My body is for rich men - Afia Schwarzenegger goes naked again

Comedienne and tv presenter, Afia Schwarzenegger who is known for many things, be it controversy or her sense of humor has caused a stir on social media after sharing her semi-nude photo on social media.

Earlier today, the social media queen, who has lately been involved what seems like a ‘clash of the titans’ with her ex-husband, Abrokwa over their divorce and the aftermath events that have popped up concerning their marriage.

Today on instagram, the non-stop controversial presenter, Afia Schwarzenegger has shared her semi-nude photos which your favorite gossip hub has sighted.

Well, it doesn’t look bad from our judgement, but you can be the best of judges as to whether this is worth the lifestyle of a celebrity or it isn’t.

Many have criticized the female personality that she will do everything to be a news and this is one of some of the things she is capable of.

Patrick Twumasi joins Alaves

Ghana winger Patrick Twumasi has joined Spanish side Deportivo Alaves, Ghanasoccernet.com can exclusively reveal.

This comes just 48 hours after Ghana's leading football news website, Ghanasoccernet.com exclusively revealed that the deal was in the offing.

The 24-year-old moves from Kazakhstan side FC Astana after signing a four-year contract with the Spanish second-tier side, confirming Ghanasoccernet.com initial report on the deal.

Twumasi joins his compatriot Mubarak Wakaso at the club that has been relegated into the second tier and have the key aim of returning to the top-flight immediately.

The Ghana international will be a new player for the Basque side who will play in the second tier for next season.

The speedy and tricky player underwent the medical tests before he was handed the contract and chance to impress in mainstream Europe.

The Ghanaian player is a key gamble for present and future of Alaves and for that reason the Basque team have given him a long-term contract.

The attacker played a total of 29 games last season for Astana, in which he scored 18 goals and contributed 3 assists.

He will become the fourth signing of the club after Borja Bastón, Jony and Ximo Navarro.

Twumasi will not be the last signing, since Alaves are working on the signing of a left-back, a midfielder and a striker.

Manchester United v Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp laughs off title-winning jibe

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has quipped that one of his "life goals is to make Jose Mourinho smile" after the Manchester United manager suggested Liverpool "had to win the Premier League" this season.

Mourinho claimed the Anfield club are "big candidates" for the title having spent £170m on four players this summer.

But Klopp has dismissed those comments before Saturday's meeting between the two sides in Michigan in the International Champions Cup.

"It's a free world and I have no problem with Jose," said the German.

"We are responsible for our fans, our owners and nobody else. I am not too interested in Man Utd."

Klopp's response follows Mourinho's suggestion Liverpool will have set a "Premier League record" this season, after spending nearly £250m in the last 12 months.

That figure includes world-record fees for £66.8m goalkeeper Alisson from Roma and £75m defender Virgil van Dijk from Southampton in January.

This summer, Guinea midfielder Naby Keita has arrived from RB Leipzig for about £50m, Brazil midfielder Fabinho has joined from Monaco in a deal that could be worth more than £40m, and Switzerland winger Xherdan Shaqiri has come in from Stoke for £13m.

However the Reds have also raised significant funds, including through the £142m sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona in January.

When asked about Liverpool's spending, Mourinho said: "I don't see another team getting close to that level of investment - a team that was a finalist in the Champions League, you have to say are a big candidate. You have to win."

Asked whether he had to win the Premier League this season, Klopp said: "I don't think so.

"Do I get the sack if not? Depends on the football we play.

"A big part of the job is to play football that our people like. It happened last year and the year before but now we want to make the next step.

"Our opponents have not slept and they too have brought better players in."

Ramos 'ruthless and brutal' in Champions League final - Jurgen Klopp

iverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says Sergio Ramos' display in the Champions League final was "ruthless and brutal."

Ramos was involved in the tussle that forced Mohamed Salah off injured in the first half of the 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid and delivered the blow that gave Loris Karius a concussion before the goalkeeper's mistakes that directly led to two goals.

Klopp believes Salah and Karius were both deliberately target by the Madrid captain, who picked up his fourth Champions League winners' medal on that night in Kiev.

Asked about the Ramos-Salah incident, the Liverpool manager told U.K. newspapers: "We are opening that bottle again?

"I watched that back of course. Someone showed it to me immediately after the game. If you watch it back and you are not with Real Madrid then you think it is ruthless and brutal. You don't think: 'Wow, good challenge.'

"It is in a situation in the game where Mo tries to keep the ball, make a few yards and speed up the game. The thing is I saw the ref taking charge of big games at the World Cup afterwards and nobody really thinks about that later.

"I think in a situation like that somebody needs to judge it better. If VAR is coming then it is a situation where you have to look again and say: 'What is that?' It was ruthless.

"I don't think Mo would have always got injured in that situation, this time it was unlucky, but it is an experience that we cannot have.

"I'm not sure if it is an experience we will have again -- go there and put an elbow to the goalkeeper, put their goalscorer down like a wrestler in midfield and then you win the game. That was the story of the game."

In the immediate aftermath of the final, Ramos declared innocence for his part in Salah picking up the shoulder injury that left his arm in a sling ahead of the World Cup.

The Spaniard also suggested the Egyptian could have continued at the NSC Olimpiyskiy with the help of a pain-killing injection.

Klopp continued: "Ramos said a lot of things that I didn't like. As a person I didn't like the reactions of him. He was like: 'Whatever, what do they want? It's normal.' No, it is not normal.

"If you put all of the situations of Ramos together, and I have watched football since I was five years old, then you will see a lot of situations with Ramos.

"It is like we, the world out there, accepts that you use each weapon to win the game. People probably expect that I am the same. I am not.

"We were two times in a row the winner of the Fair Play table. Not that it was our goal before the start of the season, we didn't say: 'Let's be beautiful and win that.'

"We are aggressive but I always use the word legal as well. Usually out there if you try something you will get punished. Someone will see it and ban you for four or five weeks. But in this example, no one."

