Black Stars Head Coach Otto Addo has named a 25-man squad for Ghana’s upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sudan.
Ghana is set to face Sudan at the Accra Sports Stadium on Thursday, October 11, before heading to Libya for the return leg at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium on Tuesday, October 14, 2024.
Nicaragua fight Alexander Mejia has been confirmed as the opponent for John Laryea’s first international fight.
Laryea, a two-time undefeated WBO African Featherweight champion will come up against Mejia in the United States of America.
The featherweight clash has been rescheduled for November 1, 2024, after months of uncertainty with the fight set to see Laryea make his long-awaited return to the ring.
Laryea had initially been scheduled to fight Panama’s Ricardo Nunez. However, his opponent has been changed.
The ‘Expensive Boxer’, who is ranked 67th by the World Boxing Organization (WBO), will have a first taste of international fight next month at Caribe Royale Orlando, Orlando – USA.
Laryea has yet to suffer defeat in 14 professional fights, winning 13 with 11 by way of knockouts while he has also drawn 1.
His opponent, Mejia, is ranked 269th globally and has suffered nine defeats in 28 fights winning the remaining 19.
The new date was revealed by the BoxRec website. Laryea is managed by Sammy Anim Addo with Peter Khan also co-managing him under the renowned world-known Fight Game Advisors Promotions.
The JamesTown-based boxer last fought on December 30, 2023, when he defeated Isaac Dowuona by TKO at the Golden Royal Beach, Korle Gonno – Accra.
Other high-profile fights on the bill are Chavez Barrientes vs Brandon Douglas, Deron Thompson vs Malik Lewis and Alexander Rios Vega vs Felix Santana Jr.
Former Juventus and Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has made a stunning U-turn on his retirement to join Barcelona on a one-year deal.
The 34-year-old Poland international initially announced his retirement from professional football on August 27, 2024, but was quickly snapped up by Barcelona following an injury to their first-choice goalkeeper, Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Barcelona were granted special permission by La Liga to sign Szczesny as a free agent due to Ter Stegen’s extended absence, following a knee injury sustained in Barca’s 5-1 win over Villarreal. La Liga rules allow teams to sign players outside the transfer window to replace individuals expected to miss more than four months of action.
Szczesny, who spent seven years at Juventus making 252 appearances and winning three Serie A titles, will now provide crucial experience in goal for Barcelona as they continue their push in La Liga and the Champions League.
Szczesny, reflecting on his brief retirement, had stated, “My body still feels ready for challenges, but my heart is not there anymore. I feel it’s time to focus on my family.” However, Barcelona’s urgent need saw him reconsider.
The Polish shot-stopper could make his debut this Sunday in Barcelona’s La Liga clash against Alaves. Barcelona, currently top of the table despite a 4-2 defeat to Osasuna last weekend, bounced back with a 5-0 win over Young Boys in the Champions League under new manager Hansi Flic.
Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that he is no longer focused on being the best player in the world or chasing records.
Instead, the 39-year-old Portuguese star emphasised his desire to help his team and enjoy the game.
Speaking after Al-Nassr’s 2-1 AFC Champions League win against Al-Rayyan, where he scored his 904th career goal, Ronaldo reflected on his current priorities.
“It is not important anymore whether I am the best or not, I no longer care about that,” Ronaldo said. “I am used to breaking records, and I no longer look for them. The most important thing for me now is to enjoy and help Al-Nassr and my team-mates to win.”
Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr in January 2023 after leaving Manchester United, has already left an indelible mark in Saudi football, setting a new league scoring record with 35 goals in the Saudi Pro League last season.
Despite his personal achievements, Ronaldo’s focus now seems to have shifted towards his team’s success rather than individual accolades.
Instead, the 39-year-old Portuguese star emphasised his desire to help his team and enjoy the game.
“It is not important anymore whether I am the best or not, I no longer care about that,” Ronaldo said. “I am used to breaking records, and I no longer look for them. The most important thing for me now is to enjoy and help Al-Nassr and my team-mates to win.”
Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr in January 2023 after leaving Manchester United, has already left an indelible mark in Saudi football, setting a new league scoring record with 35 goals in the Saudi Pro League last season.
While Cristiano Ronaldo has helped Al-Nassr lift the 2023 Arab Club Championship Clubs Cup, he has yet to secure domestic or continental silverware with the club.
Despite this, the Portuguese legend has set a personal target of reaching 1,000 career goals before hanging up his boots.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approved the Accra Sports Stadium to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier between Ghana and Sudan.
The Black Stars face the Falcons of Jediane on match day three of the qualifying series for the tournament to be hosted in Morocco.
Prior to the approval, CAF had directed the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to select an alternative venue for the game after the temporary approval of the Baba Yara Stadium was lifted.
CAF inspected both the Cape Coast Stadium and the Accra Sports Stadium last week before eventually turning down the former.
A statement from CAF on the approval read: ‘Following a comprehensive review of the reports of the CAF independent inspection regarding the Cape Coast and Accra Sports Stadia, we are pleased to inform you that the Accra Sports Stadium has been approved to host the AFCON Qualifiers for Morocco 2025. Specifically, it will host the Group F – Matchday 3 encounter between Ghana and Sudan, which is scheduled for October 11, 2024.
“In light of this approval, we kindly request that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the stadium management team prioritise the necessary enhancements to the pitch and other critical areas of the stadium leading up to the match day to ensure an optimal experience for both teams and the attending fans.
“Please note that CAF will continue to closely monitor the readiness of the stadium for this match, as well as for future CAF-sanctioned events.”
The Black Stars are hoping to get their qualifying campaign back on track after failing to win any of their opening two games against Angola and Niger.
This fixture is scheduled for Friday, October 11, 2024.
Today, the gymnast placed first in the all-around. Despite her otherworldly talent in the sport, she’s been on the receiving end of sexist Olympics coverage–one commentator watching her on the uneven bars said, “I think she might even go higher than some of the men.”
Among plentiful sexist reporting of the Games, from men debating about women athletes wearing makeup to referrring to a medalist Corey Cogdell-Unrein as the “wife of a Bears’ lineman,” the most notorious have been comparing female athletes’ skills to males.
During an interview after her win, Simone Biles set the record straight, declaring, “I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. I’m the first Simone Biles.” Cue ALL the applause.
She’s in a league all on her own.
The Algerian welterweight is one of two boxers competing in Paris despite being disqualified from last year’s World Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) after she was reported to have failed gender eligibility tests.
Amid wild support under the roof of Court Philippe Chatrier – the French tennis venue repurposed for the boxing finals – Khelif dominated her Thai opponent to win by unanimous decision.
It secured progression to her first Olympic final, having been knocked out in the quarter-finals in Tokyo three years ago. She will fight Taiwanese Chen Nien-chin or Liu Yang of China in the gold-medal bout. Algeria has never won a boxing gold medal.
Khelif beat Suwannapheng by unanimous decision at last year’s World Championships, before being disqualified by the IBA.
Here, the crowd chanted her name as she entered the ring – and the Algerian looked more confident than she has at any point this week. She dropped her guard in the ring and danced on the canvas after the result was confirmed, and a bout fought in good spirits ended with an embrace between the two fighters.
Khelif’s Games began with a win against Angela Carini last week – a bout that lasted just 46 seconds before the Italian abandoned saying she “had to preserve” her life.
That sparked widespread debate over the eligibility of Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting, who was also disqualified by the IBA last year.
The IBA said Khelif had “failed to meet the eligibility criteria for participating in the women’s competition, as set and laid out” in its regulations, while the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said the pair had been “suddenly disqualified without any due process”.
The IOC, who suspended the IBA in 2019 because of concerns over its finances, governance, ethics, refereeing and judging, has allowed the pair to compete and has strongly backed the pair.
President Thomas Bach said on Saturday there was “never any doubt” the pair are women
Ghana will compete with Sudan, Angola and Niger in Group F for a slot at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The draw for the qualifiers was held on July, 4, 2024 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The Black Stars take on familiar foe Sudan who is currently managed by former Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah.
