Ghana sports thread

[jeff91]

According to the Daily Mail, Real Madrid are interested in signing Michael Essien, who played a prominent role for Jose Mourinho when the Portuguese tactician was in-charge of Chelsea. Mourinho signed Essien for Chelsea in 2005 and the Ghana midfielder has been an integral part of Chelsea in his time at the club.
However, the midfielder could be allowed to leave the club for an offer of around £18 million, according to the Daily Express. However, there is a good chance that Essien will be part of the deal involving Wesley Sneijder’s potential move to Chelsea with the Chelsea midfielder likely to move to the San Siro and it could scupper Madrid’s chances of signing Essien.
Essien could be targeted in a role alongside midfielder Xabi Alonso and there is a possibility that former Chelsea midfielder Lassana Diarra could leave the club if the move does happen. However, Chelsea have a lot of financial muscle and do not have any necessity to sell Essien with the midfielder having three years on his contract.

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[jeff91]

Egyptian giants El Zamalek are readying to table an offer for former Ghana international Godwin Attram, according to his agent.

Attram has impressed this season in the top flight with struggling side FC Smouha.

The 31-year-old midfielder is Smouha’s joint top scorer with 7 goals after 27 match days.

Zamalek coach Hossam Hassan wants to bolster his midfield for next season’s campaign and will make the former PSV Eindhoven midfielder his first signing.

Attram has also played for clubs in Saudi Arabia.

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[jeff91]

Stephen Appiah has ruled out an international comeback to the Black Stars, amid reports of some perceived interest on his part.

The 30-year-old former Ghana captain was reported to be open to the idea of a return after ending his Black Stars career after the 2010 Fifa World Cup finals in South Africa.

Though talk of his interest in staging a comeback had dominated sections of the local media for sometime but Appiah says a return is not an option.

“I don’t want to talk about the Black Stars. I’m not interested in a return. I have taken a decision and that is final,” Appiah said.

Appiah, on Saturday, was presented with a Special Award by the Sports Writers Association of Ghana for his dedicated service to the Black Stars.

[jeff91]

Jonathan Mensah is returning to Udinese from loan but admits that there's interest coming out of France for his services.

The 20-year-old Ghana defender is reported to be a target for Ligue 1 new boys Evian Thonon Gaillard.

Mensah, who was on loan with Granada in Spain hopes to break into the first team at Udinese but acknowledges that anything can happen.

"I have heard about a French team being interested in me," said Mensah.

"Nothing is done at the moment.

"Udinese have been very good to me and I am very happy to be at this club.

"Football can be a strange workplace, though, and you can move any time two clubs agree terms."

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[jeff91]

English Premier League side Newcastle United are planning to swoop for Ghana international Emmanuel Agyeman Badu.

The Udinese enforcer is reported on be on the radar of the Tyneside club with manager Alan Pardew believed to be a huge admirer for the diminutive midfielder.

Badu struggled for first team action due to stringent laws for foreign players and the availability of other top midfielders in the club.

The Magpies want to test the resolve of the Italian giant to keep the player by slapping in a huge bid for his signature.

The ex-Asante Kotoko player has insisted he’ll stay put with the club next season and fight to break into the starting XI.

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[jeff91]

Ghana defender John Paintsil says he has not set a date for retirement from international football.

Reports in the local media had claimed that the full-back had made up his mind to quit after the 2012 Nations Cup but Paintsil says such reports are untrue.

“I have not considered leaving the national team. I am just 30-years and my target to play football is long,” Paintsil said.

“I am not ready to retire from international football much less my football career. All those publications are false because I have not granted any interview setting a date fro my retirement any moment from now.”

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[jeff91]

The Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) will on August 06 host the first-ever international track and field meet in Ghana. The Ghana Grand Prix 2011, which has rLG Communications as the headline sponsor, will bring together international track & field champions from Jamaica, Kenya, USA, Canada, Ethiopia, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Uganda, Nigeria and Ghana.

A statement signed by the President of the Association Professor Francis Dodoo says, “the Grand Prix will be a one-day professionally organized event at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi and it will be under the distinguished patronage of acknowledged sports star, President John Evans Atta Mills.”

“We have over the period preoccupied ourselves with strategies to boost Ghanaian interest in athletics while also giving a platform to especially our local athletes to compete with their international counterparts. The rLG Ghana Grand Prix is the first opportunity for our local athletes to meet their international counterparts on the field in Ghana, and we are confident that it will not only provide a competitive opportunity to our athletes but also offer them a platform to show to the world what they can do with more competitions”, Professor Dodoo noted.