Boateng to mark Serie A debut against Kwadwo Asamoah's Inter Milan

Kevin-Prince Boateng's Serie A debut for Sassuolo could come at home against Kwadwo Asamoah's, after the league fixtures were confirmed on Thursday.

Boateng shocked many by announcing his intention move back to Italy after helping Eintracht Frankfurt clinch the German DFB Pokal last term.

The Ghana international became a marquee signing the Green and Black lads after penning a two-year deal earlier this month.

The 31-year-old has already exhibited his quality in the side's colours after netting five goals in two pre-season appearances, which has sparked belief amongst their teeming fans that the Ghanaian can inspire them to achieve their modest target of qualifying for the UEFA Europa League in the upcoming season.

Roberto De Zerbi's side open the 2018-19 season at home to Inter Milan which could pit Kevin-Prince Boateng, Claud Adjapong and want-away midfielder Alfred Duncan against Kwadwo Asamoah who joined the Nerazzuri on a three-year deal as a free agent after leaving champions Juventus at the end of his contract last season.

Meanwhile, Asamoah has also hit the ground running for Luciano Spalletti's outfit after churning out three appearances in their last three pre-season friendlies, including a 90 minutes appearance in their 1-1 stalemate against English Championship side Sheffield United.

Thomas Partey thrills Atletico Madrid team-mates and fans on Singapore tour

Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey was the toast of the event as Atletico Madrid players went to meet and greet their fans in Singapore.

Atletico Madrid are on a pre-season tour of Singapore and have used the opportunity to fraternise with the fans.

Partey used the chance, as usual, to show his funny side off the pitch.

Essien retires from Black Stars

Star midfielder Michael Essien has called it quits with the Ghana national team, saying he even retired before the 2014 World Cup.

The former Chelsea ace, 35 is currently without a club having left Indonesian club Persib Bandung earlier this year.

Essien has not played for the Black Stars since Ghana’s disappointing campaign at the 2014 World Cup where he was largely fingered to have contributed to the player revolt in camp.

The Uefa Champions League winner who has racked up 58 appearance for Ghana has now revealed that he has retired from international football.

“If I am called to the Black Stars, No!” he told GHOne TV.

“This is because I am retired. I even retired before we went to the World Cup in Brazil but I was called to come and help.

“And then in Brazil they treated me like…”

Essien has had many run ins with the Ghana national team suffering his most horrific injuries while on duty with the Black Stars.

He made his competitive debut for the Black Stars at the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations staged in Mali.

Emmanuel Boateng to miss start of La Liga season

UD Levante forward Emmanuel Boateng will miss the first games of the 2018/19 season after sustaining an injury in the friendly against Bournemouth last Friday.

The Ghanaian international suffered a discomfort to the inner knee and had to be withdrawn in the first half of the game , the match ended 4-3 in favor of the English team.

On Wednesday, Boateng successfully underwent a surgery at the Quirón hospital by Dr. Ernesto Fernández.

It is estimated that the striker will be sidelined between 4 and 6 weeks.

Emmanuel Boateng played 25 games last season and scored 7 goals including his famous hat trick against Spanish Champions FC Barcelona.

Ghana forward Andre Ayew targets league triumph with Fenerbahçe S.K.

Deputy Black Stars captain Andre Ayew says he wants to win the Turkish Championship with his new side Fenerbahçe S.K.

The midfielder joined the Turkish giants on a season long loan from Swansea City.

Ayew,29, was unveiled by the club on Friday and at his first presser he pointed out his desire to win the league.

“My only goal is to live in the championship with Fenerbahce” “Fenerbahce fans are the most excited about me right now” Ayew said .

The thing that excites me is the size of this club. My only goal is to be champion at the end of the season Fenerbahce

”Fenerbahce fans are the most excited about me right now. I still remember the match we played here in Marseille. The fans were amazing that day. Can’t wait to see”.

”I have been meeting Bafetimbi Gomis for a long time, I see, he will always be my brother , but we both will play for the win, now he’s playing for the other side of the city, it will be exciting to play against him”.

Asked whether he got in touch with Stephen Appiah before finally making his mind to move to Turkey Ayew replied ”Stephen Appiah, manager of our national team. I talked to him before I came here. He definitely told me to come here.”

”I came to a new country, but before that I played in many different teams and countries. I’ll be quick to get through the harmonization process.”

‘”Damien Comolli called me the day he came to the office of Fenerbahce called me and asked ‘ would you like to come to a big hut and a big project? ‘I said, “Yes.”

”Since I was kid, I call myself “Andre, push the boundaries.” If a footballer wants to achieve great achievements, he should be able to enter the eyes of his teacher in different positions. But I like to play on the wings” Ayew added.

Sulley Muntari earns applauds from Hearts of Oak MD

The Managing Director of Hearts of Oak, Mark Noonan has hailed Sulley Ali Muntari tagging him as the most perfect example of class.

The former Portsmouth midfielder who is on vacation has been training with Hearts at the Legon Ajax Park for the past two weeks in a bid to keep the shape.

Muntari, who is known for his known for his kind gesture, gave all the 22 players $100 after Monday’s training and presented the team with frozen fruits on Tuesday.

“I think Sulley’s decision to train with us is awesome. It is a credit to the quality of the Hearts brand for the fact that we have kept training in this environment [despite football being at a standstill in this country],” Noonan told phobians.com

“The reports I have gathered from training concerning Sulley’s positive attitude and professionalism has been amazing. Sulley is not only a quintessential professional but a man who has never forgotten where he came from.

“Sulley’s presence will not only inspire our young players to dream big dreams, but it has also shown our players what it means to be a professional.”

Football-related activities in the country have come to a standstill after the airing of the Anas Aremeyaw Anas ‘Number 12’ documentary which uncovered the rot in Ghana football.

Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu to miss start of Serie A

Udinese midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu will miss the start of the Serie A season due to injury.

