Cristiano Ronaldo stayed true to his words and played in the game against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.
However, the 37-year-old did not play full-time. He played the first half of the game and was then substituted for Amad Diallo.
The striker was then seen leaving Old Trafford before the final whistle, and per reports it is whether or not his departure was sanctioned by head coach Ten Hag.
Ronaldo made Erik ten Hag’s lineup despite not featuring in any of the Red Devils’ previous five pre-season fixtures.
Ten Hag initially confirmed that Ronaldo would be in his squad for the Rayo friendly clash after United’s 1-0 loss to Atletico Madrid in Spain on Saturday.
The Dutchman admitted that the veteran forward is still a long way behind the rest of his senior team-mates in terms of fitness, however, having only just seen him return from an extended break.
“We’ll see how long he can play,” Ten Hag told Viaplay. “I cannot tell in this moment (how fit he is). He is not on the level of the rest of the squad because he missed a lot of weeks. But he needs games and he needs training, a lot.”
Who else made Ten Hag’s starting XI?
Ronaldo shared the spotlight with £46.5 million ($57m) summer signing Lisandro Martinez, with the former Ajax handed a centre-back berth alongside Raphael Varane.
Christian Eriksen made Ten Hag’s line-up after a cameo showing against Atletico, while Argentine youngster Alejandro Garnacho and Donny van de Beek were also included.
Arsenal managed to grab the 2022 Emirates Cup at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Ghana’s Eddie Nketiah played a role in Arsenal’s 6-0 win over Sevilla.
Eddie Nketiah joined his team on the pitch in the 79th minute to replace Bukayo Saka.
Saka opened the scoring from the penalty spot after he was brought down in the area, before Jesus doubled the hosts’ lead, firing home Granit Xhaka’s low cross.
He added a third just two minutes later, and Saka matched him before the 20-minute mark, pressing high and finishing well.
Xhaka went close to a fifth before Jesus grabbed his third from close range. Nketiah completed the scoring a minute from time.
Arsenal’s victory over Sevilla ends a successful pre-season campaign, during which Brazilian Gabriel Jesus scored seven goals after his £45m move from Manchester City.
Arsenal kick off the 2022/23 Premier League campaign against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Friday before welcoming Leicester City to Emirates Stadium for their first home league game on Saturday, August 13.
This landmark CAF project was presented to the Member Associations during the CAF Club Licensing Seminar in Cairo, Egypt.
The CAF Club Licensing Online Platform (CLOP) is an electronic tool system designed to manage the licensing process and stadium inspections for continental and domestic competitions.
The system is extended to all the CAF national associations in order to be used for continental and domestic license type.
As part of its features, the CAF Club Licensing Online Platform:
Allows the Licensors to implement a fully automated and electronic club licensing process for continental and domestic competitions;
Facilitates smooth gathering and real-time visualization of the documents submitted by the licence applicants (clubs);
Enables CAF to monitor the licensing procedure not only for CAF Interclubs competitions but also for the national competitions;
Allows CAF to gather data (Benchmarking) about clubs in Africa;
Enables the running of stadium inspections missions for CAF and domestic competitions.
The CAF Club Licensing Online Platform will take Club Licensing in Africa to a new dimension by modernizing and standardizing the Club Licensing system, streamlining of all information submitted by the clubs to the licensor, allowing CAF and Licensors to access all club license applications in a timely and safe matte, run stadium Inspection procedure, and ultimately providing an efficient access to benchmarking analysis.
The member associations will have the option to insert on CLOP their own criteria and requirements for a given national competition. Utilizing the CAF Club Licensing Online Platform will enable the club licensing process to be more efficient for the clubs and all stakeholders involved in the process.
The CAF CLOP will be the centralized location for the licensing application process for CAF Interclubs competitions and at minimum the national men´s top tier competitions of all the CAF member associations.
Borussia Dortmund striker Sebastien Haller is set to undergo chemotherapy for a testicular tumour and is expected to be out for several months.
The Ivory Coast forward, 28, was was diagnosed earlier this month after complaining that he felt unwell.
Earlier this week the club reported he had successfully undergone surgery.
“Sebastienwill now receive the best possible treatment, the chances of recovery are very good,” said Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl.
