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Meet Mustapha Ussif ; the teacher-turned-politician and now Youth & Sports minister designate

The young politician is expected to help Nana Akufo-Addo to achieve success following his appointment as the new minister for Youth and Sports as Isaac Asiamah moves out

Following Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo’s reelection and swearing in as Ghana’s president on December 7, 2020 and January 7, 2021 respectively, he has openly made it clear that there will be a lot of changes in his administration and particularly made emphasis on the number of ministers he will be appointing.

Unsurprisingly, a lot of known faces have seen their roles taken away from them due to several reasons and one of them is member of parliament for Atwima Mponua constituency Isaac Asiamah who until recently was the Youth and Sports minister.

Despite Asiamah becoming one of the few sports ministers to stay in office for four years and several multipurpose sports complexes were built during his reign, he has been ditched in the second term of Akufo-Addo’s administration.

As a result, Mustapha Ussif, a member of parliament for the Yagaba/Kubori Constituency has been designated as his successor should he pass the mandatory and rigorous vetting processes expected to come on very soon.

Born on August 16, 1979, Mustapha is a native of Tantaala in the Northern Region of Ghana and entered parliament in 2013 after winning the parliamentary elections in December 2012 on the ticket of New Patriotic Party. Although, he lost the seat to Abdul-Rauf Tanko Ibrahim of the National Democratic Congress during the 2016 Parliamentary elections, Mustapha reclaimed it in 2020 in fashionable style.

He became a professional teacher in the early 2000’s after successfully completing Bagabaga Teacher Training College now Bababaga College of Education.

After some years of teaching, he decided to switch career and attended Anglia Ruskin University and was awarded Bachelor of Arts degree in International Business and Management in 2010 before he furthered his education at the University of Gloucestershire and graduated in 2011 with Masters degree in Finance and Investment.

Mustapha became an Investment Analyst at Ray and Associates, UK in 2010 and later joined Action Aid UK as a Freelance Consultant.

He has served on various committees in parliament including the Mines and Energy Committee, and the Standing Orders Committee Committee.

Until recently, Mustapha was serving as the executive director of the National Service Scheme before he became a member of Parliament once again.

Asante Kotoko to play ES Setif in Confederation Cup play-off

The Porcupine Warriors will have to wrestle with the Algerian side in a make or break tie after they were conspicuously kicked out of the Champions League

Ghana Premier League giants Asante Kotoko will host E.S Setif on February 14 at the Accra Sports Stadium in the first leg of the Caf Confederation Cup play offs.

The Kumasi-based giants were kicked out of the Champions League after they failed to raise a team consisting of fifteen players since seven of their travelling squad tested positive to COVID-19 ahead of the game against Al Hilal in the return fixture in Omdurman.

Although, Kotoko insist they have legitimate reasons why they feel Al Hilal tempered with their medical reports, Caf have handed Hilal the points to proceed in the Champions League.

Kotoko, who arrived in Accra on Friday, will play Setif with the hope of making it into the group of Confederation Cup to save their blushes.

Video: Abedi Pele plays table tennis with kids at Decathlon Ghana launch in Kawukudi

The three-time African best mingled with the locals of Kawukudi on Thursday during the launch of the Sports retailing shop

Former Ghana captain Abedi Ayew Pele was at the launch of Decathlon Ghana’s shop in Kawukudi in Accra on Thursday.

In an event graced by France’s foreign minister Jean Yves Le Drian as the special guest of honour, Ayew was showered with praise for his numerous roles in football in Ghana and France.

“Ayew has been an excellent footballer and I’m very excited to have met him personally today,” Yves Le Drian said as quoted by AshesGyamera.com.

“I’m more happier because I’ve come to realise that one of his sons lived and played in a city I was the mayor some years back. I thank him for his roles in football in France and Ghana,” he added.

Pele said: “it always feels great to be with kids, especially those in sports.”

Decathlon Sports Firm whose slogan is “Sports for all – All for sports” are the official football retailers for Ghana Football Association and are the ones that brought the Kipsta footballs which are used for Ghana Premier League and Division One League games.

Hearts to resume ‘SERIOUS’ training after Christmas festivities

The Phobians are expected to return to training on Monday after they were given time to spend the Christmas with their families and friends

Ghana Premier League giants Hearts of Oak will resume training in the afternoon of Monday, December 28, at Aquinas Sports Complex after they were handed a one-week break to enable then spend the Christmas festivities with their families and loved ones near and afar, according to Ghanasportspage.com

The Phobians top hierarchy, after a difficult start to the 2020/21 Ghana Premier League season, were contemplating on whether or not to allow the players to leave camp since they are in dire need of results but finally gave them the go ahead on December 25.