Badu, 27, has been undergoing rehabilitation in Austria following a knee surgery last week.

The Ghana international went under the knife to correct the defect and will stay out up to seven weeks.

"I had to do the surgery to correct it otherwise I will be playing through pain," he told GHANAsoccernet.com

"I am currently here in Austria undergoing rehabilitation."

Badu has returned to the Italian side after a successful loan spell at Turkish side Bursapor.

He made 19 appearances in the Super Lig with Bursapor.

Michael Essien rubbishes reports of match boycott at 2014 World Cup

Former Black Stars midfielder Michael Essien has furiously refuted reports that players boycotted games at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, four years ago.

The ex-Chelsea star stated that whoever ‘cooked’ up the story of the stars threatening to boycott their game is very stupid.

Four years ago, it was reported players had planned to boycott games if their appearance fees was not paid. The team was due to play Portugal in the final group game and the players had threaten they were not going to play that game leading to government airlifting $ 4 million to Brazil for them to be settled.

According to him, the match was an official match and the Black Stars were in no position to threaten their officials of boycotting any official game organised by Fifa.

“Does it make sense now? It happened four years ago and we just have to leave it behind and move forward,” Essien told GNA Sports.

“They should wait to hear our side before they criticise. You don’t criticise us and after four years they want to hear our story. The story is dead now so let’s move forward.”

“Nobody wanted to boycott the matches. It is official game and so we would not play. So whoever came up with that story is very stupid to be honest with you.”

Rabiu Mohammed eyes Black Stars return

Ghana’s 2014 World Cup star Mohammed Rabiu has reiterated his desire to return to the Black Stars set up after ending a two-year injury nightmare.

The midfielder has regained full fitness after a long injury layoff and re-signed a short term deal with Russian giants Anzhi Makhachkala.

The 28 year old penned a three-and-a-half year contract with Anzhi in 2016 but his fitness denied him an appearance, leading to the termination of his contract.

"It has not been easy not playing for two years," he told KweséESPN. "It's been a very difficult time for me but I am happy that Anzhi are prepared to give me a second chance.

"There were many days when I was extremely sad sitting at home, powerless and unable to play because football is all I have done," he added. "I missed it badly in the last two years."

The 2009 Fifa Under-20 World Cup winner has played for Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations as well as the Fifa World Cup (2014).

"I want to work my way back in slowly and then get back to my very best," the midfielder continued. "I want to win a trophy at club level, get back into the national team and win a trophy at international level.

"I just pray that I stay fit because the last two years have been difficult."

Swansea City boss hails 'professional' Andre Ayew

Swansea City boss Graham Potter has heaped praise on Ghana superstar Andre Ayew describing the winger as 'very professional' as the he wraps up his move to Turkish giants Fenerbahce.

The deputy Ghana is joining Fenerbahce on a one-year loan with a view to a permanent deal which is expected to be wrapped up by Friday.

The 28-year-old rejoined the Swans from West Ham in January in a club-record deal on a three-and-a-half-year contract but his time in south Wales appears to be up.

Ayew left Swansea’s pre-season tour of Austria to undergo a medical ahead of his move to Turkey, which requires international clearance.

Potter has hailed the work ethic of Ayew, revealing how the Ghana international has been committed to the stringent way of the Welsh side.

“From my perspective he has been brilliant. He has applied himself in training, supported what we are trying to do and been very professional," Swansea manager Graham Potter said.

“He has been a joy to work with and we wish him the best.”

Croatia's Kalinic declines World Cup medal

Croatia forward Nikola Kalinic has not accepted a runners-up medal after his country's 4-2 World Cup final defeat to France because he was sent home early in the competition, reports in the Croatian media said.

Kalinic, dismissed from the squad following the 2-0 victory over Nigeria in their opening match, reportedly said: "Thank you, but I did not play in Russia."

Coach Zlatko Dalic sent the AC Milan forward home when, warming up to be a second-half substitute, he told him he was not able to play because of a back problem.

Dalic said at the time that that Kalinic had been asked to come on in the 85th minute but refused, citing a back injury, adding that he had also declined to come on in a friendly against Brazil in England before the tournament and had missed a training session.

Kalinic could not be replaced on the squad, meaning Croatia played the rest of the tournament with 22 players.

Ronaldo set to make Serie A debut at Chievo

Cristiano Ronaldo is set to make his Serie A debut in Verona after the fixtures for the upcoming Serie A season were announced in Milan on Thursday.

The Bianconeri, who will be bidding for an eighth straight Scudetto, will travel to Chievo on the weekend of August 18-19 for the first game of the new season.

Chievo only narrowly avoided relegation to Serie B last season and play in the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi, which has a capacity of just over 31,000.

The first weekend of the season will also see last season's runners-up Napoli travel to Lazio, who finished fifth, while AC Milan will host Genoa, Roma travel to Torino and Inter Milan are guests of Sassuolo.

Kwadwo Asamoah: The most decorated Ghanaian player in European football

On July 2nd, Inter Milan struck gold by sealing the deal with former Ghana international Kwadwo Asamoah, one of the most respected left-backs in the history of the sport.

Earlier, Asamoah confirmed that he would not sign a new contract with Juventus, a club where he spent the last six years cementing his legacy.

The 29-year-old signed a three-year contract that will run from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2021. Italian football giants Inter Milan have been struggling in the last few seasons and haven't been able to achieve their past glory. Despite finishing fourth in Serie A last season that helped them seal a Champions League spot, much more was expected from the club.

Having won five consecutive Serie A titles, four Coppa Italia titles, four Supercoppa Italiana titles and a Champions League title in a span of seven years between 2004-11, the fans were hoping that the club adds more titles to its resume. But the following seven years turned out to be a disastrous one for the Italian giants as they failed to win even a single title in any competition managing to finish in the top four of Serie A only on two occasions.

With the signing of veteran left-back Asamoah from arch-rivals Juventus, Inter Milan have made their intentions clear on waiting to strengthen their defense this season.