Former West Ham striker Haller signed a four-year deal with the Bundesliga side after moving from Ajax for 31m euros this month.
The club said: “Sebastien Haller (28) will be absent from Borussia Dortmund for several months. The histological findings revealed a malignant testicular tumour. Haller therefore has to undergo chemotherapy treatment.”
The death of a migrant who was attacked in broad daylight in central Italy has sparked outrage.
The assault on the Nigerian street trader by another man in Civitanova Marche town centre was captured on video on Friday.
The recording, reportedly made by onlookers without any attempt to intervene, shows the victim being held to the ground by a white man.
A 32-year-old Italian has been arrested on suspicion of murder and robbery.
The video of the attack – which has been widely circulated on Italian news websites and social media – has shocked the community, with many highlighting the “indifference” of witnesses.
The circumstances of the incident are unclear.
Call for justice
The victim has been named as Alika Ogorchukwu, a married father of two. His wife, named as Charity Oriachi, could not contain her tears as she told media how she was shown the body of her husband lying on the ground.
On Saturday hundreds of people from the local Nigerian community took to the streets of Civitanova Marche, in Marche region, to demand justice.
The attack has also been condemned by Italian politicians.
Enrico Letta, the leader of the left-wing Democratic Party, said what happened was “dismaying”.
“Unheard of ferocity. Widespread indifference. There can be no justification,” he wrote in a tweet.
Right-wing leader Matteo Salvini also expressed outrage over the death, saying “security has no colour” and “needs to return to being a right.”
Summer signing Darwin Nunez sealed victory as Liverpool landed the first blow of the season on champions Manchester City by winning a thrilling Community Shield encounter.
The FA Cup winners were pipped to the Premier League title by a single point last term after a season-long fight with City, but came out on top in a tremendous game in Leicester.
Playing at the King Power Stadium rather than Wembley – which will host Sunday’s Women’s Euros final – the two sides did not hold back in a match that tends to be badged as a ‘glorified friendly’.
Reds full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold scored the opening goal with a curling effort from the edge of the box which took a slight deflection off Nathan Ake and nestled in the far corner.
He celebrated by raising his finger to his lips in front of the City supporters, who had helped generate a thunderous atmosphere by trading jibes with their Liverpool counterparts.
City’s star summer signing Erling Haaland showed glimpses of what he will bring by drawing a good save from Adrian, while Nunez had a one-on-one effort kept out by Ederson.
But it was another newcomer – Julian Alvarez – who scored next, staying alert after Phil Foden’s shot was saved to poke home the equaliser from close range, with the goal awarded after a lengthy VAR check.
Mohamed Salah edged Liverpool back in front by scoring from the penalty spot with eight minutes remaining after referee Craig Pawson adjudged – from looking at the pitchside monitor – that Ruben Dias had handled inside the area.
And Nunez had the final say, stooping to head in from close range before wheeling off to celebrate in front of his new supporters.
Nunez makes his mark
Liverpool came agonisingly close to a quadruple last season as they won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, but they missed out on the league by the narrowest of margins and were defeated in the Champions League final by Real Madrid.
Just 63 days on from that loss in Paris, the Reds were back in action against the side they have formed an intense but respectful rivalry with over the past four years.
Liverpool came out flying in trademark fashion from kick-off, hassling and harrying the City backline, and Salah – fresh from signing a bumper new contract in the summer – struck the side-netting in just the third minute.
Andrew Robertson headed into the side-netting too, before fellow full-back Alexander-Arnold broke the deadlock with a curling effort, albeit via a nick off Ake’s head.
It sparked jubilant scenes in the red end of the ground, where the Liverpool fans lit flares and filled the stadium with smoke.
The scenes were similar to those at Wembley after their FA Cup triumph over Chelsea in May, but this time the Football Association said it is investigating the use of flares following the introduction of stricter measures to tackle “anti-social and criminal behaviour in football grounds”.
On the pitch, Nunez has been brought in from Benfica to replace Sadio Mane, who joined Bayern Munich, and the Uruguay international was brought on just before the hour mark.
He almost made the perfect start to his Liverpool career when latching on to Jordan Henderson’s perfectly weighted through ball only to strike his shot straight at the advancing Ederson.