According to the GAA, over eighty (80) athletes from various countries are expected to take part in the competition which will among others include: Javelin 800m Triple Jump 100m 1500m High Jump 200m 3000m Discus 400m Long Jump

There will be prize monies for all the events and according to the GAA they will seek special incentive packages for locally based athletes that excel. Professor Dodoo commended the headline sponsor, rLG Communications, official donor Unibank Ghana Limited and the Official TV Partners Ghana Television and MultiTV for their support. “Their support has come in early and is very encouraging. We look forward to getting the required support from other institutions that we have already contacted to partner us lift up athletics in Ghana.

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[jeff91]

Chelsea face a nervous wait as midfielder Michael Essien is feared to have seriously damaged his knee at their Cobham training complex.

"Michael Essien suffered an injury to his right knee during training this week," said a club statement. "He will undergo tests over the next few days to determine the extent of that injury. Until we have the full results of those tests we will not be commenting further."

The news was first broken on Twitter by former Chelsea player Jody Morris. "Sad news about michael essien...1st day full training aswell," he tweeted. "Sorry tweeps...heard he done his knee..cruciate.."

Essien missed much of the 2008-09 season with a damaged cruciate knee ligament before succumbing to a medial ligament injury at the African Nations Cup in 2010, missing half the 2009-10 campaign and the World Cup.

Should the feared worst prove to be true, then the Andre Villas-Boas regime would be expected to enter the transfer market for a player in a position where a pool of Ramires, John Obi Mikel and youngster Josh McEachran already looks stretched.

why just whyyy i hope this does not extend to the African cup

[jeff91]

Black Meteors qualify for All Africa Games
Kumasi, July 10, GNA - Ghana's Black Meteors on Sunday beat Nigeria's Dream 5 by two goals to nil at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi to qualify for the All Africa Games in Mozambique in September 2011.

The two goals came from Emmanuel Agyeman Badu in the 11th minute and Richard Mpong in the 70th minute to enable the Meteors to qualify on the away-goal-rule, having lost 1-3 in the first leg match played in Nigeria a fortnight ago.

The Black Meteors played their hearts out knowing very well that their pride was at stake.

With Samuel Inkoom playing his usual roving role and Agyeman Badu, Dominic Adiyia and Mpong leading the attack, the Nigerians, who descended on the field hoping to maintain their lead and thus qualify, could not withstand the pressure.

It was the Nigerians, who first carried the battle to their Ghanaian counterparts when their striker Otubanjo Yusuf sent in a powerful drive that sailed over the bar in the second minute of the game. Sensing danger Meteors counter-attacked and in one of their forays earned a free-kick, which Agyeman Badu elected himself to take. His shot from 20 metres went straight into the net leaving Goalkeeper Afeloklai Theophilus stranded.

The Meteors threw everything into the game in search of the elixir of life but all the chances that came their way were wasted. In the 44th minute Mpong received the yellow card for rough play to end the first half.

The Nigerians resumed the second session strongly and nearly levelled up in the 50th minute but Otubanjo's low drive was perfectly saved by Dan= iel Adjei in Meteors' goal.

The Meteors quickly turned the tables and had a chance to increase the score in the 63rd minute but substitute Ben Acheampong fumbled. Determined to carry the day and qualify at all cost at the expense of their arch rivals, Adiyia in a move gave a cross to Mpong, who sent a thunderbolt of a shot into the Nigerian net to set the stadium agog.

Line Up: Meteors - Daniel Adjei; Samuel Inkoom; Masawudu Alhassan; Ahmed Adams; Edward Kpodo; Isaac Cofie; Richard Mpong/Aziz Tetteh; Agyeman Badu; Sadick Adams/Gladson Wawako; Dominic Adiyia, and Salifu Latif/Ben Acheampong.

NIGERIA: Afelokhai, Anyanwu, Lawal, Amoda, Igiebor, Ehiosun, Otekpa, Suswam, Otubanjo, Udoh, Oduamadi

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["Jay Jay" Okocha]

whatever

[jeff91]

Tickets for Ghana’s international friendly against Nigeria in London on August 9 have gone on sale.

The game between the West African giants will take place at Watford's Vicarage Road Stadium and the organizers have issued out the tickets early to avoid a late rush.

The ticket prices start from £20, £30 with a family ticket package for £60 and are available from Watford FC's official website.

Ghana's last friendly against Nigeria in London in 2007 was an absolute thriller before a full house in Brentford as the Black Stars run out 4-1 winners.

