by Silas Boahene | Jul 16, 2024 | Africa, Ghana, Soccer
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has appointed an all-female team of match officials for the inaugural Democracy Cup match between Accra Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko, set to take place at the Accra Sports Stadium on Wednesday, July 17.
FIFA referee Juliet Appiah will officiate the match, assisted by Doris Essuman Darko (Assistant 1), Mary Tei (Assistant 2), and Joyce Obenewaa Appiah as the Fourth Official. Retired referee Vivian Aggor will serve as the Match Commissioner.
Sophia Azumah has been designated as the center referee for the curtain-raiser match between Parliamentarians and former Black Stars players. She will be assisted by Angela Tsakpoe (Assistant 1), Blessing Abena Oppong (Assistant 2), and Cynthia Yaa Mensah as the Fourth Official.
The maiden Democracy Cup match is part of the celebrations marking Ghana’s 30 years of Parliamentary Democracy.
by Silas Boahene | Jul 16, 2024 | Africa, Ghana, Soccer
On Friday, July 12, Soccer For Dreamers, in partnership with the Ghana Football Association (GFA), donated football and menstrual kits to several clubs at the GFA secretariat in Ridge, Accra.
The male clubs benefiting from the donations were Agenda FC (Shai Hills), Fiakonya FC (Somanya), Abonya, Young Believers (Dodowa), and D-shooters FC (Odumse). Female teams from Greater Accra, including Teshie Constant Ladies, G.R.A Ladies, Halifax Queens, Immigration Ladies, and Sissamba Ladies, received menstrual kits.
Asanteman FC, a male disability football club featuring national team stars, also received donations. The event featured lectures on football integrity by Mr. Obed Tuffuor of the GFA Foundation and menstrual cup usage by Mrs. Sylvia Akwaboah, President of Soccer For Dreamers.
Mrs. Akwaboah noted that this year marks the third consecutive year of the initiative, which began in 2022. Beneficiaries included five women’s teams from the Greater Accra Region, four male teams from the Eastern Region, and one disability team from Kumasi. She emphasized the initiative’s goal of supporting as many teams as possible and highlighted the inclusive objective of including disability teams.
“The objective of this initiative is to support all players everywhere, irrespective of their location. For the first time, we had a disability team benefiting because we have been following the exploits in disability football and are excited to support them,” Mrs. Akwaboah said.
The partnership has consistently educated female footballers on menstrual hygiene and distributed menstrual cups at each event. Donations also included Nike-branded water bottles, Red Bulls T-shirts, Red Bulls Leipzig jerseys, and jackets from the New York Red Bulls Academy.
“Soccer For Dreamers is an inclusive organization. We started by ensuring women’s football was not left out, then combating menstrual poverty. We provided for skate soccer players last year, and seeing the need with the amputee football team, we felt it was essential to help where we could,” Mrs. Akwaboah added.
Players and coaches praised Soccer For Dreamers for their generous support. The initiative, started by three brothers—Baruch, Jed, and Kayden Akwaboah, who play school soccer in the USA—aims to support young footballers in Ghana pursuing their dreams in the sport.
by Silas Boahene | Jul 16, 2024 | Africa, Ghana, International, Other Sports
President of the National Paralympic Committee – Ghana (NPC-Ghana), Samson Deen, has expressed strong optimism about Ghana’s prospects at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Ghana will compete in Wheelchair Tennis, Para-Powerlifting, Para-Athletics, Para-Cycling, and Para-Taekwondo.
Deen highlighted the historic inclusion of four female athletes in the team, emphasizing Zinabu Issah as a strong contender for medals in Discus Throw and Javelin. As the President of the African Paralympic Committee (APC), Deen believes it is time for Ghana to secure a Paralympic medal. He also extended his gratitude to the administrative and technical staff, as well as the media, for their continued support of the NPC.
by Silas Boahene | Jul 15, 2024 | AFCON, Africa, Ghana, International, Soccer
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has paid tribute to Ghana’s memorable closing ceremony for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Sixteen years ago, Ghana hosted the tournament, which then featured 16 teams, compared to the current 24.
Despite the Black Stars’ “host and win” aspirations, they fell short in the semi-finals, losing 1-0 to Cameroon. However, under coach Claude Le Roy, Ghana ended the tournament on a high note by defeating Ivory Coast in the third-place playoff, while Egypt claimed the championship by beating Cameroon in the final.
A standout moment of the 2008 AFCON was the closing ceremony at the Accra Sports Stadium, where a young girl, Mimi Boateng, hoisted the trophy while being carried in a palanquin by strongmen. CAF recently reminisced about this memorable event on X (formerly Twitter), with the caption: “The perfect entrance doesn’t exi…”
Mimi Boateng, who moved to England in 2019 and is currently an Electrical Engineering student, recounted her experience to Pulse.com.gh. She explained how her father, involved in organizing the closing ceremony, introduced her to the idea. Initially disappointed by Ghana’s semi-final loss, she was inspired by her father’s plans to lift the nation’s spirits and agreed to participate.
“When Ghana lost in the semi-finals, I was very disappointed. My father was involved in the closing ceremony, so he came one day and said we’re going to do something to make Ghanaians happy and to lift spirits,” she told Pulse.com.gh. “I didn’t even know what exactly he meant, but when I went to the stadium, they explained everything to me and I agreed to be part of the closing ceremony.”
by Silas Boahene | Jul 15, 2024 | Africa, Europe, Ghana, International, Soccer
Former Ghana striker Prince Tagoe believes Ghana has the potential to produce talented players like Spain’s Lamine Yamal if there is a concerted effort to invest in and develop football infrastructure.
Lamine Yamal, alongside Nico Williams, has emerged as a breakout star at the ongoing 2024 European Championship, helping Spain reach the final. Despite being only 16 years old, the Barcelona winger has contributed a goal and three assists in the tournament and scored in the semi-final against France. Yamal is already a favorite for the Golden Boy award.
Tagoe, speaking on Angel TV, emphasized that Ghana could produce such prodigies if the country prioritizes investment in football development, similar to Spain.
“He [Lamine Yamal] is a very good player. His performances shouldn’t surprise you because they have put good infrastructure in place from the beginning, and that’s why everything is falling into place for them,” Tagoe said.
“When talents like this come up, you have to know that their foundation is very solid. If we were also doing the same things, definitely, we’d also have players who are like Yamal.”
He added, “We don’t need to be pretending to put in place quality infrastructure like stadiums without really putting in the work. They have quality training from the beginning, and the system also works.”
Tagoe, 37, is a former top scorer of the Ghana Premier League and was capped 36 times by the Black Stars, featuring in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
