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Ghana’s Hasaacas Ladies crowned champions of WAFU Women’s championships

The Dooooo Ladies recorded a sweet revenge over their Nigerian opponents to emerge winners of the maiden tournament

Ghana Women’s League champions Hasaacas Ladies defeated Nigerian side Rivers Angels FC 3-1 to win the maiden WAFU Zone B Women’s Champions League final at the Stade Champroux on Thursday evening.

 
After losing to Rivers Angels in the opening group game last week, Hasaacas regrouped with only one purpose – a revenge- on their minds as they started knocking on their doors very early in the game.

Veronica Appiah sent Hasaacas in front by the first minute after she connected a rebound from Rahama Jafaru’s initial shot which was denied by the woodwork.

 
However, the Nigerians restored parity nine minutes later after a defensive mistake by Hasaacas. Vivian Ikechukwu latched onto a pass from her teammate and went past her marker to slot home the equaliser by the 10th minute.

 In spite of the pressure by Rivers Angels to take the lead, Hasaacas had their noses in front once more against the run of play. Perpetual Agyekum sent in a powerful free-kick to beat Rivers’ goalkeeper by the 41st minute.

After the break, the Rivers coach altered her formation to have more players upfront in search for the equaliser once again but it was Hasaacas defender Azumah Bugre who became the unlikely source of comfort as the tall defender scored her first goal of the tournament with a powerful long range effort to diffuse all hopes of a possible comeback from Rivers.

Hasaacas will now participate in the Caf Women’s Champions League which will be staged later this year in Egypt.

BREAKING NEWS: Lionel Messi leaves Barcelona & La Liga ahead of new season

The diminutive midfielder has left the Spanish giants due to financial difficulties the club is facing currently

FC Barcelona have officially announced that their captain Lionel Messi will no longer be at the club due to financial difficulties.

The 33-year-old, who became a free agent this summer following the expiration of his contract, leaves Camp Nou after almost three decades at the club.

✅| OFFICIAL STATEMENT: “Despite having reached an agreement between Barça and Leo Messi and with the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today, it will not be possible to formalize due to economic and structural obstacles (Spanish LaLiga regulations),” a club statement read.

“As a result of this situation, Messi shall not be staying on at FC Barcelona. Both parties deeply regret that the wishes of the player and the club will ultimately not be fulfilled.”

“FC Barcelona wholeheartedly expresses its gratitude to the player for his contribution to the aggrandisement of the club and wishes him all the very best for the future in his personal and professional life,” the statement added.

Messi won several awards and trophies with Barcelona including La Liga, Super Coppa, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup.

Messi leaves at a time that Barcelona are undoubtedly struggling to find their feet after failing to win La Liga last season.

No top Brazilian striker will join Kotoko or Ghana league, says Barreto

The Porcupine Warriors signed a Brazilian striker to replace their top marksman mid season but the Portuguese gaffer suggests he was substandard

Asante Kotoko head coach Mariano Barreto has revealed he was shocked when the club’s chief executive officer Nana Yaw Amponsah told him that he was on the verge of sealing a deal for a top Brazilian striker.

Barreto joined Kotoko at a point when the club’s leading striker Kwame Opoku was also close to sealing a deal with Moroccan side USM Algiers.

Although, Barreto admitted he was worried about the fact that Kotoko would struggle for goals in Opoku’s absence, he has revealed that a promise about a top and quality striker from Brazil was made to him which was a little surprising.

Eventually, Kotoko signed free agent Michael Vinicius and the lanky striker went on to bang in two goals in 79 minutes.

However, his contract was mutually terminated after only two months with reports suggesting that he was found living an indecent life although the club said the contract was terminated on personal grounds.

“When Asante Kotoko management told me that a top Brazilian striker was coming to replace Kwame Opoku, I was surprised,” Barreto told Nhyira FM.

“This was because why would a top striker in Brazil come to play in Ghana?”