But he was involved for Salah’s goal as his header struck Dias’ arm inside the box, and the Egyptian stepped up to net the penalty.
There was still time for Nunez to head home late on, as the £64m man sealed victory to complete the domestic trophy set for manager Klopp.
Haaland draws a blank
City have won four of the past five Premier League titles and are looking to become just the second side after Manchester United to lift the trophy in three successive seasons.
The City fans were not shy of reminding their Liverpool counterparts, their chants of “You nearly won the league” prompting a riposte of “Where’s your European Cup?”
Pep Guardiola’s men went into the closing weeks of the season aiming for a Treble of their own, but their hopes were dashed by semi-final defeats in the FA Cup by Liverpool, and in the Champions League by Real Madrid.
The £51m acquisition of Norway international Haaland from Borussia Dortmund gives them a different dimension up front, following the departures of Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling.
Haaland outmuscled Robertson in the first half, taking the ball down on his chest only for his side-footed shot to be batted away by Adrian, then he could not get enough connection on a stretching effort.
Argentina international Alvarez, who signed in January but stayed with River Plate until the end of their season, did level after coming on, to highlight the options Guardiola has at his disposal.
But the joy was short-lived as Salah and Nunez both scored, before Haaland missed a sitter from a couple of yards out in the final minute.
US President Joe Biden has tested positive for Covid-19 again, in what has been described as a “rebound” infection by his doctor.
The 79-year-old first contracted the virus on 21 July, when he was revealed to be experiencing mild symptoms.
On Saturday Mr Bidensaid he was not experiencing symptoms but would isolate “for the safety of everyone around me”.
The president had tested negative for the virus four times between Tuesday and Friday last week.
In a letter describing the situation, Mr Biden’s physician Dr Kevin O’Connor said there was no need to resume treatment but the president would remain under “close observation”.
Mr Biden has been taking Paxlovid, an antiviral medicine which Dr O’Connor said had led to a “small percentage” of Covid patients experiencing a “rebound” test.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola feels sadness at the recent exit of three star players but insists the club’s record transfer income this summer proves they are sustainable.
City sold Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal for £45m and £30m.
Raheem Sterling also departed for Chelsea for £50m as part of an overhaul at the Premier League champions.
The trio were part of all four title-winning campaigns under Guardiola since his arrival in Manchester in 2016.
Seven other players have been sold this summer, including goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu and Romeo Lavia to Southampton.
“In part I’m a little bit sad that these important players have gone,” said Guardiola. “But it’s a business. To invest you have to sell players otherwise you can’t be sustainable.
“I know the image of the club is that always we buy, buy, buy. But we sell too. We sell important players for big money.
“All the clubs know today selling players is not easy. All clubs want to do it but not everyone can.”
In addition to the player departures already completed, there are decisions to be made over the short-term futures of striker Liam Delap and midfielder James McAtee, while City would also be due a substantial sell-on should Jack Harrison leave Leeds United.
The revenue generated by City this summer is already the most in a single transfer window by a Premier League side.
But there has been significant money spent on players coming into the club, including £45m on England midfielder Kalvin Phillips, £51.2m on Erling Haaland, £14.1m on Julian Alvarez and, potentially, upwards of £30m on Brighton defender Marc Cucurella, who has submitted a transfer request to force the move.
Cristiano Ronaldo has indicated he will be involved in Manchester United’s friendly with Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The Portugal forward wants United to let him leave this summer and missed the club’s pre-season tour to Thailand and Australia due to personal reasons.
Ronaldo, 37, was also left out of United’s squad for Saturday’s friendly with Atletico Madrid in Oslo.
But he suggested on Instagram he will face La Liga side Rayo Vallecano.
Commenting on a post by a Ronaldo fan page about him missing the game in Norway, he wrote: “Domingo o rei joga” which translates as “Sunday the king plays”.
United said playersnot in the 21-man travelling squad for the Atletico game – which includes new signings Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen – “will take part in Sunday’s game against Rayo Vallecano, while others are ill or injured.”
Ronaldo met with United manager Erik ten Hag on Tuesday and is understood to have reiterated his desire to leave the Old Trafford outfit. He also missed Wednesday’s match against Wrexham that was held behind closed doors.
Ten Hag has previously said Ronaldo is “not for sale” and “in our plans”.