The draw also marks a repeat of the 2023 Afcon qualifying series, where Otto Addo’s side faced Angola.
Ghana will also face Niger, with their last meeting dating back to 2013 at the African Cup of Nations.
The four-time champions aim to secure a top-two finish in the group to qualify for their 11th consecutive Afcon finals.
The four-time champions aim to secure a top-two finish in the group to qualify for their 11th consecutive Afcon finals.
The qualifiers will kick off in September this year to determine the first 24 nations out of the 48 that will compete in Africa’s biggest event.
The Confederation of African Football has set December 21, 2025, as the start date for the next edition, which will run until January 18, 2026.
Ivory Coast are the defending champions after hosting and winning the title with a 2-1 victory against Nigeria in the 2023 edition.
Naomi Osaka said it “feels like a dream” as she made a winning return on her first appearance at Wimbledon for five years.
The four-time Grand Slam champion came through 6-1 1-6 6-4 against Diane Parry in the first round on court two.
Japan’s Osaka returned to the tour in 2024 after the birth of her first child, daughter Shai, a year ago.
The 26-year-old, who is now ranked 113rd in the world, was injured in 2022 and also missed the 2021 tournament while taking time off to deal with mental health issues.
“I’m really excited to be here and it’s funny, Wimbledon was the first tournament I watched after pregnancy and my daughter’s turning one tomorrow so, I’m really glad to still be here,” said Osaka
Competing as a wildcard, Osaka raced through the opening set in just 22 minutes, firing a series of winners past French 21-year-old Parry.
Her level dropped in the second set, though, as Parry quickly levelled and the world number 53 twice went a break up in the deciding set.
But Osaka, who has never been beyond the third round at SW19, fought back and three double faults in the final game from Parry led to her downfall.
Osaka will play American 19th seed Emma Navarro in the second round
Nigeria’s 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifying campaign suffered another setback as they lost to Benin, while Jordan Ayew marked his 100th cap with a hat-trick to inspire a 4-3 Ghana victory over Central African Republic.
The Super Eagles have just three points from four matches in Group C after Benin came from behind to win 2-1, with coach Gernot Rohr inflicting defeat on his former employers.
Ayew put Ghana ahead against Central African Republic with an early penalty, but the Black Stars trailed 2-1 at the break after the visitors took advantage of defensive frailties.
The Crystal Palace forward netted twice in the second half and the West Africans eventually saw out a win to go top of Group I, with Louis Mafouta’s treble for CAR in vain.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah salvaged a 1-1 draw for Egypt against Guinea-Bissau to ensure the Pharaohs remain unbeaten at the summit of Group A, and Algeria also avoided a potential shock by recovering from a goal down to beat Uganda 2-1 in Kampala.
The nine group winners at the end of the 10-game campaign will all seal spots at the expanded 2026 World Cup, while a 10th African side could reach the finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada via an intercontinental tournament.
The fourth round of matches culminates on Tuesday, after which the qualifiers will resume again in March 2025.
Nigeria had drawn their first three games in Group C, which has already provided several surprise results and left minnows Lesotho top after three games.
Raphael Onyedika’s composed 27th-minute strike put the Super Eagles ahead in their away game against Benin in neutral Ivory Coast, but the three-time continental champions were behind before the break.
First Jodel Dossou caught Calvin Bassey napping and curled across goal to equalise, and then ex-Huddersfield striker Steve Mounie smashed in at the back post after Nigeria failed to deal with a corner from the right.
Nigeria’s best chance to level came when an unmarked Ademola Lookman headed wide, with striker Paul Onuachu arguably better placed to meet the cross.
Rohr, who had been discarded by Nigeria before the delayed 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, was carried on to the pitch by substitutes as Benin celebrated just their second-ever win over their West African neighbours.
Benin climb to the top of Group C on seven points while Nigeria are fifth, increasing the pressure on Finidi George – who was only appointed by the Super Eagles on a permanent deal in April.
VAR will still be in operation in the Premier League next season after clubs voted against scrapping it. A proposal was put forward by Wolves to remove the review system, but it fell well short of receiving the 14 votes required.