Barreto failed to win the league with the remaining players available to him and even got eliminated from the FA Cup in quarterfinals by Berekum Chelsea.

Barreto reveals why he can’t be Asante Kotoko’s coach next season

The Portuguese gaffer has revealed things that he lacks while coaching the Porcupines and believes he will vacate his position if things remain the same

Asante Kotoko head coach Mariano Barreto has insisted that he will no longer be at the club for the 2021/22 season if a lot of things remain the same.

According to the former Ghana coach, he has struggled to work because of lack of dressing rooms for players at training ground as well as a personal office where he can work outside the field of play.

Barreto, who signed one and half a year contract mid season to replace Abdulai Gazele, believes Kotoko lack structures despite the club’s huge brand on the African continent.

“I will not continue with Kotoko with same conditions I went through last season,” Barreto told Nhyira FM in an interview on Thursday.

“I can’t work under this same conditions we went through last season like no dressing rooms at training ground, no physio room, no offices and other things to help my work.

“I will even insult myself as a professional coach if I’m still coaching in this situation. I’m a professional coach and I didn’t beg for the job,” he added.

Barreto also commented on social media abuses he and his technical team as well as players have faced this season.

“Only cowards hide behind social media to insult people,” Barreto said.

“Kotoko supporters will see you at the Mall and ask you for pictures and this made me believe they are not those insulting us on social media.

“Because only cowards use social media to insult people, and when you check their profile they are all university graduates,” he added.

Mariano Barreto slams Asante Kotoko, claims it isn’t a big team

The Porcupine Warriors manager has aimed another dig at the club after failing to guide them to win a trophy

Asante Kotoko head coach Mariano Barreto has launched another scathing attack on the club despite failing to guide them to win a major trophy this season.

The 64-year-old was appointed mid season to help the Porcupine Warriors to win Ghana Premier League and FA Cup.
However, the finished second in the league behind rivals Hearts of Oak and reached the quarter finals of FA Cup after losing to Berekum Chelsea on penalties.

Despite failing to meet his targets, the Portuguese manager has started a media war with the club’s top hierarchy as he keeps revealing things he believes did not help his course.

“Asante Kotoko is a big name and not a big team,” Barreto told Nhyira FM.

“I don’t know where the Asante Kotoko secretariat is located. I haven’t been there before since my appointment as the club’s head coach some months ago.

“I have been in Ghana for the past four months to handle Asante Kotoko but I don’t know where it is located. I signed my contract in Accra at a hotel.
 

”Is it located at the stadium [Baba Yara Sports Stadium]?” he added.

Barreto signed one-and-half-a-year contract and it will be reviewed by the end of August by the management team and board of directors.

2020 Olympic Games: Ghana qualifies to Men’s 4×100 relay final ahead of USA

The relay team had to wait patiently for the heats to be over before they could celebrate their qualification to the medal zone on Thursday

The Men’s 4×100 relay team of Ghana secured their place in the finals of the 2020 Olympic Games 4x100m relays in Tokyo, Japan on Thursday despite the anxiety and little frustration they went through since they had to wait for all the other heats to be completed to know their fate.

Ghana -with the quartet of Sean Safo-Antwi, Benjamin Azamati, Emmanuel Yeboah and Joseph Paul Amoah – finished their heat in fifth position with a time of 38.08s but were later confirmed as one of the nine countries to battle for a medal in the final since their time was selected among the best from all the heats.

Aside qualifying to the Olympics final, Team Ghana also made history as their time of 38.08s has become a new national record. They slashed down the old record of 38.12s set in 1997 at the World Championships in Greece by 0.04s.

The joy on the faces of the new record breakers was awesome since they couldn’t believe their eyes especially breaking a record set twenty four years ago by legendary quartet of Abu Duah, Eric Nkansah, Aziz Zakari and Emmanuel Tuffour.

With China, Italy and Canada in one group with Ghana, it was always going to be difficult for the African champions.