Ronaldo returned to United last season after spells with Real Madrid and Juventus.
While he finished as the club’s top scorer, United endured a disappointing season, missing out on Champions League qualification after finishing sixth in the Premier League.
That means Ronaldo, who has a year left on his United contract plus an optional year, faces playing in the Europa League for the first time.
It is not something he is viewing with relish and the five-time Ballon d’Or winner feels there could be more attractive options available to him at this stage in his career.
Chelsea ended their interest in the player earlier this month, while he has also been linked with Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid.
Atletico fans have urged their club not to get involved in discussions around signing Ronaldo.
United open their 2022-23 Premier League season at home to Brighton on Sunday, 7 August.
Barcelona have agreed to sign France centre-back Jules Kounde from Sevilla on a five-year contract that includes a 1bn euro (£837m) buyout clause.
Kounde, who has 11 France caps, will join for a reported transfer fee of 50m euros (£41.85m).
The 23-year-old made 133 appearances for Sevilla and won the Europa League in his first season after joining from Bordeaux in 2019.
Kounde, also wanted by Chelsea, is Barcelona’s fifth summer signing.
The defender’s arrival at the Nou Camp follows the Catalan club’s signing of Poland striker Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich for £42.6m and Brazil winger Raphinha’s arrival from Leeds in a £55m move.
Chelsea respectively, while France winger Ousmane Dembele signed a contract extension.
Kounde will be officially unveiled as a Barcelona player on Monday.
The annual inflation of Zimbabwe has risen to more than 250%, leaving many Zimbabweans struggling to cope.
It is the highest level for a year and a half since inflation stated quadrupling in February.
According to reports, the high cost of goods and services are as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the high global prices on fuel, grain and fertiliser.
A local shortage of American dollars to pay for imports has also contributed to the rising cost of basic goods and services.
On Monday the central bank released gold coins onto the market in an attempt to stem inflation by curbing the appetite for US dollars.
Devastating flash floods have killed at least 19 people in the Appalachia region of eastern Kentucky – the worst such disaster there for decades.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said he expected the death toll to continue to rise. He said hundreds of homes and businesses had been flooded.
President Bidendeclared the floods “a major disaster” on Friday and ordered federal aid to help local rescuers.
Among the dead are at least six children, including a one-year-old.
Scientists say climate change is triggering more extreme weather events like the Kentucky flooding.
After an aerial tour with the National Guard, Mr Beshear said the flood “is by far the worst” he has seen.
“There’s still a lot of people out there, still a lot of people unaccounted for. We’re going to do our best to find them all,” he said. So far hundreds have been rescued by boat or helicopter.
There is widespread poverty in the affected area, where at least 33,000 people now have no electricity. The flooding – after torrential rain – caused mudslides and made roads impassable.
Appalachia has had flash floods before, but not on this scale, Mr Beshear said.
“Folks who deal with this for a living, who have been doing it for 20 years, have never seen water this high,” he said.
IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERS Image caption, A car is submerged in flood waters along Right Beaver Creek, following a day of heavy rain in in Garrett, Kentucky
Some areas reported receiving more than eight inches (20cm) of rain in a 24-hour period.
Perry and Knott counties are especially hard hit, and there has been some flooding too in neighbouring Virginia and West Virginia. Rivers in the region are expected to crest throughout the weekend.
More rainfall is expected early next week, Mr Beshear said, urging people to have a safety plan in place.
Representatives from the US Federal Emergency Management Agency arrived on Friday to assist local rescue efforts.
Mr Beshear said it’s unclear yet exactly how many people are affected or missing. Some areas have been difficult to reach due to damaged portions on 28 state roadways.
He confirmed that the bodies of four young siblings were among those who were found – the oldest an eight-year-old and the youngest a one-year-old.
The children’s cousin – Brittany Trejo - told the Lexington Herald-Leader that the children and their parents “managed to get to a tree”, but later “a big tide came and wash them all away at the same time”.
She added the mother and father, who survived, were stranded at the tree for eight hours before help arrived.
Mr Beshear said “it’s going to be a tough couple of days, it’s going to be a long rebuild”.
