Former Asante Kotoko player Prince Poley has sent a word of caution to his former club ahead of their Caf Champions League clash against JSM Bejaia at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
Kumasi Asante Kotoko two weeks ago took Algeria by storm when they secured a vital away point against JSM Bejaia making it the first time in 23 years a Ghanaian side has secured a point in the North African country.
Poley thinks the Asante Kotoko lads should not be complacent about the result acquired from Algeria because the North Africans are found of surprises when it comes to competitions like this.
“They should not think because of the away result they can easily walk over them because the north Africans do not give credence to either playing away or home, they can win anywhere,” he told Sunyani-based Moonlite FM.
“Guarding against goal should be their utmost priority.”
He was quick to add that in an effort to psyche the players up ahead of the game, he will join hands with other former players to visit the team in camp to show their support.
“By the end of the week, we the old players will pay the team a visit and share with them some words of encouragement,” he revealed.
The winner of the return leg will lock horns with either Esperance or Premier de Agosto depending on the outcome of their game.
The Black Stars of Ghana on Sunday walloped their Sudanese counterparts 4-0 in their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.
It was a game that saw former England youth international Emmanuel Frimpong making his debut for the Black Stars.
Let’s assess the team based on individual performance to vividly get a clear picture of what transpired.
Fatau Dauda – Goalkeeper (55%)
The AshGold goalkeeper although not seriously threatened on the day, his demeanour, communication, reflexes and decision making was excellent. This is a hallmark of a brilliant goalkeeper and any plaudit is well merited. He is credited 55% for his work rate because he was not put to the test.
Richard Kisi Boateng – Left Back (55%)
Another talented player who is gradually warming himself into the team; on the day his defensive prowess were superb, but always found wanton when the team is surging forward. He was stationed at the left back position and never surged forward to help in attack. No pull out was credited to him at the end, which is unusual of a Ghanaian left-back. He scored 55% in that regard.
Harrison Afful – Right Back (67%)
As tinny as he is, he has undoubtedly been one of the few players who always lives up to the billing when the mantle is left on their shoulders. As usual, the Esperance rearguard marshaled the left-back brilliantly; his surging runs were exceptional and indeed well calculated pull outs that resulted in Wakaso’s goal. He scores 67% for his gallant display.
John Boye – Center Back (70%)
Although at times he becomes over confident, he was cautious this time round knowing for sure the task ahead. Her combined effectively with his partner at the heart of the defense. He was good with all aerial balls that came his way and excellently opens up to initiate the game when Dauda grabs the ball. He exhibited a high sense of maturity earning him 70%.
Isaac Vorsah – Center Back (80%)
He is my man-of-the-match irrespective of the sudden demise of his beloved father on Monday. Vorsah was able to play his heart out resulting in Ghana not conceding. He was used as a Lebro in the Ghanaian set up, where he was always seen behind doing the necessary mop-up and he did it up to expectation. He had 80% marks in his basket.
Rabiu Alhassan Mohammed – Midfielder (67%)
The former Liberty Professionals player has become pivotal in the Ghanaian set up. He operates as the engine of the team, serving as shield to the defenders. In the game though he did not last the entire duration his presence was felt. He won all 50-50 balls, collapsed all the Sudanese attack and did a very good distribution as well. He secured 67% mark for a great job done.
Wakaso Mubarak – Midfielder (70%)
As forceful as always he was at his peak again, a good set piece resulting in Gyan’s goal and another text book grounder from outside the 18-yard box to record home his goal and Ghana’s second. He was very aggressive and managed to catch the opponent on the break at a point in time via his long and incisive passes. He merits 70% for a good display.
Kwadwo Asamoah – Midfielder (59%)
The least said about him the better. He performs creditably for Juventus but whenever he is in the Black Stars jersey he underperforms. He was sluggish, looks heavy and above all was also responsible for giving out too many faulty passes. He goes forward when attacking but dropping back to support the defenders was a problem, I think he deserves 59% following his working.
Sulley Muntari – Midfielder (60%)
After missing in action for sometime due to injury, he made his return but it never appeared he was making a return after all. He was very purposeful upfront with his long drives and also defended very well when the opponent is in control. He is also awarded 60% for his total output.
Asamoah Gyan – Attacker (55%)
Clearly, the Gyan we know three or four years ago is different from the Gyan we saw playing. Today’s Gyan is heavy, lacks pace and touch-wood looks more like a humorist than a footballer. In the game, he played for only 15 minutes resulting in his goal afterwards he was missing in action. His work rate after the first 15 minutes was zero. His effort is worth 55%.