They have since gone to win two key meetings against the Super Eagles at the 2008 and 2010 Nations Cup.

And with a rich history of healthy rivalry between the two, the August 9th meeting will have a lot to live up to.

we are gonna win this

[jeff91]

Originally Posted by "Jay Jay" Okocha

whatever

haha had to post it, we will take u in london too

[DennisRodman817]

Why are they playing the match at a small ass stadium in london...i would have love it to be at the emirates....old trafford...they wont put an argentina vs brazil match in stadiums like that

[TshabalalaGH]

Originally Posted by DennisRodman817

Why are they playing the match at a small ass stadium in london...i would have love it to be at the emirates....old trafford...they wont put an argentina vs brazil match in stadiums like that

I know right! WTF!?? Because we're Africans and don't matter

[jeff91]

Accra, July 12, GNA – Ghana’s Black Meteors has been housed in Group B alongside Cameroon, Uganda, and Senegal for the All African Games slated for Maputo, Mozambique after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) conducted the draw for the quadrennial meeting.

The draw was conducted at the CAF headquarters, Cairo on Tuesday by CAF General Secretary, Hicham El Amrani for the 10th edition of the quadrennial multi-sport event scheduled for 3-18 September.

The Meteors qualified at the expense of the ‘Dream Team V’ of Nigeria with goals from Emmanuel Agyemang Badu and Richard Mpong to give Ghana the two unanswered goals required to overturn a 1-3 deficit in the first leg meeting.

Host Mozambique are in Group A with South Africa, Libya and Madagascar.

Also housed in Group B is the female U-20 team, the Black Princesses who also incidentally defeated Nigeria to reach the finals slated for Maputo.

The Princesses will be up against South Africa’s Bayana Bayana, Zimbabwe and rising forces, Tanzania for the two-week long continental version of the Olympic Games.

Mozambique, Cameroon, Guinea and Algeria are placed in Group A.

The Princesses lost 1-2 to the South Africans when the two sides met at the semi-final of the competition held in Algiers in 2007.

While the Princesses were bronze medalists at the Algiers event, the Meteors exited the competition at the Group stage but hope to make amends this time round with the high caliber of youngsters to desirous for laurels.

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[jeff91]

Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has been ruled out for six months after a knee operation.

The Ghana international, 28, ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus during pre-season training, and underwent "successful" surgery.

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas told the Chelsea website: "Everyone wishes Michael well for his recovery.

"His team-mates and all the staff and I look forward to helping him return to playing as soon as possible."

A statement on the club's official website described the surgery as "successful".

Essien was ruled out for more than six months in 2008 when he sustained cruciate ligament damage.

He also missed the 2010 World Cup because of a knee problem.

The midfielder's latest setback is a blow to Villas-Boas, who is preparing his squad for their trip to the Far East, where they will compete in the Asia Cup.

Essien joined the Blues from French club Lyon in 2005 in a £24.4m deal and has gone on to establish himself as a key player at Stamford Bridge.

He has helped Chelsea to two Premier League titles and three FA Cups, as well as the Carling Cup in 2007.

Despite being ruled out for the majority of the 2008/09 campaign, Essien has amassed 229 appearances, scoring 26 goals.

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[DennisRodman817]

Originally Posted by TshabalalaGH

I know right! WTF!?? Because we're Africans and don't matter

That is some major bullshit...

[Alex Roney]

Originally Posted by DennisRodman817

Why are they playing the match at a small ass stadium in london...i would have love it to be at the emirates....old trafford...they wont put an argentina vs brazil match in stadiums like that

Well for one they wouldn't be able to fill Old Trafford, Wembley or the Emirates with just Ghanian and Nigerian supporters and the fixture wouldn't attract enough neutral supporters either. This isn't about discrimination but economic viability, people who arrange this aren't stupid.

[TshabalalaGH]

Originally Posted by Alex Roney

Well for one they wouldn't be able to fill Old Trafford, Wembley or the Emirates with just Ghanian and Nigerian supporters and the fixture wouldn't attract enough neutral supporters either. This isn't about discrimination but economic viability, people who arrange this aren't stupid.

Why the hell cant they fill up the Emirates!? Ghana v Nigeria in London!? Such a rivalry? You know how many Nigerians and Ghanaians are in London? They would fill an 80,000 stadium. We wouldn't need neutral fans

[diko]

In the recent match between Ghana and England at Wembley, there were about 20,000 Ghanaian fans. In fact Ghana sold out it's allocation of tickets.