Last season featured several controversial Video Assistant Referee (VAR) interventions and PGMOL chief Howard Webb outlined six ways in which he hopes it will be improved going forward.
Premier League clubs have voted against scrapping VAR in their Annual General Meeting which was held on Thursday morning.
Wolverhampton Wanderers submitted a proposal back in May calling to get rid of the system after being involved in several controversial decisions throughout the course of last season.
It required 14 votes to pass but the vast majority of the 20 top-flight clubs backed keeping the review system which was introduced in 2019.
The vote was 19-1 in favour of keeping it, with Wolves the only team to vote in favour.
A Premier League statement read “Premier League clubs today voted in favour of continuing to operate VAR in the Premier League.
“While VAR produces more accurate decision-making, it was agreed that improvements should be made for the benefit of the game and supporters.
“As part of thorough discussions at the Annual General Meeting, it was agreed that PGMOL, the Premier League and clubs all have important roles to play in improving the system and its reputation.
“As part of ongoing work to improve VAR, six key areas were focussed on as part of discussions with clubs:
“1) Maintaining a high threshold for VAR intervention to deliver greater consistency and less interruptions to the flow of the game.
“2) Reducing delays to the game, primarily through the introduction of semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) and the maintained high threshold for VAR intervention.
“3) Improving fan experience through a reduction in the delays, in-stadium announcements from referees after a post-VAR change of decision and where possible, an enhanced offering of big screen replays to include all VAR interventions.
“4) Working with PGMOL on the implementation of more robust VAR training to improve consistency, including an emphasis on speed of process while preserving accuracy.
“5) Increasing transparency and communication around VAR – including expanded communications from Premier League Match Centre and through broadcast programming such as Match Officials Mic’d Up.
“6) The delivery of a fan and stakeholder VAR communication campaign, which will seek to further clarify VAR’s role in the game to participants and supporter
A sterling second half performance by the senior national senior team, the Black Stars on Monday night saw Ghana overcome the Wild Beasts of Central African Republic in their Group I 2026 World Cup qualifiers at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
A hat trick by Jordan Ayew and a goal from Kamaraden Sulemana ensured that the Black Stars won the match by 4-3. It was the Black Stars who opened the scoreline in the 5th minute through a penalty when Sulemana was fouled in the penalty box in the 3rd minute of the game.
However, the Central Africans equalised in the 11th minute through Louis Mafouta when he capitalized on a defensive blunder between Alexander Dziku and Alidu Seidu to beat the on rushing Lawrence Ati Zigi.
He increased his tally to two in the 41st minute when again there was a miscommunication between Ati Zigi and Dziku and he slot the ball to give the visitors the lead to send his side into half time with their heads above their shoulders.
Mafouta who also scored a hat trick on the night got his third through a free kick outside the penalty which went straight into the net.
Back from the Ghanaian side needed to give the teeming supporters who defied the rains and sat glued to their seats to ensure that the Stars came out victorious.
The Black Starts started putting pressure on the visitors and within two minutes, 60th and 62nd, they scored two quick goals through Jordan and Sulemana to take the lead.
Jordan would put the icing on the cake in the 69th minute when he slotted in his third and Ghana’s fourth after Youfeigane spilled ball into his path.
Jordan and Mohammed Kudus received a standing ovation when they were substituted in the 76th and 89th minutes respectively by Elisha Owusu and Thomas Asante respectively.
The two players really played their hearts out and were very instrumental in Ghana’s win on the night.
Jordan Ayew has been honoured by the Ghana Football Association for reaching his 100th international cap for Ghana.
The Crystal Palace forward received a golden boot from the football governing body, marking him as the third Ghanaian player to achieve this milestone.
Ayew made his debut for Ghana on September 5, 2010, against Swaziland and netted his first and second international goals in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Lesotho.
At 32, Ayew reached his 100th cap against Mozambique during the Africa Cup of Nations in Côte D’Ivoire, scoring two goals in three matches.
Since then, Ayew has played four more matches for Ghana against Nigeria, Uganda, Mali, and the Central African Republic, climbing to 6th place on the all-time top scorers’ chart.