Here are the reasons why Asamoah will turn out to play a key role in the success of La Beneamata.

A Juventus legend

It’s not often that the fans and team management pay tribute to a player who has signed for their arch-rivals. But in the case of Asamoah, the Juventus management and fans only had good words for him.

Juventus released a statement which reads, "A literally tireless worker with remarkable tactical versatility, Asa played 149 matches in all competitions - the second-most among current Juventus midfielders behind Claudio Marchisio - while providing five goals and 16 assists. A mainstay of the Juventus left side, the numbers tell quite a tale. Asamoah has played over 8,000 passes in almost 12,000 minutes in Bianconero creating 150 scoring opportunities and 288 crosses. It's trophies that truly matter and Asamoah will forever have his fair share with six league titles, three Super Cups and four Coppa Italias." This statement is enough to tell how much Asamoah means to Juventus.

A player who can adapt to different positions

The main reason Asamoah got to represent Juventus in as many games as he did is because of his abilities to play various positions on the football pitch. He has been equally effective playing as a left-back, holding midfielder or wide midfielder. This quality of his earned him much respect and unconditional trust from his gaffer and teammates at Giuseppe Meazza.

A successful international career

Ghana and football go hand in hand. Kwadwo Asamoah made his international debut for Ghana in 2008 and he went on to play for African nation donning the green jersey on 69 different occasions during which he found the back of the net on four times. He also helped Ghana finish third (2008) and second (2010) in the African Cup of Nations. Asamoah is most remembered for being a part of the Ghana team that went on to make it to the quarters of FIFA World Cup 2010. He last played for the national team in FIFA World Cup 2014.

Verdict

With 13 titles with Juventus, Asamoah is the most decorated Ghanaian player in Europe and his move to Inter Milan will only make him hungry to win more titles which the club also desires.

Black Princesses coach Yussif Basigi names squad for World Cup

Head Coach of the Black Princesses Yusif Basigi has named his squad for the FIFA Women's World Cup in France next month.

The team dominated by several of the players from the Black Maidens team two years ago is poised to make history at the Mundial by reaching the knockout stages.

Meanwhile, there are other players who featured in the previous edition of the Mundial in Papua New Guinea also included in the squad.

Ernestina Abambila, Sandra Owusu-Ansah and Philicity Asuako are some of the key players of the squad, and are expected to be at the top of their game for the team to go a step further.

Shine Agbomadzi of Sea Lions and Rafia Alhassan were very impressive in the qualifiers. However, the team will miss striker Princella Adubea through injury.

Ghana are in group A together with host France, the Netherlands and New Zealand.

Below is the complete list for the World Cup

With all the beauty, Sandra Ankobia remains single – Nana Aba Anamoah

In fact, it hurts to see that with all the beauty and voluptuous body, most of our female celebrities sleep alone with no responsible man in their lives.

Besides, those who manage to get a man to marry them misbehave along the line leading to the collapse of the marriage.

Well, in reference to the single status of most female celebrities that renowned broadcaster, Nana Ama Anamoah has posited that she can’t understand why a beautiful lady like Sandra Ankobia, lawyer and television personality, should be single.

Nana Ama Anamoah of GH One television fame posted a picture of Sandra Ankobia on Instagram with the caption “Hw? obaa kama kama sei oni boy! Akonam rebel. She’s been dating her curve TV”, to wit a beautiful girl (Sandra Ankobia) with no man in her Life”.

Interestingly, Nana Aba Anamoah whose post in a way is advising her colleague (Sandra Ankobia) to get married is also facing a relationship crisis perhaps a ‘dangling‘ one to be precise. Recall that Nana Aba Anamoah not long ago had a beef with her estranged husband over their son.

Midland suspends 5 workers; to compensate woman

Five members of staff of the Midland Savings and Loans Company who witnessed the assault of a customer of the company at one of its branches by a policeman, Frederick Amanor, have been suspended pending investigations into the matter.

Their suspension follows what the management of the company described as their “failure” to handle the situation in the manner they were trained to do.

“Management has commenced investigations into the matter and all those involved will be dealt with in accordance with the law. We do not approve of what happened and condemn it in no uncertain terms. It is unfortunate, but our staff are trained to respond to the needs of customers in a professional manner,” the Deputy Managing Director of Midlands, Mr Isaac Mensah, told the Daily Graphic in an interview.

While showing appreciation for the role of the police in protecting financial institutions, including the company, he said the incident involving the policeman was regrettable and unwarranted.

He rendered an unqualified apology to Ms Patience Osafo, the victim of the police brutality, on behalf of the company and said it had, since last Friday, tried to contact her personally to apologise to her but the effort was yet to yield fruits.

“We have been to her house; we have called the number she provided in our database but it is either someone picks and says she is not around or the phone is off. We want to apologise to her. We are deeply sorry for what happened,” Mr Mensah said.

He said the company would compensate Ms Osafo for the unfortunate incident which had brought the name of the company into disrepute.

“We want to compensate her; it is something we cannot run away from. But, first, we need to see her and apologise to her for what she went through. But so far that has not been successful. Wherever she is, we want to say we are sorry.

“We have been in this business for 21 years and value our customers, as they are the reason we exist. It is regrettable things went that way,” he said.



Genesis

Going into the genesis of the incident, he said from Tuesday, July 17, 2018, the company’s network, managed by an information technology company, went down until the evening of Thursday, June 19, 2018.

He said while it was still serving its customers during the period, its back-up system also got very slow, making it impossible to facilitate transactions as quickly as possible.

The attempt by the Daily Graphic to speak to Ms Osafo was unsuccessful, as a woman who said she was a member of staff of an Accra-based radio station, Peace FM, was the one who received the call.

Meanwhile, Ms Osafo got a presidential mention last weekend when President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo condemned the assault meted out to her.

The President, while on a tour of the Northern Region, said: “I want to say it here that policemen are meant to protect citizens and not assault them.”

