Black Stars job is very challenging - Kwesi Appiah

Black Stars head coach, Jame Kwesi Appiah, has highlighted the difficulties involved in handling the senior national team but has reiterated his focus on building a formidable team for the future.

Appiah was reappointed as Black Stars coach back in May after Avram Grant disappointing outing at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations which prompted his resignation from the post.

In an interview with Accra based radio station Happy FM, Appiah emphasized the need to build a formidable team despite the challenges accompanied with being at the helm of affairs.

“It’s a challenging job but the most important thing is to have your plan as coach and try to implement it. People think the job is that easy but when you take up the mantle you should try do your best which a trying to do now by building a formidable team,” Kwesi Appiah told Happy FM.

Meanwhile, Appiah has been tasked with the mantle of delivering the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations as Ghana looks to end it’s 37-year trophyless drought.

Wahab Adams keen on Kotoko move

Aduana Stars defender Wahab Adams, says he’s ready to make a move to Asante Kotoko after ending his long spell with the club.

Adams didn’t renew his contract for ‘Ogyaa Boys’ despite their fruitful 2016/17 football season having won their second Premier League trophy.

The defender has emerged top transfer target for numerous teams on the local scene but Kotoko are favourites to secure his signature after the player expressed his interest in playing for the Porcupine Warriors.

“I’m not ready to renew my contract with Aduana Stars, I’m ready to play for any premier club and Asante Kotoko is my first option,” Adams told Sikka FM.

U-20 WWC Qualifier: Black Princesses reach final stage

Ghana’s Black Princesses have advanced to the final stage if the FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup qualifiers after completing a 10-1 aggregate win over Kenya on Sunday.

After a 5-0 win over the Starlets Kenyans two weeks ago, Coach Yusuf Basigi’s side recorded a 5-1 victory in the return encounter played at the Jomo Kenyatta stadium.

Priscilla Adubea and Olivia Anokye were amongst the scorers who helped the National U-20 female make it to the last stage of the world cup qualifiers.

Ghana will play Cameroon in their final qualifying match to book a place in next year’s World Cup to be played in France.

Krystal Palace defeat Koforidua United to qualify to division one

Krystal Palace Academy beat Koforidua United FC 2-1 in the last group match of the Eatern Regional super middle league played at the Akim Oda Sports Stadium.

The highly tensed match saw Krystal Palace Academy scored the first goal before Koforidua United FC equalised .

Krystal Palace should have gone up by two in the first half ,when they were awarded a penalty, but they missed the opportunity to end the first half to end at one all.

Krystal Palace Academy increased their tally to two from another spot kick in the second half of the game to put them in the lead.

In the other top four match played at the Akwatia G.C.D park, Kwahu Youth Academy won 3-0 against Dream Chasers FC .

The head coach of Kryatal Palace Academy, Cosmos Akorli spaeaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after the victory of his side thanked the fans and all others who supported the team to attain this memorable glory.

He indicated that he was hopeful the team was going to give a good account of themselves next season when they play the national division one league.

He however acknowledged that it would not be easy sjnce there are equally good teams at that level . 

As at the end of the league, Kyrstal Palace Academy was on top of the table with nine points , Kwahu Youth Academy was second with six points ,Dream Chasers FC are third with three points and Koforidua United FC was at the bottom of the table with no point.

Kevin-Prince Boateng set for Las Palmas return - Reports

UD Las Palmas fans would have the chance to enjoy the beautiful and influential play of their beloved Ghanaian international Kevin Prince Boateng as the player is likely to stage a comeback at the Estadio Grab Canaria.

The AC Milan midfielder is believed to have assured the leadership of Las Palmas that he may return to the club next summer and is expected to keep his word.

A few months ago Kevin-Prince Boateng said goodbye to the Canarian team to the surprise of his fans but the President of the Yellow and Blues has revealed the Ghanaian could return next season.

The news came to light days before the season began and his departure, according to the player, was due to family reasons. 

He went free to Eintracht Frankfurt and has been in a devastating form for the Bundesliga side.