He is now in close pursuit of Ghanaian football legends Abdul Razak, Tony Yeboah, Kwasi Owusu, Edward Acquah, and the nation’s all-time top scorer, Asamoah Gyan.
It was a cagey encounter, with clear-cut chances few and far between as both teams defenses canceled out one another.
Aitana Bonmatí opened the scoring at the San Mamés Stadium, her left-footed strike midway through the second half deflecting into the Lyon goal.
It cements Barça’s status as the one of the best club teams in world soccer over the last few years.
“We knew we needed to be a club that made history,” Barcelona defender Lucy Bronze told broadcaster DAZN afterwards. “It’s not easy, it’s hard to win it once, but to do it back to back, Lyon showed how difficult it is. “This team’s finally done that. I think we go down in history as one of the best teams in Europe.”
After winning a major trophy, and particularly after stunning an overwhelming favorite in the final, teams normally enjoy a period basking in that achievement and soaking in the glory.
Be Manchester United celebrations after defying the odds to defeat Manchester United and win the English FA cup on Sunday were tempered by reports that its manager Erik ten Hag would be fired, regardless of the result.
When those reports were put to him after Sunday’s victory, Ten Hag pointed to his trophy-winning resume.
“If they don’t want me anymore, then I’ll go anywhere else to win trophies because that is what I have done my whole career,” he told reporters after the game.
“The team is progressing, and we are winning trophies. Two trophies in two years is not bad,” he said, referring to his team’s League Cup victory last year. “Three finals is not bad but we have to keep going. I’m not satisfied with it.”
The Dutchman has been at the club for almost two years and, despite a promising start to his tenure, presided over United’s worst ever Premier League season this year as it only mustered an eighth place finish, outside qualification for European football.
Ten Hag has pointed to an injury crisis as explaining some of United’s inconsistency but new investment from British petrochemical billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has increased the clamor for improvement.
A late Jordan Ayew goal gave Ghana an important win over Mali and moved Ghana to second in Group I of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The Black Stars had conceded on the brink of halftime after Kamory Doumbia’s effort deflected off his head to give Mali the lead. Ernest Nuamah’s header brought Ghana level before Ayew won it in the dying embers of the game.
Jordan Ayew’s fifth goal in six appearances restored Ghana’s status as contenders for a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Kamory Doumbia’s first half strike gave Mali the lead before Ernest Nuamah’s leveller, shortly after the break. Ghana snatched the win in stoppage time with Jordan Ayew’s 25th goal in 103 appearances.
The Black Stars of Ghana delivered a big result in its quest to qualify to the 2026 FIFA World Cup by beating Mali 2-1 in Bamako.
The Stars scored their second win in three games thus far in the qualifiers with veteran forward Jordan Ayew climbing off the bench to score the winner in the 94th minute.
Jordan was dropped from the starrt but made his presence count after subbing on for Antoine Semenyo in the 79th minute. (Click highlighted text to read full story)
Ghana conceded close to the end of the first half through a fortuitous goal from Kamory Doumbia after a block attempt on a shot from Doumbia bounced off Alexander Djiku and came off the Stade Brest midfielder into the net.
However, Otto Addo’s team improved in the early phases of the second half and got the equalizer through a powerful Ernest Nuamah header in the 56th minute.
Ghana had a couple of chances to get the lead until substitute Abdul Fatawu Issahaku forced Mali into a mistake and robbed them off possession before setting up Jordan Ayew to score Ghana’s second goal on a second shot attempt.
Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho has been appointed as head coach of Turkish Super League side Fenerbache after his dismissal from AS Roma midway through the 2023-2024 season.
His appointment comes on the back of Fenerbache missing out on winning the Turkish league title to bitter rival Galatasaray. Fenerbache ended the season with 99 points while Galatasaray concluded the season with 102 points.
As Fenerbache’s lead trainer, Mourinho is in line to coach Black Stars defender Alexander Djiku who joined the Turkish side at the start of the 2023-2024 season with his contract set to end in June 2026 with an option to extend by a year.