Kentucky, like other parts of the world, has seen the impact of more frequent extreme weather events. The state has seen more inches of rain outside the historical average in the last 10 years, according to date from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Bill Haneberg, a climate expert and the state’s geologist, said this rainfall event is “extraordinary” for Kentucky.
“It is virtually unprecedented in the Appalachians,” he said.
He added the increases in the amount of rainfall over the years are consistent with what experts have predicted for the region – that Kentucky’s climate will become hotter and wetter due to climate change.
The historic flooding comes as the state recovers from the deadliest tornadoes in its history, which killed more than 70 in December 2021.
The indictment says Mr Ionov worked under the direction of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and controlled certain unnamed political groups in Florida, Georgia and California.
One of the Russian goals, it alleges, was to “promote California’s secession from the United States”.
He could face a maximum of five years in jail if found guilty.
Denouncing the indictment on Facebook, Mr Ionov said: “I have never met such nonsense and deception.
“There are no specific names of officials, there is no evidence of funding and there are no intelligible arguments.”
He went on: “The Ukrainian crisis has driven American officials crazy! Comrades, now you see what kind of ‘democracy’ exists in the USA!”
Mr Ionov has told CNN he is currently in Russia. As with other Western indictments of senior Russian figures, he is likely to be tried in absentia.
Dozens of senior Russian officials and state-controlled bodies, including banks, are under Western sanctions for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and earlier annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula.
‘Malign influence’
The US indictment says that from at least December 2014 until March 2022, Mr Ionov and at least three Russian officials “engaged in a years-long foreign malign influence campaign targeting the United States”.
Mr Ionov has denounced some independent Russian media organisations, including The Bell and Meduza, and got them labelled as “foreign agents” under Russian law. That label restricts their activities in Russia.
The US Treasury Department also announced sanctions against Mr Ionov, the AGMR and two other organisations allegedly controlled by him: the STOP-Imperialism website and Ionov Transcontinental, a company “which has a footprint in Iran, Venezuela and Lebanon”.
Sanctions were also imposed on Natalya Valeryevna Burlinova and her Center for Support and Development of Public Initiative Creative Diplomacy (PICREADI). The US statement alleges that PICREADI is funded by the Russian state, despite claiming to be independent.
The sanctions block those organisations’ assets in the US and prohibit transactions with them.
Mr Ionov is also alleged to be an associate of Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is under US sanctions for Kremlin interference in the 2016 presidential election won by Donald Trump.
The Treasury Department says Mr Ionov “sought to collaborate with Prigozhin’s Foundation for Battling Injustice (FBR) about the feasibility of directly supporting a specific candidate in a 2022 US gubernatorial election”.
It adds that in mid-2021 he “worked to disseminate and promulgate disinformation that would influence the US election process”.
MTN Ghana has said its offices would be opened for business to attend to numerous customers who are yet to register their SIM cards on Saturday and Sunday.
According to the telecommunication giant, customers should take advantage of over 6,735 community registration points created to have their biometric data captured and register their SIM cards as the deadline draws near.
Chief Sales and Distribution Officer of MTN Ghana, Shaibu Haruna, said registration agents are in markets, lorry parks and other strategic locations to help customers who need to register their SIM cards.
“We are encouraging all customers to comply with the SIM registration deadline of 31st July 2022. We have expanded our agent network across the country to ensure that every customer with a valid National ID Card can conveniently register,” he said.
“Just look out for a registration agent near you and reach out for registration. For customers who are yet to link their Ghana cards to their SIM cards, we encourage you to do so using *404# to make the process smoother for you,” he continued.
Mr Haruna added that MTN has provided a web portal to enable a lot more customers to register their SIM cards with ease aside from numerous physical registration points.
“The MTN SIM registration web portal is a channel that can be used to expedite the registration, especially for customers with multiple SIM cards. We are urging our customers to take advantage of this portal to fast-track their registrations https://simregistrationportal.mtn.com.gh,†he said.
The Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation has announced the mandatory registration of all SIM cards in Ghana will not be extended.
But the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George has entreated the Ministry to extend the deadline as most Ghanaians are yet to require their Ghana card, the sole identification for the ongoing registration exercise.
Meanwhile, MTN is offering 1GB data or 60 minutes of airtime as an incentive for customers to register before the 31st of July deadline.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has referred four Supreme Court Justice nominated by President Akufo-Addo to the Appointments Committee for consideration.