Since his departure, his possible return to the island had been rumoured several times. 

Now it is Miguel Ángel Ramírez, president of the UD Las Palmas, who reopens the door. 

"It's very complicated for Prince to come in December. It is more likely that he will return next year during the summer market,” Miguel Ángel Ramírez told UDRadio when asked about the Ghanaian player.

Boateng was the top scorer last season for Las Palmas last season, with a total of ten goals in 28 games, scoring one of the best goals of the season against Villarreal. 

The goal was one of the candidates for the 2017 Púskas Award. 

The intelligent midfielder won the hearts of many Las Palmas fans and became a great asset to the club last season.

Returning to Las Palmas look more certain as Boateng already hinted that when delivering his farewell message to Las Palmas last season.

"I promise the president that I want one day to come back here and play here again because this club has given me a lot, the fans and the equipment". 

It will be necessary to see if his journey through German lands lasts only one year and he decides to return to make happy the yellow fans who miss his presence happy again.

We are concentrating on Cameroon - Basigi

The head coach of the Black Princesses, Yusif Basigi says they are now focusing on Cameroon after seeing off Kenya in the first round of the 2018 Under 20 World Cup qualifiers.

Basigi stated that they are done with the East Africans and they now have their eyes fixed on the game with Cameroon.

”The ladies did very well but we have put that one behind us as we are now coming to plan for our next game. Cameroon is the last hurdle and is a very tough game so we are going to put things together.”Basigi told footballmadeinghana.com

”We saw one or two mistakes and we want to correct it before we face Cameroon. We have to go all out as they are a big force in women football,”

The winner of the Ghana-Cameroon game over two legs will make it to the U20 Women World Cup in France next year.

Ghana Premier League top stars exit

The Ghana Premier League is set to lose some of its key players as three of the most influential stars in the just-ended campaign have almost sealed new deals overseas.

Ghanaian fans, already starved of big-name players in the elite competition, will miss Stephen Sarfo, Thomas Abbey and Ahmed Toure as the trio are close to signing for foreign clubs after undergoing trials in Kuwait and South Africa last week.

Berekum Chelsea's Sarfo, who was prolific for his club this season after scoring 15 goals to finish behind Ashgold’s Hans Kwofie as the league’s second top scorer, is on the verge of joining Kuwaiti outfit, Al Qadsia, after travelling to the Gulf state to undergo trials and medicals ahead of signing for the Kuwaiti side.

Abbey, undoubtedly the best player for Hearts of Oak in the just-ended season, is in South Africa as he is reportedly close to signing a contract with Cape Town City FC.

The 24-year-old midfielder was instrumental for the Phobians all season and scored 13 goals as Hearts finished in the third position behind Premier League winners Aduana Stars and WAFA.

Last week, Bechem United lost their Ivorian marksman, Ahmed Toure, after he joined Cote d'Ivoire giants, ASEC Mimosas, in a two-year deal following a stellar campaign with the Ghanaian side.

Toure scored 13 goals in the league to help Bechem to avoid relegation as the club finished in 12 positions on the log.

WAFA midfielder Gideon Waja is also close to signing for Al Qadsia after undergoing trials at the club last week alongside Sarfo and Elmina Sharks’ leading marksman, Felix Addo.

I regret leaving Sunderland – Asamoah Gyan

Ex-Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan says his only career regret is not to have played in the English Premier League for long.
The Ghana international spent just one season at the Stadium of Light but made a huge impact.

Gyan scored ten league goals in 31 appearances before a loan move to UAE side Al Ain just three matches into the 2011/2012 season.

''Sometimes I think I should have stayed longer. The regret is me not playing so much in the best league in the world,'' he told rokerreport.

''When people ask me “how long did you play for Sunderland?” I feel so bad I can only say one year. I feel like I could have achieved things in other top leagues too.

''Sunderland fans are fantastic. It isn’t a huge city but the stadium was always packed and they backed us with their heart - it was only a year but I really enjoyed it.''