In his debut season, the 29 year old excelled by registering three goals and two assists in 25 league games and adding seven UEFA Conference League appearances to his tally.
Djiku is set to become the latest Black Stars player to be coached by the legendary trainer after Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari featured prominently during Mourinho’s time as Chelsea and Inter Milan head coach.
After missing the opening day of training, Djiku reported to the Black Stars camp as Ghana’s National Men’s Football Team prepares to take on Mali and Central African Republic in 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on June 6 and 10 respectively.
Ghana are set to clash with Burkina Faso in a crucial encounter for a berth in the final of the WAFU U-17 Championship and a spot in the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.
Ghana emerged as the leader of Group A with two impressive victories, while Burkina Faso secured the second spot in Group B behind Nigeria, paving the way for a showdown between the neighbouring nations.
The match is scheduled to take place on Saturday at the University of Ghana Stadium.
Notably, both teams are aiming to secure qualification to next year’s AFCON tournament by reaching the final of the regional championship.
For Ghana, qualification to AFCON holds paramount importance. The former world champions have been absent from the U-17 AFCON since 2017, and coach Laryea Kingston and his boys are determined to end this drought.
Kingston expressed, “Ghanaians have missed the quality of our teams from the 1991 to 2001 eras when we had strong squads. Qualification for this team would be incredible. For me, it would be the greatest joy.”
Ademola Lookman scored a sensational hat-trick as Atalanta ended a 61-year trophy drought while devastating Bayer Leverkusen’s dream of an unbeaten season in the Europa League final at a boisterous Aviva Stadium. Both sides brought a huge amount of support and colour to Dublin for what was Atalanta’s first European final and only Leverkusen’s third.
Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen had not lost in 51 games this season and were only two matches from perfection. But former Charlton Athletic winger Lookman had other ideas. He placed the opening goal in the top corner from Davide Zappacosta’s cutback.
And his second would have lit up any European final, as he nutmegged Granit Xhaka before bending a fantastic shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
Lookman’s third was equally as good, a step-over beating Edmond Tapsoba before he fired into the roof of the net.
he latest bout of controversy has hit the English Premier League’s 2023-2024 season following the announcement of nominees for the Goal of the Season Award.
Ghana midfielder Mohammed Kudus missed out getting named in the nominees list with the West Ham player missing out on the 10- man list.
Despite scoring a stunning overhead kick against Manchester City on the final day of the season, the former Ajax Amsterdam player failed to make the short list.
The 23 year old earlier in the season delivered another brilliant goal by scoring a scissor kick in West Ham’s 3-2 win over Brentford.
The structure behind the nomination has frustrated a cross section of fans as winners of the Goal of the Month Awards in the just ended season plus a standout goal in May qualify to win the award.
Moises Caicedo’s long range strike in Chelsea’s 2-1 win over AFC Bournemouth made the list as the standout strike in May. As such, past winners of this season’s Goal of the Month Award including Bruno Fernandes’ goal against Burnley that was voted the best goal in the month of September made the cut ahead of Kudus.
Pep Guardiola has hinted that next season could be his last as Manchester City manager. Guardiola led his team to a record fourth consecutive English title with a 3-1 win over West Ham at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
He has a contract until 2025 which he intends to honour, but the 53-year-old suggested he might not sign another new deal.
“The reality is I am closer to leaving than staying,” Guardiola said.
“We have talked with the club and my feeling is that I want to stay now. I will stay next season and during the season we will talk. But after eight or nine years, we will see.”
Guardiola has now won 15 major trophies in eight years at City and could make it 16 with an FA Cup final against Manchester United next weekend.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss admitted he is “tired” and said he will need to find fresh “motivation” over the summer before beginning the new season in August.
“I have a contract, I’m still here,” he said. “Some of the moments I’m a bit tired, but some of the moments I love and we are here winning games, looking good with new players.
“I start to think about, ‘No one has done four in a row, why don’t we try?’ And now I feel it’s done, so what next?
“Right now I don’t know what exactly the motivation is to do it because it’s difficult to find it when everything is done.”