Abdul Majeed Waris –Attacker (68%)
He came into the game as Ghana’s most prolific striker having to his credit the goal king and player of the season in Sweden resulting in his move to Spartak Moscow this season. On the day he was missing in action throughout the first half but proved what he is made of in the second half when we adopted the 4-2-3-1 formation. He became a thorn in the flesh of the Sudanese defense regarding his endurance, pace and agility. Aside his magnificent goal he also won clear penalty which was disallowed. For his excellent display he is dashed 68%.
Substitutes
Emmanuel Frimpong – Midfielder (58%)
Nothing really showed that indeed it was his debut game. He brought to bear the quick ‘one-two’ play in British parlance. He was not seen too much in the game because he hardly wastes time on the ball, which is a typical British style. Defensive-wise he was not bad scoring 58% for a good show.
Emmanuel Agyeman Badu – Midfielder (62%)
This is a player who never relaxes, very determined and always gives out his best when fielded and this game was no exception. Although he was brought on in the second half he proved why unarguably he is touted as one of the finest midfielders in the country. His surging runs were good; he added power to the game and was always quick to defend when his side loses control. No wonder he wrote his name on the score sheet. His effort is worth 62%.
Solomon Asante –Midfielder (52%)
He is very swift when played in his rightful position but in this game perhaps because he was brought on late we did not see much of him. He tried to outwit his opponents on some few occasions which never materialised but was able to combine some effective short passes with his colleagues which are worth commending on that note he earns 52% to his credit.
Kwesi Appiah – Coach (95%)
Indeed he is one of the finest technical brains the country has ever produced, losing the Afcon trophy does not make him a bad coach. On the day, he adopted two significant game formations: the 4-4-2 and 4-2-3-1 and in fact they were well executed.
He also got his cards right by starting the debutants from the bench. This is the hallmark of a good coach, since the players are new to the environment they have to go through the adaptation process before starting them and that is exactly what he did. He has 95% for masterminding the win.
A separate draw will take place at the conclusion of the CAF African Youth Championship to determine which group Ghana and the other African sides will play in at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup.
This follows Monday’s draw in Istanbul for this year’s finals in Turkey.
Ghana have qualified for the World Cup after securing passage to the semi-finals of the African competition. Nigeria, Mali and Egypt are the other qualifiers.
According to FIFA, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th place teams from the on-going competition in Algeria will be entered in the various groups but the African winner will join Group E which includes, Chile, England and Iraq.
Host nation Turkey are paired with Colombia, Australia and El Salvador in Group E.
Defending champion Brazil failed to qualify. The tournament will be played June 21-July 13 in seven Turkish cities.
FIFA U-20 World Cup 2013 group stage draw:
GROUP A (Istanbul, Kayseri): France, CAF, USA, Spain
GROUP B (Kayseri, Istanbul): Cuba, Korea Republic, CAF, Portugal
GROUP C (Trabzon, Rize, Gaziantep): Turkey, El Salvador, Colombia, Australia
GROUP D (Gaziantep, Trabzon): Mexico, Greece, Paraguay, CAF
GROUP E (Antalya, Bursa): Chile, CAF Champions, England, Iraq
GROUP F (Bursa, Antalya): OFC Champions, Uzbekistan, Uruguay, Croatia
Billionaire, philanthropist and co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation is currently in Ghana to observe the nations’ health care delivery system, especially successes achieved so far in the area of immunization, and probably donate some cash to us 🙂
So far he seems to be impressed with the Ghanaian health system. He has publish an article on his blog captioned ‘What I’m Learning about Ghana’.
Read the full article below
I arrive in Ghana today to see firsthand why the country’s immunization system is working so well and meet the people involved.
For some people, health delivery systems might not seem like the most intriguing topic, but I am really interested in understanding how they’ve done so much of this right. Strong immunization systems are crucial for protecting our gains against polio and helping us reach mothers and children with new vaccines and other life-saving health services. In Ghana, for example, polio was eliminated a decade ago and an outbreak in 2008 was quickly controlled. No child there has died from measles since 2002. And Ghana was the first country to launch two new vaccines last April, against rotavirus, which causes severe diarrhea, and pneumococcal pneumonia.
Ghana’s approach works so well for a few key reasons: Rigorous data gathering and analysis, accountability at the district level, and community outreach. Just as importantly, the vaccination program is fully integrated into the health system. But there’s really no substitute for seeing it on the ground.
Tomorrow we’re going to visit a director of health services in a district in central Ghana, then a nearby clinic. We’re then going to visit a community health center where the nurses also go out to find mothers who missed appointments or children due for immunizations to make the program as thorough as possible. As I wrote in my annual letter this year, measurement is crucial for improving health care, so at every stop I want to understand how the data is collected and used for planning and decision making – and meet the people who are making this success possible.