New head coach Kostadian Papic has between today and January 1 to guide the players to master his gameplan as they host league leaders Bechem United in the top line of Matchday Seven on New Year day at the Fosu Gyeabour Park in Bechem.

Hearts currently sit eighth on the log with eight points, six points behind Bechem United.

Nyame Newton releases new anthem for Asante Kotoko; insists it’s better than Hearts’ anthem

Charles Yaw Nyame Newton, a diehard fan of Ghana Premier League (GPL) giants Asante Kotoko, has released a morale driving club anthem for his darling club, a song that arguably beats arch rivals Accra Hearts of Oak’s famous club anthem “Arose! Arose.

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The song titled “We Are The Fabulous Boys” was composed by Charles Yaw Nyame Newton, a staunch fan of the Porcupine Warriors who has supported the Kumasi based club since his infancy.
The song which is sung in English is inspired by the fact that the arch rivals of Asante Kotoko, Accra Hearts of Oak have their official club anthem sang in English and the fans of the Accra based side have always teased Asante Kotoko of not having any proper song with English lyrics. According to Charles, his song which is composed entirely in English will put a stop to such teasing from fans of Accra Hearts of Oak.


Speaking to ghanasportspage.com, the “Honhom Kronkron” composer explained that the purpose of the song “We are The Fabulous Boys” is to ginger the players of the club and its teaming supporters to come out victorious in any competition the club competes in.


He believes the emergence of this song marks the beginning of another winning era for his darling club. Some of the lyrics of the song include the following:
“We are the fabulous boys, fabu
We are the fabulous boys, we shall always win and must never, and must never lose or draw a game,
We are the fabulous boys, fabulous! Fabulous, fabu.
Chorus
We are the Fabulous Boys, Asante Kotoko, mighty and strong, delightful team.
We are the Fabulous Boys, Asante Kotoko, unstoppable, unbeatable.
We are the Fabulous Boys, Asante Kotoko, you kill a thousand, thousand will come, will come, will come, will come.
We are the Fabulous Boys, fabu! We are the Fabulous Boys, we shall never lose but endeavour, but endeavour to win all our games, we are the Fabulous Boys, fabulous! Fabulous…….
According to the composer Charles Newton, his song beats Accra Hearts of Oak’s famous “Arose, Arose”. It is of public knowledge that even many fans of Asante Kotoko including some of the club’s officials are strong admirers of the “Arose, Arose” tune, but Charles thinks otherwise.


“When I was a kid, if you listen to the Arose, Arose then your hearts begins to beat. We thank Mr Pat Thomas for composing a very good Twi song for Asante Kotoko. When I was a kid our fellows were teasing us that you Kotoko don’t have an English song, and now God has helped us to come out with this one”, he narrated.


Asked which is better, Hearts of Oak’s “Arose! Arose” or his newly released cheer song title “We are the Fabulous Boys”, Charles obviously will tilt towards his own and he did so.
“Uncle, ours is far advanced, that of Kotoko is very advanced and far better”, he compared.
Charles Yaw Nyame Newton is a Masters Degree Ghanaian student in China who is into music as well. He urged Asante Kotoko players and supporters to use this song a means of motivatition to go and beat Al Hilal football club in Sudan on January 6, 2021, when the two clubs face off for the second leg of the second round of the CAF Champions League preliminaries.
Click on the link below to watch and enjoy the full song by Charles Yaw Nyame Newton:

Razak Abalora to start ahead of Kwame Baah as Kotoko play Dreams FC

The Black Stars shot-stopper will be making his maiden appearance for the Porcupine Warriors when they play Dreams this afternoon

Asante Kotoko interim coach Johnson Smith has opted to start goalkeeper Razak Abalora ahead of Kwame Baah against Dreams FC in Ghana Premier League matchday six on Sunday.

Abarola, who joined as a free agent, had to wait for this chance after he was tested positive of Coronavirus disease while on international duty with Ghana.

However, following the sacking of Maxwell Konadu and the injury relay of first-choice Felix Annan, Smith has thrown caution to the wind as he has chosen to stick with Abalora in a game that could determine the Porcupine Warriors’ title hopes.

Kotoko lost 1-0 at home to Great Olympics in their game in the league and would face Al Hilal Omdurman in the Caf Champions League on Wednesday.

Asante Kotoko Caf Champions League opponent touch down in Ghana with full house

The Blue Waves have finally arrived in the country ahead of their game against the Porcupine Warriors who are having problems of their own

Ghana’s sole representative in the Caf inter-club competition Asante Kotoko have seen their opponents in the Caf Champions League touched down in the country on Saturday.