He got a lot of flak for his move to the Gulf as many felt he had a lot of qualities to switch to an obscure league.
But the 31-year-old believes he did enough to justify his move.
He added: ''I am very proud of what I did in the UAE for Al Ain, because I created a new legacy for me.

''I created something for myself, I was the top scorer of all time in that league, the top foreign player of all time. I know it isn’t the Premier League, but I felt like I helped raise the standard there and others joined afterwards.

''I went to Al Ain and I fell in love with the place, created a new legacy and they paid me good money and if we are honest with ourselves that is a big reason why we work.

''Sometimes I do regret it, but it goes both ways. I regret not playing longer in the biggest league in the world, but then sometimes I don’t regret because I have to do what I have to do.''

RE: Winneba SHS headmistress was dishonest - NAFCO

The attention of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) has been drawn to claims by the Headmistress of the Winneba Senior High School, Mrs. Kwakye Coffie in the national dailies that schools in the country have not received a single supply of food from Buffer Stock under the new food supply arrangement to all Senior High Schools in the country.

Mrs. Coffie in a publication by the Daily Graphic complained that "since the Buffer Stock Company took charge of the supply of food items on the directive of the government, no supply has been made to the schools,"

NAFCO is appalled by these claims which are not only baseless but also a calculated attempt to paint government and its relevant institutions, including NAFCO and Ministry of Education, black.

We would like to place on record that ever since NAFCO commenced operations to supply food items to senior high schools in the country, it has done so with dispatch and absolute precision.

Even in cases where we have encountered few challenges, we have done every possible to resolve them and ensure that not only do authorities of public SHS receive what is due them in terms of supply, but also receive them timely so our dear students can enjoy quality and healthy meals which is vital for their academic activities.

It is therefore surprising that the Headmistress of Winneba SHS will publicly make such allegations contrarily to the facts on the ground.

NAFCO can state authoritatively without any equivocation that authorities of the school in question, Winneba SHS, have received adequate supply of food to take care of the nutritional needs of students in the school.

In the month of October alone, three different supplies have been made to the school. These supplies were done on the 5th, 10th and 20th of October.

(We have attached as evidence all vouchers and waybills confirming supply and receipt of various food items for the school)

"NAFCO is appalled by the claims of Mrs. Kwoffie who is privy to all arrangements and correspondence between all the key stakeholders including NAFCO and Ministry of Education"

The National Food Buffer Stock Company is therefore challenging the Headmistress to substantiate her allegations or come out publicly to apologize for attempting to drag the name of NAFCO and Education Ministry in the mud.

"NAFCO would like to assure all parents, Heads of Schools and the general public that it will remain committed to its responsibility at ensuring the delivery of quality food items to all SHS in the country under the new directives".

We would like to add that the doors of NAFCO is always open to address any challenges confronting Heads of schools and other stakeholders involved in the implementation of the Free Senior High School.

19-year-old student stabbed to death by girlfriend

An eighteen (18) old second-year student of the Methodist Senior High Senior School in Sekondi in the Western Region, Monica Derry, has allegedly stabbed her 19-year-old boyfriend, Emmanuel Asante to death.

According to reports, the deceased, Emmanuel Asante, a second-year building and construction student at the Takoradi Technical Institute, had a quarrel with his teenage girlfriend on Saturday night, November 18, at Fijai, a suburb of Sekondi-Takoradi around 8:30pm.

The girlfriend reportedly pulled a kitchen knife and stabbed him in the heat of the argument.

It is however unclear what sparked the disagreement between the teenage lovers.

The deceased was pronounced dead shortly on arrival at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi.

The father of the deceased, Osei Kojo, told Citi News’ Western Regional Correspondent, Obrempong Yaw Ampofo, that he had been against the romantic relationship because he believed the two were too young, and needed to focus on their education.

According to the father, when news got to him that his first son had been stabbed, he could not believe it, because to the best of his knowledge, he had called off the relationship between the two.

He however admitted that, some community members had informed him that the two were secretly continuing the affair.

According to Obrempong Yaw Ampofo, Monica Derry, the suspect, is currently in the grips of the Takoradi central police command.