I plan to share my experience in Ghana at the Global Vaccine Summit in Abu Dhabi April 24-25, where global health leaders will celebrate progress in immunization and demonstrate how the world is united to give all children a healthy start to life.
Of course, no system is perfect, so I want to learn about the obstacles and challenges in Ghana as well. I’ll speak with many of the leaders who are working so hard to reach every child with vaccines, including Dr K.O. Antwi-Agyei, who manages the national immunization program. I’m also excited to talk to some of the well-trained community health nurses and meet some of their local clients. In my next post I’ll tell you about the people I’m meeting and some of the lessons we can learn from Ghana’s success.
The Supreme Court will resume sitting on April 2, 2012 to resolve, consider and adopt issues to be raised by lawyers in the petition challenging the legitimacy of President John Mahama.
Lawyers for the parties met on Monday March 19, 2013 following a directive from the court advising them to meet, deliberate and arrive at issues to be set out for trial and determination, but that agreement could not be reached by the parties.
Following the communication of the deadlock to the registrar of the Supreme Court on March 19, 2013, the registrar in a letter dated March 25, 2013 fixed April 2, 2013 as the date for the court’s next hearing.
Under the procedures of the court, the legal teams for the petitioners, the President, the Electoral Commission (EC) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are expected to officially announce the areas they agreed on and those they disagreed on. The court will then consider the issues disagreed on and arrive at a solution before the hearing of the substantive case begins.
Following that, a memorandum of issues would then be set out for trial. Key among the memorandum of issue to be set out for trial are whether or not persons were allowed to vote without biometric verification and whether or not votes cast in 11,916 polling stations should be annulled by the court.
Popular actress, Emelia Brobbey would talk about anything and everything but hardly about her marriage which is always an out-of-bounds subject. “My marriage is very private and I intend to keep it as such”, she toldShowbiz over the phone last weekend from her UK home.
“Some celebrities may be comfortable speaking publicly about their marriages but that is not me. I see marriage as a sacred thing which shouldn’t be in the public domain”.
Emelia was responding to a media report that accused her of infidelity and claimed that she was pregnant for another man who was not her husband.
Emelia told Showbiz that she would have preferred not to talk about the false report but for the wrong impression that may have been created by it.
Although Emelia confirmed that she was pregnant, she said she was pregnant for her husband she got married to not quite long ago.
“I divorced my former husband a little over one year ago after I found out that things were not working well for us. I asked for a divorce from my ex when I found out that he had three children without my knowledge.
“I got married to him without knowing he had kids and after I found out I said there was no way I could stay with such a man, I filed for a divorce and it was granted” Emelia explained to Showbiz.
Emelia Brobbey regretted the timing of the false publication as she is now enjoying a new life with her newly wedded husband. “How would my husband feel reading from a newspaper and on the Internet that his wife’s pregnancy was for another man?”
Emelia started acting in 2002 with the help of Daniel Adeley who introduced her to Miracle Films production for her first movie role in Tribal War.
Despite the fact that the role was a minor one, she took it and it served as a stepping stone to bigger ones.
Currently she has featured in over 50 movies which are a mix of Twi and English. They include War of Roses, Tribal War, Wo Nyamesom Mpo Ni, Hidden Passions, Blackmail, Afunumuba, Aku Sika, Ama Ghana, Sika Ye Abrantie, Obiyaa and Whose Fault.
Emelia had two nominations in the 2010 Ghana Movie Awards for Best Actress in Leading Role ( Local Language) and Most Favourite Actress categories alongside others such as Jackie Appiah, Yvonne Nelson, Nana Ama Mcbrown and Rose Mensah popularly known as Kyeiwa.
Besides acting, Emelia has sterling teaching credentials. She trained and obtained a Teachers Certificate ‘A’ at the Kibi Presbyterian Training College and taught at Obuasi JSS complex, Martin Luther King School in Kumasi and Soul Clinic International School in Accra.
She also holds a Diploma in Journalism from Manifold Tutorial College and a Degree in Human Resource Management from Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).
Inusah Fuseini, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources
Inusah Fuseini, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources
Lands and Natural Resources Minister Inusah Fuseini says the government has so far destroyed and blocked 77 illegal mines in the country.
According to him, the government intends destroying all illegal mines in the country and has therefore warned concession owners, traditional leaders and farmers who connive with the illegal miners to put a stop to it or get sanctioned.
Illegal mining or Galamsey as it is known locally has become a national menace with even foreigners, especially Chinese taking part in it.