The Blue Waves arrived at the Kotoka International Airport with a reported 38-man squad and two people may add up later as they begin their fine tune on Sunday for the first leg of the first round scheduled at the Accra Sports Stadium on Wednesday.

Hilal head into this game with a lot of confidence after defeating FC Vipers both home and away in the preliminary round and would be hoping to chalk a favourable scoreline in Ghana.

Kotoko, on the other hand, had a walk over after FC Nouadhibou failed to raise a team due to COVID-19 issues.

Kotoko, however, are without a head coach after Maxwell Konadu was shown the exit following a poor start to the Ghana Premier League season.

Revealed: Why Kwesi Appiah has distanced himself from vacant Asante Kotoko job?

The former Black Stars gaffer is said to have brushed aside reports linking him to his boyhood club after the role became vacant on Friday

Former Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah has refuted reports linking him to vacant Asante Kotoko coaching role, AshesGyamera.com can reveal.

The ‘Silent Killer,’ who is currently unattached has been speculated as one of the major candidates to replace Maxwell Konadu as the new coach after the latter was shown the exit on Friday.

However, AshesGyamera.com can authoritatively reveal that Appiah has not been officially contacted by Kotoko’s top hierarchy and he is even not interested in the role since he has decided to take a little time off coaching at the moment.

According to our sources, Appiah, a former captain of the club, is currently into other businesses including building and construction, hotel facilities as well as estate development and believes these give him comfort and peace of mind.

Aside Appiah, former Ghana assistant coach Ibrahim Tanko and a host of other foreign coaches have been likened to the club.

“There is no way Kwesi Appiah will become the next coach of Asante Kotoko because he is actually not interested at the moment,” a source close to the coach told AshesGyamera.com.

“After his contract with Ghana expired, he decided to take time off football and leave the scene for a while because he has been through a lot. Currently, he is doing other businesses which are showing promises and it will be premature to halt all the plans and projections made to become the successor of Maxwell Konadu.

“Everything in this world is possible but this comeback is highly impossible. I believe Kotoko will look elsewhere,” the source added.

Kotoko will face Dreams FC in Ghana Premier League in Dawu on Sunday under the care of interim coach Johnson Smith before they lock horns with Al Hilal Omdurman in Caf Champions League first round first leg encounter in Accra Sports Stadium on Wednesday

Asante Kotoko sack ‘unimpressive’ Maxwell Konadu after poor start to the season

The Porcupine Warriors have mutually agreed to terminate their contract with Maxwell Konadu few hours after losing to the Wonder Club

Ghana Premier League giants Asante Kotoko have officially announced the sacking of head coach Maxwell Konadu barely 24 hours after losing 1-0 at home to Great Olympics in outstanding Ghana Premier League at the Accra Sports Stadium on Wednesday.

The former Black Stars deputy coach, who rejoined the club after guiding them to win the 2013 league trophy, has suffered one of the club’s worst start to the league despite heavy investments made by the current management team.

“Club Notice:

Management of Asante Kotoko Sporting Club wishes to inform the general public that it has decided to part ways with Coach Maxwell Konadu as its Head Coach with immediate effect,” a club statement read.

“Coach Johnson Smith has been appointed to lead the team in the interim,” the statement added.

Kotoko will face Dreams FC on Sunday in the league before they host Al Hilal Omdurman in the first leg of Caf Champions League first round at the Accra Sports Stadium.

‘Underfire’ Maxwell Konadu explains why Fabio Gama & Keita aren’t playing for Kotoko

The Porcupine Warriors boss has shed lights on why the two foreign players are yet to feature for the club this season despite being registered

Asante Kotoko coach Maxwell Konadu has revealed that he has been missing the services of Brazilian midfielder Fabio Gama and Guinean striker Naby Keita because of documentation despite the club officially registering them for 2020/21 season.

With Kotoko struggling to pick points in the league this season, their woes were compounded at home as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Great Olympics on Thursday in Accra and a section of the supporters have began to question the reasons behind the absence of Gama and Keita.

“We’re still waiting for the documentation of Fabio Gama and Naby Keita,” Konadu said.

“They are foreigners in the country and we will need their documents to be ready before we can use them in league games so it is not deliberate attempt to bench them,” he added.

Konadu also backed some of the new players especially Evans Adomako who have come under intense criticisms due to poor performances and believes they will come good as the season wears on.

“Some of the new players are only beginning to settle in. They will get better. They know the demands of the supporters and will respond accordingly,” he said.

Kotoko will play Dreams FC next this weekend before the host Al Hilal Omdurman in the first leg of the Caf Champions League first round tie in mid week.