The final event for the men’s 4x100m final has been scheduled for 13:50GMT on Friday and Team Ghana will be in lane two as they hope to win another medal for the country.

Already, Ghana has won one bronze medal at the games after young boxer Samuel Takyi reached the semifinals of Men’s Featherweight Division of boxing.

2020 Olympic Games: Ghanaians furious with ‘improper’ dressing of Team Ghana

The athletes arrived in Tokyo without any coordination with regards to kits they will use for their events and each has since been spotted whatever fits the purpose

A lot of Ghanaians have shown their disappointment following how athletes representing the nation at the 2020 Olympic Games ongoing in Tokyo, Japan continue to wear different kits to participate various disciplines.

It looks like all the 14 athletes went there with their own jerseys perhaps since Ghana Olympic Committee and government failed to have one kit sponsor for them unlike athletes from other competing countries.

It will interest you to know that sprinter Benjamin Azamati competed in a different kit when running in the Men’s 100 metres.

Also, Joseph Paul Amoah has been seen wearing two different shirts from different companies at the Olympics. The 200 metre runner was spotted to be donning a kit suspected to be provided by Errea for his Heat and another jersey different from what he wore initially whe he was fighting for a place in the semifinals.

Meanwhile, bronze medallist Samuel Takyi who has won Ghana’s only medal at the games and the first in 29 years, was also spotted donning a Nike jacket with his coach which have raised questions about coordination and uniformity among the athletes representing Ghana.

It is even believed that the 4×100 relay team that will be competing on Thursday morning may likely wear a different kit to what others have already wore to compete for a place in the quarterfinals.

Despite all these concerns raised by a section of Ghanaians watching the games back home on television and social media platforms, Ghana Olympic Committee is yet to issue a statement to explain why almost all the athletes continue to wear different jerseys from different companies.

Olele Kingson replaces Najawu as Black Stars goalkeeping coach

The former shot-stopper has been confirmed as the head of goalkeeping department at the Black Stars as Ghana hopes to qualify to the next World Cup

The 43-year old replaces Najawu Issah who has been reassigned to the Black Stars B.

Richard Kingston, previously worked under Kwasi Appiah as goalkeepers trainer of the team in May 2017 but was relieved of his duty two years later.

He made about 90 senior national team appearances for Ghana spanning two decades before retiring from International football in 2017.

The former Great Olympics and Birmingham City shot stopper played in two FIFA World Cup tournaments in 2006 and 2010 and also represented Ghana in five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
He is expected to bring his rich vein of experience to bear in upcoming International competitions.

The Black Stars are scheduled to play Ethiopia and South Africa in September 2021 as the search for a ticket to the 2022 Word Cup begins.

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2020 Olympic Games: Mensah-Stock wins Gold medal to set new record

When Mensah Stock defeated Nigeria’s Blessing Oborududu 4-1 in the women’s 68-kilogram freestyle wrestling final on Tuesday, she became the first American Black woman to win Olympic gold in wrestling and the second American woman overall.

“These young women are going to see themselves in a number of ways and they’re going to look up there and go, I can do that,” she said. “I can see myself.”

Helen Maroulis was the first American woman to earn Olympic gold in the sport when she upset Japan’s Saori Yoshida to win the 53-kg class in 2016.

Black women have had their moments in U.S. women’s wrestling. Toccara Montgomery won gold at the Pan-Am Games in 2003, Iris Smith won a world title in 2005 and Randi Miller earned bronze at the 2008 Olympics.
“They paved the way for me,” Mensah-Stock said.

Oborududu made history also as the first Nigerian — male or female — to earn a wrestling medal at the Olympics.

“After wrestling to get into the final yesterday, I was having a lot of messages, a lot of calls,” Oborududu said. “I locked down my phone, because I don’t want to receive any calls, or anything that was really disturbing me. I switched off my phone so I was not in any kind of pressure. I know that I’ve created the record for my country.”