The move is in accordance with Article 144 (3) of the 1992 Constitution.
The nominees from the Court of Appeal are Justice Barbara Frances Ackah-Yensu, Justice George Kingsley Koomson, and Justice Samuel Kwame Adibu Asiedu.
From the High Court is Justice Ernest Yao Gaewu.
Their appointments are subject to vetting and subsequent approval or rejection by Parliament.
The President made these nominations to fill up expected vacancies at the apex court.
Interested persons and organisations have been asked to submit their memoranda in respect of the nominations to the clerk of the Appointments Committee for consideration.
Ghana’s Black Stars will face Switzerland in an International friendly game before their opening match at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 tournament.
On November 17, the game would be held at the Baniyas Club Stadium in Abu Dhabi -United Arab Emirates.
This would be the first time the two teams would face off per reports.
The match will give coach Otto Addo a perfect opponent for the Group H opener against Portugal at the 974 stadium.
The Black Stars will later take on South Korea (November 28) and Uruguay (December 2) while Switzerland face Cameroon (24 November), Brazil (28 November) and Serbia (December 2) on the same days as the “Black Stars†in Group G.
The international friendly match against the Swiss national team will complete the calendar of the Black Stars going into the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 tournament.
The game would be a preparation for the two champions for the upcoming 2022/23 football season.
The Kumasi based club is expected to travel to Turkey with a new coach and without some of the players who helped the club to clinch the 2021/22 Ghana Premier League title.
The club has already unveiled its home and away jersey for the 2022/23 football season.
The new jerseys are red and green in colour. The home jersey to be worn by the team will be red and the away jersey will come green in colour.
Barcelona have reached an agreement to sign defender Jules Kounde from Sevilla for a base fee of €50 million ($50m/£42m) plus add-ons, GOAL can confirm.
He is expected to sign a four-year contract that will run until 2026.
Kounde had been pursued by Chelseasince at least last summer, but he preferred a move to Camp Nou.
Xavi specifically requested Barcelona approach Kounde to reinforce a defence that has also added Blues defender Andreas Christensen on a free transfer.
On top of an initial €50m fee, there will be between €5m and €10m in add-ons, GOAL understands.
The 23-year-old, who can play centre-back and right-back, represents Sevilla’s record transfer sale. However, Bordeaux will receive a sell-on sum of around €8m.
Why didn’t Kounde join Chelsea?
Chelsea were close to finalising a deal for Kounde last summer, but Sevilla ultimately determined they wouldn’t sell him. The added time he spent on the market opened the door to Barcelona, where the defender always preferred to go.
Barcelona could now raid Chelsea
Having already taken Christensen away from Thomas Tuchel, the Blaugrana now have their sights set on Chelsea duo Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso. Tuchel has been adamant that Azpilicueta won’t leave.
“It’s a tough question because I am not sure if I want to give Azpi what he wants,” Tuchel said last week. “At some point it is about what we want.
“I am not only in this role to give him what he wants. I am a manager for Chelsea who wants to do what’s best for Chelsea. He doesn’t like it but he understands.
“It is tough for him because the other club is permanently on him. On the first of September when things calm down, then he can play on his highest level.”
The Spaniard has long been linked to Barcelona though, and could be tempted by a transfer to his home country.
Chelsea have signed centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli, but with several departures already confirmed and more rumoured, they will likely turn their attention to another defender, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Presnel Kimpembe top of their watch list.
Lisandro Martinez has finalised a deal worth up to 67m euros (£57m) with Manchester United.
He leaves Ajax to join the Red Devils on a five-year contract which keeps him at Old Trafford until 2027, with the option of a further year.
Martinez has stated that he is pleased to join Man Utd, a club he describes as great.
“It’s an honour to join this great football club. I’ve worked so hard to get to this moment and, now that I’m here, I’m going to push myself even further,” Martinez said.
United manager Erik ten Hag was keen to be reunited with the 24-year-old, who he signed for Ajax in 2019.
Martinezmade 120 appearances for Ajax after moving from Argentinian side Defensa y Justicia for £6.3m in 2019, and also played for Newell’s Old Boys.