He said the Inspector General of Police (IGP) had his support to sanction the erring officer, as well as ensure that the incident did not happen again.



“I support 100 per cent the measures that he has taken, so that we can stop these incidents from proliferating,” the President said in response to a statement from the Police Service that steps had been taken to bring L/Cpl Amanor to book.

Donations

The victim, who is reported to be a mother of three, with a grandchild from a daughter who has epilepsy, became a star in less than two hours after the video was leaked.

She has since that time been receiving cash and food donations running into more than GH¢20,000 cedis.



The Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) is also appealing to the public to donate cash and items to support her and her family. Donors are kindly invited to call 0302 684024 to support the project.

The newly elected Women’s Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Madam Kate Abena Gyamfua, has presented GH¢5,000, rice, oil and other food items to Ms Osafo, while the Manhyia North MP, Mr Collins Owusu-Amankwah, has also donated GH¢2,000.

Others have donated baby milk, diapers and food items to the victim.

Apology

Meanwhile, L/Cpl Amanor’s family and the management of Midland Savings and Loans Ltd have rendered an unqualified apology to the victim.

The policeman’s family has pleaded with Ghanaians to forgive L/Cpl Amanor, since what he did in the video was unusual of him.

The incident has since sparked public outrage and attracted condemnation from the IGP, the ministries of the Interior and Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), among others.

Ozil right to retire from Germany after disgraceful treatment

The Arsenal attacker has called time on his international career after being scapegoated following his country's dismal World Cup performance.

Just days after Germany returned home from being humiliated at the World Cup, German football association (DFB) president Reinhard Grindel demanded a public statement from Mesut Ozil about the Arsenal star's pre-tournament meeting with Turkey president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

On Sunday, Grindel received exactly what he asked for. But it was definitely not what he wanted or expected from the 93-time Germany international.

In a lengthy three-part statement, released section-by-section during the course of the day, Ozil meticulously detailed his account of his meeting with Erdogan, the media criticism that followed and then launched into a scathing attack on Grindel and his supporters before confirming his international retirement.

The statement was strong, considered and showed exactly why the 29-year-old took such time to react to his treatment following Germany's World Cup exit. For the first time in 80 years, Germany had failed to get out of their group at the tournament, but instead of placing the blame on head coach Joachim Low or introspectively assessing what the DFB could have done better before and during the competition, Ozil was turned into a scapegoat by not only the media, but by people inside his own football association including general manager Oliver Bierhoff and Grindel.

Ahead of the World Cup, Ozil and team-mate Ilkay Gundogan - both of whom have Turkish roots - were photographed with Erdogan in London, sparking outcry from pundits and media who criticised the star for mixing football and politics. Gundogan admitted that the meeting was not political, with Ozil's initial statement on Sunday confirming that his intentions were also not motivated by politics, merely respecting the position of president and the country of his ancestors.

“In May, I met President Erdogan in London, during a charitable and educational event. We first met in 2010 after he and Angela Merkel watched the Germany vs Turkey match together in Berlin," the statement read.

“Since then, out paths have crossed a lot of times around the globe. I'm aware that the picture of us caused a huge response in the German media, and whilst some people may accuse me of lying or being deceitful, the picture we took had no political intentions."

Despite distancing himself from the situation before and during the World Cup, Ozil continued to be criticised and this vitriol only increased after Germany's shock exit. Fans booed him during a pre-tournament friendly against Austria, while his decision not to sing the national anthem while playing in Russia was also repeatedly highlighted. When he was dropped from the starting XI against Sweden, commentators in Germany pointed out how all 11 players were singing the anthem.

In his final statement, where he confirmed his retirement, Ozil cited racism as one of the reasons for his decision, referencing times where he was abused for his ancestry, including an instance where he was called a "goat-f***er" by a prominent politician.

“It is with a heavy heart and after much consideration that because of recent events, I will no longer be playing for Germany at international level whilst I have this feeling of racism and disrespect," Ozil wrote.

“I used to wear the German shirt with such pride and excitement but now I don’t. This decision has been extremely difficult to make because I have always given everything for my team-mates, the coaching staff and the good people of Germany.

"But when high-ranking DFB officials treat me as they did, disrespect my Turkish roots and selfishly turn me into political propaganda, then enough is enough. That is not why I play football, and I will not sit back and do nothing about it. Racism should never, ever be accepted.”

Between his debut in 2009 and his final appearance in June, Ozil played almost 100 times for Germany, helping them win the World Cup in 2014 and even was voted as Germany's national player of the year on five separate occasions.

To claim he is anything other than 100 per cent committed to Germany is madness, but Grindel should not be surprised by Sunday's statement. With the way he has been treated by the DFB and the media in his own country, why would someone as talented as Ozil continue to play for a team who does not respect him?

Since the World Cup, nobody within the DFB has lost their job and the head coach has been retained, while Ozil has been victimised with the larger problems that led to their Russian failure ignored and brushed aside.

A lot of the decision-making around Germany's 2018 World Cup was wrong, including the choice of base camp, the choice to leave the likes of Leroy Sane and Sandro Wagner at home, the choices around the starting XIs in each group game...

The DFB and Germany got many choices wrong, but most of all, they left Ozil with no choice other than this one.

Kwadwo Asamoah is happy at Inter Milan - Agent

Representative of Kwadwo Asamoah, Federico Pastorello has stated that his client feels at home in new club Inter Milan.

The 29-year-old joined the Nerrazzuri on a three-year deal as a free agent from Juventus last month.

The former Liberty Professionals midfielder has already hit the ground running by featuring in their last two pre-season games against Lugano and Russian giants Zenit St Petersburg.

According to Federico Pastorello, his client feels much more a part of Luciano Spalletti’s plans than he ever did under Max Allegri.

“Asa is very happy,” the agent told Tuttosport. “Especially because at Inter they are making him feel more important than what happened at Juve.”