Mensah-Stock was proud of the fact that she wrestled a Black African woman for the gold medal. Mensah-Stock’s father is from Ghana, a nation in West Africa.

“I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, look at us representing,”
Mensah-Stock said. “It’s so freaking awesome. You’re making history, I’m making history. We’re making history. So it meant a lot.”

Mensah-Stock, the No. 1 seed, blitzed through a formidable field. She defeated Japan’s Sara Dosho — a 2016 Olympic gold medalist — 10-0 in the first round.

She beat China’s Feng Zhao 10-0 in the quarterfinals, then beat Ukraine’s Alla Cherkasova — a former world champion — 10-4 in the semifinal.
She finished the dominant run by defeating Oborududu, the No. 2 seed and a three-time Olympian, in the final.

“Well, you’ve got to beat the best to know that you’re the best,” Mensah-Stock said. “And that’s what I keep telling myself. It doesn’t matter the draw. You go out there and you beat whoever is in front of you because that’s how you tell somebody that you were the best. I’m the bad draw.”

Cherkasova defeated Dosho in a bronze medal match. The other bronze went to Kyrgyzstan’s Meerim Zhumanazarova. She defeated Mongolia’s Soronzonboldyn Battsetseg, a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist.

Hungary’s Tamas Lorincz defeated Kyrgyzstan’s Akzhol Makhmudov 2-1 in the Greco-Roman 77-kg men’s final.
Lorincz, 34, was the top seed. He was a silver medalist in the 66-kg event at the 2012 London Olympics.

Makhmudov, 22, was competing in his first Olympics. He dominated his first three matches, outscoring his opponents by a combined 26-3 before reaching the final. Bronze medalists were Japan’s Shohei Yabiku and Azerbaijan’s Rafig Huseynov.

The Russian Olympic Committee’s Musa Evloev defeated Armenia’s Artur Aleksanyan 5-1 in the Greco-Roman 97-kg men’s final.
Evloev was the No. 1 seed and a two-time world champion.

Aleksanyan, the No. 2 seed, was the 2016 Olympic gold medalist at 98 kg and a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist at 96 kg. Aleksanyan injured his left leg during his semifinal match and had it heavily taped for the final.

Bronze medalists were Poland’s Tadeusz Michalik and Iran’s Mohammadhadi Saravi.
American Kayla Miracle had high hopes. She opened the day against China’s Jia Long in the 62-kg women’s freestyle category. Long scored a passivity point, but Miracle went ahead 2-1 on an exposure seconds before the break. Long scored on a lift with about two minutes remaining for the deciding points.

Because Long didn’t make the final, Miracle was ineligible for the repechage and lost her chance to medal.

Culled from ESPN

Medeama sack goalkeeper Boateng after howler against Hearts of Oak

The Yellow and Mauve have opted to mutually terminate their contract with the shot-stopper after just ten months

Ghana Premier League Medeama have officially terminated their contract with goalkeeper Frank Boateng, the club had announced on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old joined the Tarkwa-based club from AshantiGold as a free agent but has seen his stay cut short due to consistent mistakes in crucial games.

The goalkeeper was one of the main reasons why Medeama lost their FA Cup semifinal fixture 3-0 to Hearts of Oak last weekend.

With the club down by 1-0, Boateng committed a school boy error which gave Hearts midfielder Isaac Mensah the opportunity to double the Phobians’ advantage and they later added another goal to seal a famous victory.

Although, Boateng has publicly apologised for his actions, the club’s top hierarchy didn’t hesitate to terminate his contract in a bid to have a reshuffle in the playing body.

“We have mutually parted ways with goalkeeper Frank Boateng,” a club statement read.

“The club would like to thank Frank for his services and wish him well,” the statement added.

Boateng, who has previously played for Techiman Eleven Wonders, is expected to leave Tarkwa this week in pursuit of new suitors before the new season kicks off.