He has won seven caps for Argentina since making his senior debut in March 2019, and played once in the country’s successful Copa America campaign in 2021.
“I’ve been lucky enough to be part of successful teams in my career and that’s what I want to continue at Manchester United,” he said.
“There will be a lot of work to get to that moment, but I firmly believe that, under this manager and coaches, and together with my new team-mates, we can do it.”
Martinez played under Ten Hag at Ajax and won the Eredivisie title with the club in 2021 and 2022, as well as the Dutch Cup in 2021.
He was also Ajax’s player of the year for the 2021-22 season.
“He’s a warrior and I think the fans will admire him. He has an attitude, fighting spirit,” Ten Hag said.
“He brings aggressiveness in the game, in a good way. I think we need that.
“But he’s also skilful, he can deal with the ball and he’s left-footed.”
United’s football director John Murtough added: “We are delighted that he has chosen to join Manchester United and we are looking forward to seeing him develop further and help the team achieve the success we are aiming for.”
The centre-back is United’s third signing of the summer following the arrivals of Christian Eriksen on a free transfer and Dutch full-back Tyrell Malacia.
Efforts continue to lure Frenkie de Jong to Old Trafford from Barcelona.
Darwin Nunezmade his first Liverpool start but could not prevent his side from losing for the second time this pre-season as they lost 1-0 to Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg.
In Liverpool’s last pre-season friendly before Saturday’s Community Shield against Manchester City, Jurgen Klopp put out a second-string side in Austria but started marquee signing Nunez fresh off his four goals against RB Leipzig last week.
The Uruguay forward struck the crossbar in a frustrating first half for the Reds, which saw them fall behind on the counter-attack courtesy of another familiar name in the transfer window.
Benjamin Sesko, linked to Manchester United and Newcastle in the UK media, swept past Adrian on the half-hour mark after superbly bursting past Ibrahima Konate to start the attack off.
Image: Benjamin Sesko scored the winning goal in Austria
Nunez was taken off at half-time and Liverpool had a near-full strength side on 60 minutes and created far more chances.
The best fell to Luis Diaz just minutes after coming on, with the Colombia international playing a one-two with Jordan Henderson before forcing Salzburg goalkeeper Nico Mantl into a good save.
Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah forced Mantl into a good save, before Diaz had a run and finish disallowed for offside.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan Henderson and Andy Robertson all had late efforts but the Austrian side held on for the victory.
Klopp: Darwin needs more support | ‘It didn’t feel like a friendly’
Klopp lamented the way his Liverpool side started Wednesday night’s friendly and called on his players to get close to record signing Nunez in order to be more threatening up front.
“First half, we made too many mistakes which they could use,” Klopp said after the game. “We had good moments in the game as well, we could have scored four, five goals at least. We didn’t do that.
“Darwin was alone too much, everybody dropped off and everyone was then too wide and Darwin was alone in the box. He had his chances but he needs more support around him to keep other players busy so they don’t focus on him. It doesn’t feel great but we take it and go from here.”
Image: Klopp called on Liverpool’s player to offer more support to Darwin Nunez
Klopp admitted the match did not feel like a friendly due to the emotion Salzburg put in the game – and while some of the Austrian side’s challenges were too harsh at times, he had full respect for the opposition.
“In the first half, we were too open, too wide and weren’t connected enough. When we lost the ball, it was like a motorway with their speed – especially when you lose simple passes where nobody can react.
“The last half an hour was like a thunderstorm. We were like a truck but we didn’t finish them off. It will be fine. We had to make a lot of changes but I take that.
“It didn’t feel like a friendly, for Salzburg and us as well. Salzburg had these rough challenges but they did really well. All respect to them, sometimes I didn’t like their challenges but nothing happened there I think.”
Luis Suarez has rejoined his first club Nacional in Uruguay after playing for Liverpool and Barcelona striker.
He only made the move after his contract with Atletico Madrid expired, making him a free agent.
In a Twitter post, the 35-year-old revealed how excited he was to return to his home club and thanked his fans for the support.
“I am proud to wear my shirt again at Nacional,” Suarez wrote on social media. “Thank you all for the support. See you soon,” he added.
Approximately 20,000 Nacional fans wore Suarez masks at a recent game after their side was linked with the forward.