A lot of accidents lead to the death of many illegal miners in areas such as Obuasi amongst others.
The National security outfit undertook a joint operation in Obuasi recently to destroy all illegal mining pits in that part of the Ashanti region.
Inusah Fuseini who spoke at the 9th EXPANDED COUNCIL meeting of the Ghana Chamber of Mines held in the Ashanti regional capital Kumasi this morning said the government is making efforts to flush out illegal miners from the country since their operations have national security implications.
President Mahama says he is worried by the ongoing strike by teachers across the country.
He made the comment when he met the leadership of the Teacher unions at the Flagstaff House in Accra on Monday.
The President reiterated his appeal to the Teachers to call off their strike while their concerns are being looked into.
He spoke after the various parties came out with a communiqué regarding the strike.
He however cautioned the Teachers to be conscious of the public wage bill whenever making their demands.
“The industrial action embarked upon by the teachers has worried everybody in this country more so myself as the Chief Executive and I have continued to appeal to the teachers to go back to the classrooms”.
Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress, Kofi Asamoah has urged the government to be proactive in dealing with labour concerns before they escalate.
Ghana coach Akwasi Appiah has attributed his team’s impressive 4-0 win over Sudan to his players’ strict adherence to his tactics.
The Black Stars smashed their visitors in the 2014 World Cup qualifier with goals coming from Asamoah Gyan, Mubarak Wakso, Abdul Majeed Waris and Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu.
The win saw Ghana reduce Zambia’s lead in Group D to just one point as the race for the group’s sole progressive ticket heats up.
Many reasons have been ascribed to the superlative performance of the Black Stars before a packed crowd at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.
But coach Appiah says his players were ‘tactically disciplined’ – the reason he believes was responsible for his team’s impressive win on Sunday.
“I believe tactically the players were really disciplined and they played their best to get the win for the nation,” he said after the game.
“The team is in a building process, we are trying to get a winsome side.
“But I was impressed tactically how we defended and how we attacked the opponent.
“There were a few lapses which are normal but we will make sure we make amends in our next game but overall the performance was really good.”
Ghana will now play back-to-back away games against Sudan and Lesotho in June before hosting Zambia in the final group game in September.
A leading member of the Convention People’s Party, Professor Agyemang Badu Akosa has given support to President Mahama’s call on media practitioners to shun sensationalism and the massive engagement in politics.
Speaking on Radio Gold Monday morning, Professor Akosa also took a swipe at media practitioners who give platforms to politicians to tout their ideologies.
According to the former Director General of the Ghana Health Service, the media, particularly radio, should not be used to advance any political ideologies of personalities and parties but rather advance the course of nation building.
Professor Akosa, reacting to President Mahama’s call, implored presenters to ensure their programming focusses on developmental agenda of governments, outlining ways in which the country’s challenges would be resolved.
He admonished media practitioners to shun bringing politicians on their shows.
To him, journalists are mandated to instil a sense of nationalism in the citizenry. This he noted should spell out measures to curb Ghana’s economic crises.
“Nobody needs to represent anybody else’s interest. But we do it in such an adversarial way and that is what the President said. It is such in an adversarial way that it is bound to get heated.”
“You create a lot of background noise that does not advance the course properly…at the end of the day the moderator should be able to summarize and say that look this is what will move the country forward,” he stated.
President John Mahama last Friday opened up a debate about the activities of radio morning show presenters.
Addressing executives of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and senior editors at the Flagstaff House, President Mahama described the kind of morning shows that are run on radio platforms in the country as lazy.
He explained that “Radio is the most potent media vehicle and it shapes perceptions of people and so even more than newspapers, radio must get it right in terms of shaping our people’s perception but often the style that is used is very lazy.”
The President therefore urged editors to desist from politicking on the airwaves.
Professor Akosa believed the President was spot on in addressing a pertinent issue with the media.
He also insisted that “Politics is not done on the radio. Politics is done in the chamber of the house of Parliament, whether in Committee rooms or in the main hall. Radio should not be; you can have one or two discussion programmes but let the focus be developmental agenda.”
“Politics necessarily does not advance the course of any country. What is important is the development agenda.”
He further expounded that political talks should be held in the House of Parliament because “the Parliamentarians represent their political parties and represent their constituents. In the House of Parliament, there will be party political discussions on national issues. That’s where politics get done…Local politics can be in the local assembly or district assembly chamber. Beyond that, it’s not radio that does politics.”
Former Asante Kotoko player Prince Poley has sent a word of caution to his former club ahead of their Caf Champions League clash against JSM Bejaia at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
