by Silas Boahene | Aug 7, 2024 | Africa, Europe, Ghana, International, Soccer
West Ham United’s new striker, Niclas FĂĽllkrug, has expressed his enthusiasm about joining the team and praised the club’s wealth of creative talent, including Ghanaian midfielder Mohammed Kudus. FĂĽllkrug recently transferred from Borussia Dortmund for ÂŁ27.5 million on a four-year deal, following an impressive 2023-2024 season where he played in the UEFA Champions League Final and reached the quarterfinals of the 2024 Euros with Germany.
In his first interview with the London club, Füllkrug highlighted the quality of West Ham’s attacking options, which include Lucas Paquetá, Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus, and newly signed Crysencio Summerville.
“I am very happy to be here, also a little bit excited. I can’t wait to get on the pitch with my new mates. It’s a dream because you have [Lucas] Paquetá, [Jarrod] Bowen, [Mohammed] Kudus, and now [Crysencio] Summerville as well. There are a lot of very good players who can assist me, and if I get assists then I can score. I believe I can fit into this team very well.”
Kudus, who scored 14 goals and provided six assists in 45 games across all competitions in his debut season with West Ham, is expected to be a key player in supporting FĂĽllkrug’s goal-scoring ambitions.
by Silas Boahene | Aug 7, 2024 | Africa, Athletics, Europe, Ghana, International
Ghana’s final opportunity to secure a spot in an event final at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris rests with the Men’s 4×100 Metre Relay Team. The team is slated to compete in the semifinals on Thursday, August 8, at 9:35 GMT in the second of two heats, vying for a place in the finals.
The top three finishers in each heat will automatically qualify for the final, with the fastest times among non-automatic qualifiers also advancing. Ghana’s relay team, comprising Ibrahim Fuseini, Benjamin Azamati, Isaac Botsio, and Joseph Paul Amoah, will run in Lane 3 in this eight-team event.
Team Ghana will face competitors from Liberia (Lane 2), Brazil (Lane 4), China (Lane 5), Canada (Lane 6), France (Lane 7), Jamaica (Lane 8), and Germany (Lane 9).
Earlier in the games, Ghanaian sprinters Benjamin Azamati and Abdul-Rasheed Saminu missed out on qualifying for the finals of the Men’s 100 Metres. The USA’s Noah Lyles won the final, edging out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson and fellow American Fred Kerley.
by Silas Boahene | Aug 7, 2024 | Africa, Ghana, Soccer
FIFA Licensed agent and former Liberty Professionals Football Club administrative personnel, Pamela Ansah-Asamoah, believes that Liberty Professionals’ decline was largely due to the widespread adoption of their youth-focused system by other clubs. In an exclusive interview with ChannelOne Sports, she reflected on her time working with Liberty Professionals founder Sly Tetteh and emphasized the need for Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko to employ effective scouts to strengthen their teams.
Liberty Professionals, once a consistent top-four team in the Ghana Premier League, known for producing talents like Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari, William Tierro, and Michael Helegbe, were relegated three seasons ago and have since transitioned into a full-fledged football academy. Ansah-Asamoah pointed out that other clubs imitating Liberty’s strategy of promoting young players instead of veterans contributed significantly to their decline.
“Liberty has always had the vision for the young generation, and at that time, Liberty was virtually the only team running that vision,” Ansah-Asamoah explained. “Eventually, most teams took up that plan. I think they became like everybody else. Before, they were standing out because they were promoting young players, and once other teams adopted this approach, Liberty lost its uniqueness.”
She further noted that introducing more mature players brought additional challenges. “When they started introducing the matured ones, dealing with them became difficult, and that’s where the issues started,” she said.
by Silas Boahene | Aug 7, 2024 | Africa, Europe, Ghana, International, Soccer
Black Stars winger Kamaldeen Sulemana is set to miss the start of the 2024-2025 English Premier League season due to injury. The 22-year-old is expected to be sidelined for Southampton’s opening game against Newcastle at St. James’ Park on Saturday, August 17.
Sulemana sustained an undisclosed injury during Southampton’s 2-0 loss to Oxford United. Southampton manager Martin Russell confirmed the winger’s absence, stating, “Kamaldeen will be out for three weeks.” This news precedes Southampton’s preseason matches against Lazio on Wednesday, August 9, and Spanish La Liga side Getafe on Saturday, August 10.
Southampton, newly promoted to the Premier League after relegation in the 2022-2023 season, faces a significant setback with Sulemana’s injury. The winger has experienced multiple injuries throughout his career with French Ligue 1 side Stade Rennes and Southampton.
In response, the Saints are reportedly considering signing Ghanaian-British winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi from Crystal Palace.
by Silas Boahene | Aug 7, 2024 | Africa, Europe, Ghana, International, Soccer
Swiss-Ghanaian forward Kwadwo Duah netted his first league goal of the season in Ludogorets’ dominant 5-1 victory over Arda on Saturday.
The 27-year-old’s goal contributed to the Bulgarian champions’ resounding win. Ludogorets took an early lead with Son assisting Denny Gropper for the opener. Duah doubled the advantage just before halftime with another assist from Gropper.
Two minutes after the break, Son set up Rwan Cruz for a 3-0 lead, and Spas Delev added a fourth. Son completed his brace in the 73rd minute to seal the 5-1 victory. Arda’s Felix Eboa Eboa scored a late consolation goal, assisted by Tonislav Yordanov.
Duah, who also impressed at the European Championship in Germany, scored Switzerland’s opening goal in the tournament, highlighting his international prowess.