He made only 19 Serie A appearances for the Turin club last season.

Black Princesses to leave for Spain training tour today

The Black Princesses will leave for Spain for a pre-tournament camping on Monday ahead of their participation at this year's FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in France.

Initially, the team was scheduled to leave Ghana for Spain on Friday but that didn't happen following a delayed visa application process.

The tour of Spain will be the second phase of their preparations after pitching camp at the Ghanaman Soccer Center of Excellence in Prampram.

Coach Yusif Basigi and his girls will be hoping to use the opportunity to fine-tune preparations ahead of the tournament which kicks start on August 5.

Ghana is in the same group with hosts, France and New Zealand as well as the Netherlands.

Ghanaian players lack desire to reach greater heights - Chibsah

Former Black Meteors captain Yusif Chibsah believes the lack of desire of Ghanaian players has been the bane of the country to produce top quality players in recent times.

Chibsah, who is now a registered FIFA Intermediary stated that Ghanaian players have the requisite talent to play for top clubs in the world, but the desire to fight on to the top is what they lack.

The former Djurgardens IF midfielder further posited that most of the players get carried away with the little money they make from their first contracts which ends up hampering their progress.

“Most Ghanaian players get carried away after signing their first professional contract outside the country. They get carried away with the little money and forget that there is big money ahead if they push harder,” he told Ohene Bampoe-Brenya on Happy FM's Anopa Bosuo Sports.

“When they come home for holidays, their attitude and conduct tells you they are already carried away."

“If at that point they don’t get someone to tell them to use the step to grab bigger opportunities, they end there.”

Nyantakyi’s spokesperson to demonstrate against FIFA

Dr Martin Luther Obeng, who is the spokesperson for former Ghana Football Association president Kwesi Nyantakyi, says he plans on embarking on a one-man demonstration at the premises of football world governing body, FIFA, in Zurich.

Mr Obeng would not give the exact date he intends on embarking on his planned demonstration, but says he will storm FIFA’s premises to protest the suspension of Kwesi Nyantakyi by FIFA following the exposé done by Ghanaian investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, titled Number 12.

According to Martin Luther Obeng, Anas is a questionable character whose methods of investigations are unethical and unprofessional, thus any findings of his Number 12 exposé must be thrown out.

Speaking on Accra-based Asempa FM, Dr Obeng said, “Anas is not an honest person. Initially he said he collaborated with the BBC to do this project; now the BBC have denied that they jointly own the documentary. This is one of many untruths that Anas has said. So we are saying he is not an upright person and thus his work cannot be trusted. Look, in the coming days I will stage a one-man demonstration at FIFA headquarters and protest the 90-day suspension of Mr Nyantakyi.”

Dr Obeng also claims sting operations, also known as undercover journalism, are banned in Dubai, where Anas and his team met Kwesi Nyantakyi and recorded him for the exposé.

Kwesi Nyantakyi has currently lost his standing and all positions in local and international football after Anas Aremeyaw screened his latest exposé, dubbed #Number12, which captured him [Nyantakyi] allegedly detailing how he was going to personally benefit from a supposed $15 million sponsorship money for Ghana’s league.

Nyantakyi also detailed to the supposed investor, how he [the investor] could be given several government contracts if he pays bribes to some key government officials such as Ghana’s President and Vice-President.

He has since resigned from his positions at the GFA, WAFU, CAF and FIFA, where he served as a member of the world football governing body’s Executive Council.
Although Kwesi Nyantakyi is serving a 90-day ban from FIFA, Anas wants him banned for life for the misconduct.

Mr Nyantakyi has since sued Anas Aremeyaw Anas and his Tiger Eye PI team for defamation

AK47-wielding cop punches, slaps, kicks helpless woman with child in bank

An armed police officer has been captured on video wrestling with, and ruthlessly assaulting a woman in a bank despite the mother holding a little child in her arm.

The circumstances surrounding the assault are not immediately known but the muscled officer is seen ferociously hitting the helpless woman with an umbrella and then repeatedly punching and slapping her in the face as though he were in a boxing duel with a worthy opponent.

Despite the punches and slaps, the poor woman held on tightly to her child until a man in the bank wrenched the baby out of her grip so the child could be taken out of harm’s way.

The officer did not give the slightest thought to the risk of his gun, slaps and blows hitting the little child in the melee but kept punching the woman with careless abandon.

But for the exit of the mother through the bank door, the officer had readied the butt of his gun to hit her face.


Frederick Amanor Skalla, the policeman who assaulted the nursing mother

Though details about the incident are sketchy, it appeared it had to do with some GHS250, since a voice in the video kept saying he would pay the amount.

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London Stadium: Search for sponsor of West Ham's home costs nearly £450,000

Nearly £450,000 of taxpayers' money has been spent trying to find a sponsor for West Ham's London Stadium home but a backer is still being sought.

The stadium's owner, the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), has been accused of wasting cash in its search for a naming rights partner.

A sponsorship expert says it could take years to secure a deal.

Two companies have been paid a total of £447,000 to try to find a naming rights partner, the BBC has learned.

But after two potential deals collapsed, no discussions are currently taking place.

The stadium, built for the London Olympics in 2012, has been dogged by controversy over its finances. Converting it into a football ground cost £323m when the original estimate was £190m.

Although West Ham pay an annual rent of £2.5m as tenants, the venue is still set to lose £140m over the next 10 years. Any sponsorship would offset some of those losses.

Telecoms company Vodafone pulled out of a £20m six-year naming rights deal in May 2017, while Indian conglomerate Mahindra had earlier shown interest.

"Two deals with global brands came close to being delivered but this is an extremely competitive and narrow market which requires significant time and effort to identify the appropriate brands able to enter into such major commercial deals," said a LLDC spokesman.

The first £4m a year of any deal would go to the corporation, with West Ham sharing any revenue above that.

Two agencies with expertise in attracting sponsors have been used, with the hope that revenue would dwarf their costs.

IMG was paid £260,000 after being hired by the LLDC in 2013. Then ESP was given £187,000 when retained by LLDC's subsidiary company E20 for 16 months from March 2015.

Gareth Bacon, chairman of the London Assembly's budget and performance committee, said he was "mystified" by the failure to secure a suitable sponsor.

"It's taxpayers' money that has been wasted. When you pay that kind of money and get absolutely nothing in return, that's not great," said Bacon, the Conservatives' leader on the assembly.

"There is a Premier League club playing in the stadium which held the most successful Olympic Games ever, in a major European country."

In December, London mayor Sadiq Khan announced he was taking control of the stadium after a report established it was losing about £20m a year.

Research by global valuation advisor Duff & Phelps has suggested naming rights for the venue could fetch at least £4.8m annually.

But leading sponsorship adviser Tim Crow, who has been involved in numerous stadium rights deals, said more non-football events needed to be staged at the venue.

"It's a tough sell. Unless they drop the price, if the situation remains as it is, it could remain unsold for years," he said.

"UK sports sponsorship is the softest it's been for a long time, mainly because of Brexit. Business hates uncertainty and if you're asking someone for a long-term sponsorship, it's no good.

"I'm not surprised at all they were unable to find a buyer. The focus should have been on getting sport and entertainment events all year round to make it much more attractive to a potential sponsor."

The World Athletics Championships and World Para-athletics Championships were staged at the stadium last year. Other events, including six sell-out concerts this summer, have been held although it is more difficult to do this during the football season.

"A naming rights deal is an important element of the long-term success of the London Stadium and E20 has taken some of the best advice available to help secure a sponsor, said the LLDC spokesman.

"We have worked hard to promote the London Stadium as a multi-use venue and our experience to date is that this is very appealing to potential sponsors."

It is understood West Ham, who are preparing for their third season at the stadium, have offered to help find a naming rights partner.

The Hammers were awarded a 99-year tenancy in 2013 and under the agreement do not have to pay for certain running costs such as stewarding, goalposts, corner flags, cleaners and turnstile operators

Wayne Rooney: DC United striker on Everton, Man Utd, England & MLS

Wayne Rooney left Everton for DC United because he did not want to "hang around and be a dead weight".

The former England captain, 32, said he would not have moved to the United States if his wife and children were not going to join him.

Rooney, who signed a three-and-a-half-year contract, said he remained hungry for success and wanted to win trophies.

He left Everton in June after scoring 208 goals in 491 Premier League appearances over 16 years.

In a wide-ranging interview, Rooney spoke to BBC Sport about his decision to leave England, whether Manchester United can challenge Manchester City, England's World Cup campaign and his coaching ambitions.

'Everton were happy to let me go'

Rooney rejoined Everton from United for an undisclosed fee in July 2017, 13 years after leaving the Merseyside club.

He finished the season with 10 goals in 31 league appearances, but did not score in the final 15 of those games after being moved into midfield under Sam Allardyce.

The Toffees missed out on qualifying for Europe, ending the campaign in eighth spot. Allardyce was sacked at the end of the season and replaced by Marco Silva.

There was no transfer fee involved when he joined DC United but it is understood the Major League Soccer club agreed on a compensation package with the Toffees.

"Everton made it clear if there was an offer there, they would be happy for me to go," said Rooney, who made his DC United debut on Saturday.

"I understand they have brought a new manager in, got new staff, they obviously want to bring in players that manager wants.

"I am sure it will release money for the new players who come in. I am sure that was in their thinking.

"I said to them if that is what you want, I am not going to hang around and be a dead weight. I will go somewhere else and play."

'My family are my priority'

Rooney is set to be joined in Washington by his wife, Coleen, and four children.

"I would not have come out if my family did not want to come out. They are my priority. It was important they came over with me," he added.

"I also felt the city was more suited to me and my family than Los Angeles or New York.

"I spoke to the owners, I was excited by the team. They told me about the new stadium and the new training ground they are opening next April. It felt like the club was moving in the right direction."

'What next after playing?

Rooney will be 36 when his contract expires and he is already thinking ahead to life after playing.

He is keen to stay in the game and hopes he will have all his coaching badges by the time he retires.

"You do try and plan things but my main focus has to be on what the team does here," said Rooney.

"In the back of my mind, I am hoping that by the end of that three and a half years, I will have all my coaching badges done.

"Then I have the opportunity to do what comes up, whether that is coaching, management or TV.

"I have said before, it would be a shame to walk away from football after being involved in it for so long.

"It is something I have an interest in and am passionate about. If the right option comes up then, of course, it is something I would look at."

'Young England players need game-time'

Rooney won 119 caps for England and scored 53 goals, while he represented his country at three World Cups in 2006, 2010 and 2014.

He described England's efforts in getting to the semi-finals in Russia this summer as "fantastic" but wants the younger players in the squad to get more game-time at their clubs.

John Stones, 24, made just 16 Premier League starts for Manchester City in 2017-18 while midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, 22, did not play a single game for Chelsea and spent the season on loan at Crystal Palace.

"It was great to watch although I was disappointed we didn't get to the final," added Rooney.

"They had a great tournament. They are a young team. Hopefully the club managers continue to play some of them and they get more game-time."

'United can challenge Man City for title'

Rooney, Manchester United's record goalscorer with 253 goals between 2004 and 2017, is confident Jose Mourinho's side can make a stronger push for the title next season, despite finishing 19 points behind champions Manchester City in 2017-18.

"Obviously they can challenge, it's a massive club. Last year was different because of how well Manchester City did," he said.

"In any other year, they might have won the title. A lot of people looked at what Manchester City did and said Manchester United didn't play that well.

"But they actually had a good season. Obviously they didn't win anything but I think they can take confidence from that and I believe they can push Manchester City next season.

"I saw that people said they weren't playing the most attractive football. But they scored a lot of goals. I think they are getting there. Hopefully it won't be long before they win the title again.

'Unlucky' Richmond Boakye denied thrice in Jiangsu Suning draw with Beijing Renhe

Ghana striker Richmond Boakye put up man-of-the-match performance in Jiangsu Suning FC's 0-0 draw with Beijing Renhe on the resumption of the Chinese Super League on Tuesday.

Boakye had a blistering header tipped over the frame by Beijing Renhe goalkeeper Lie Zhang in the fifth minute.

He came knocking again in the 24rd minute when his first attempt from just outside the box was blocked but his second attempt on his weaker left foot drifted wide.

In the 58th minute, Boakye's goal bound header on a corner kick was saved on the goal line by agile Zhang.

Boakye was put through clear on goal in the 67th minute but he shot wide- very uncharacteristic of the prolific poacher.

In injury time, he had another header cleared off the line.

Brave MMT driver saves passengers from robbery attack

A Metro Mass Transit bus driver displayed tenacious bravado during an armed robbery attack Saturday night.

Andrews Frimpong drove through a barricade mounted by the robbers on the Akyem-Asafo Amaase road in the Eastern Region.

The driver whose fan belt got torn managed to save some passengers onboard the bus before the gun-wielding armed robbers broke in.

The bus conductor, Pascal Letsu in an interview on Adom News praised his driver for his bravery.

He explained that the armed robbers had placed firewood and barrels on the road to prevent the bus from moving but the driver managed to drive through and led all passengers to a nearby bus.

Pascal Letsu said two of the passengers, a male and female who failed to get out of the bus were robbed.

He said they have lodged a formal complaint at the Asafo and Tafo Police station.

Meanwhile, Chief of Akyem Asafo, Barima Dakwanin II bemoaned the incessant robbery incidents in the area.

He noted that police in the area are doing their best but their work is impeded due to lack of resources.

Barima Dakwanin II therefore appealed to government to resourced the police to provide adequate security for passengers and people in the area.

Levante reject 5m Euros offer for Emmanuel Boateng from clubs in France and Germany

Spanish La Liga side Levante UD have rejected offers of about five million Euros for their Ghana striker Emmanuel Boateng.

The 22-year-old striker has emerged on the radar of several clubs in France and Germany following an outstanding debut season in Spain.

The Ghana International grabbed the headlines in Spain last season when his hat-trick against Barcelona condemned the Catalans to their only defeat in the La Liga.

Having already scored against Real Madrid, the player who arrived from Moreirense in Portugal became a hot commodity in Spain.

The striker struggled at the beginning of his career in Spain but former manager Juan Ramón López Muñiz gave him minutes for him to progress. His potential was soon unleashed when manager Paco López took over.

Meanwhile, between March and June, according to CIES Football Observatory, the value of Boateng went from 5.5 million to 8.5.

Boateng's performances have seen him earn a call-up to the senior national team of Ghana, where he played in the doubleheader friendly against Japan and Iceland. The former Black Satellite striker scored his first International goal against Japan in May.

Emmanuel Boateng has joined Levante for preseason ahead of the upcoming campaign and the forward is expected to be given a contract extension to fend off potential suitors.

Asamoah Gyan applauds Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic

Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan has eulogized Croatian national team coach Zlatko Dalic after guiding his country to second place in the just ended Fifa World cup in Russia.

Asamoah Gyan worked with Dalic during his time with Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates and the forward has hailed his former boss for defying all odds to win World Cup silver medal.

The Kayserispor forward used his official Twitter account to congratulate the coach despite losing the finals to France.

“Congratulations coach Dalic Zlatko for taking your country #Croatia to the #WorldCupFinal 2nd place. I have always believed you would be a great coach one day. I’m happy to have worked with a great person like you.” Gyan tweeted

Croatia outplayed France in possession but was battered 4-2 at the end.

CR7 New Cristiano Ronaldo: Juventus newcomer ready for the challenge Fly to New York from $1318. Book now to get the best price.

Cristiano Ronaldo says he is "grateful for the opportunity" given to him by Juventus, as players of his age "usually go to Qatar or China".

The 33-year-old Portugal forward has joined the Italian champions for £99.2m after nine years at Real Madrid.

"To come to this club at this stage of my career, I am very happy," he said at his presentation in Turin.

Ronaldo also said he hopes to be the "lucky star" as the Italian side attempt to win the Champions League.

He added he had not received any other offers.

Ronaldo scored a club record 450 goals for Real - winning four Champions Leagues and La Liga twice - having joined from Manchester United in 2009.

A five-time Ballon d'Or winner - including last year - he led Portugal to victory at the 2016 European Championship.

"I want to win," he said. "I want to be the best. Who knows, maybe I will be awarded the Ballon d'Or again but things will happen naturally.

"It was difficult to win it in Manchester and Real Madrid, but maybe here? We will see."

Ronaldo said there were "many important things" that contributed to his decision.

"I am well - physically, mentally and emotionally," he said. "That is why I am so proud of being here and the way I have come here.

"I am different from all the other players who think that their career is over at my age, but I want to show the others that I am different. It is very emotional for me at the club now because I am not 23, I am 33.

"It gives me so much momentum for the future."

Taking Juventus to an 'even higher level'

Juventus are Italy's most successful club, having won Serie A 34 times - including the last seven in a row - and the Coppa Italia on 13 occasions.

However, they have not won the Champions League since 1996, losing on their past five appearances in the final.

Ronaldo said: "I do know that the Champions League is a trophy every club would like to win. This is an option. We are going to fight not only for the Champions League but for the Serie A title.

"We know competition will be harsh but we must stay concentrated. I hope I can help Juventus win it. I hope I can be the lucky star of this club but we will see what happens.

"Juventus gave me a wonderful opportunity. I'm so grateful. They gave value to my football style so it's a step forward as I see it. Juventus can have many successes. They have won domestic cups and titles and reached Champions League finals.

"I am so proud they were interested in me. I hope I can take Juventus to an even higher level."