Nacional are yet to disclose the length of their deal with Suarez, however, they said “Happy to have you home.”
Suarez made his professional debut for Nacional at 18, in 2005, helping them win the Uruguayan league title by scoring 10 goals in 27 league matches.
He earned a move to Europe with Dutch side Groningen the following season and then signed for Ajax a year later.
A transfer to Liverpool followed in 2011 before he joined Barcelona, where he won four Spanish league titles and one Champions League trophy between 2014 and 2020.
He won La Liga again in his first season with Atletico, scoring 21 goals in 32 games.
Suarez is Uruguay’s all-time leading goalscorer, having scored 68 goals in 132 international matches.
Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Authority (MHA), Dr Akwasi Osei, has revealed that the government would be constructing two psychiatric hospitals as part of efforts to fight mental health illnesses.
Interacting with The Independent Ghana on July 25, 2022, Dr Osei said these health facilities will be located in the middle and northern belt of the country.
He explained that the health facilities will breach the access gap as well as increase the numbers of the health facilities.
“Government is now going to create two new psychiatric hospitals. One in the middle belt and (the other) in the northern belt. That is very good. The two are crucial so we can spread a little upwards,†he said.
“Having said that we have general care for everybody, some will still require to be admitted. So for such people then, if they have one near them, let’s say in the northern sector, it is easy for them to access it,†Dr Osei added.
According to the Chief Executive Officer of the Authority, nurses in training colleges receiving mental healthcare educationin the northern part of the country would no longer have to come to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital for practical experience.
“So these two facilities would be a great asset for them to stop there and have the practical training before they come down,†he noted.
Currently, Ghana has four health facilities that admit mentally challenged patients.
They are Accra Psychiatric Hospital, Kintampo Hospital, Ankaful Hospital and Pantang Hospital. The two facilities to be constructed will bring the figure to six.
The existing health facilities, Dr Akwasi Osei says, have helped in addressing the numerous mental health illness cases as the country begins to provide mental health the attention it requires.
He however noted that despite their impact, much more is desired due to the challenges they face such as financial constraint and lack of human resources.
“They are doing a lot but we have challenges: finances, human resources. They are major issues. But given this constraint, they are doing a lot. One of the challenges is the fact that they are limited to the down south – all three are down south,†he said.
According to him, despite the difficulties being faced, there is no need for all 16 regions in the country to have health facilities that admit patients.
Dr Osei explained that health professionals across the country have been trained to administer at least basic healthcare.
“So a good number would be taken care of before they get to a point where they might require admission. And even where they require admission, at the district hospital, they can admit you for about a week in the general wards. If after one week, you are required to be there longer, you will be taken to the regional hospital,†he added.
He further argued that if every region is provided a health facility, “a lot of them would be redundant.â€
Ghana international Mohammed Kudus was on target as Ajax claimed a 3-1 pre-season friendly victory against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.
Ukrainian Mykhaylo Mudryk put the Russian side ahead in the 33rd minute at Amsterdam Arena before Dusan Tadic levelled matters for Ajax in the 45th minute for a 1-1 draw at the half-time break.
Steven Berghuis made it 2-1 in favour of Ajax in the 75th minute before the 21-year-old Black Star came off the bench to seal the win with a beautifully taken strike in the 85th minute.
Despite Ajax dominating the opening exchanges, it was Donetsk, who took a shock lead when Taras Stepanenko put through Mudryk, and the player reacted quickly to sneak the ball past Remko Pasveer.
Ajax then continued to attack and they were rewarded at the stroke of the half-time whistle when Brazilian Antony laid a cross to Tadic, who hit the ball with his right-foot past Anatoliy Trubin.
On resumption, Ajax doubled their lead when Berghuis took advantage of a defensive mix-up to find the back of the net.
Kudus was then introduced by manager Alfred Schreuder in the 66th minute for Steven Bergwijn, and he shook the net five minutes to the final whistle after fastening onto a cross from Brian Brobbey.
The Black Star has now scored three goals in pre-season. His first came in the 1-1 draw against Eupen at De Toekomst while his second was in the 3-2 victory against RB Salzburg at SaalfeldenArena.
Meanwhile, Nigeria defender Calvin Bassey missed out on his debut for Ajax in the friendly. