Tettey is confident he can handle the occasion as second-placed Norway face Turkey and Malta in their remaining UEFA EURO 2008™ Group C qualifiers.
Dundee United picked up all three points against a poor Kilmarnock at Tannadice to remain undefeated at home. 
The beautiful game failed to flourish at Huish Park, but two elegantly-executed goals helped Nottingham Forest confine the misery of last season's play-off defeat by Yeovil to the sunken subconscious of their supporters' minds.
Laryea Kingston is hoping to delay joining Ghana's Africa Cup of Nations preparations to help Hearts' Scottish Premier League challenge. 
Birmingham goalkeeper Richard Kingston has been released from hospital a day after a head-injury scare. 
Hearts midfielder Laryea Kingston believes a new-found team spirit could see his side challenge for the Scottish Premier League title this season. 
Birmingham keeper Richard Kingston was carried off in a neck brace after six minutes of treatment at Ewood Park.
Lloyd Owusu's fourth goal of the season 13 minutes from time helped high-flying Yeovil sneak a 1-0 win that ended Swindon unbeaten league start.
Ghana struck three superb goals to defeat South Africa 3-1 on Saturday to close in on a place at the 2008 Olympics Games. 
Ghana will play Asian Cup runners-up Saudi Arabia in a friendly match on 11 September. 
Ghana international Riga Mustapha has admitted he would like to move to England after a number of Premiership clubs showed an interest in him. 
Three tickets to next years football competition at the Olympic Games will be up for grabs from the African continent when Ghana begins the qualifiers for a place in the event to be hosted by China.
The climb to the summit of African club football begins this weekend when the first round Champions League qualifiers get underway across the continent. 
Dutch winger Quincy Owusu-Abeyie has denied reports he will quit playing for his native country and represent Ghana instead. 
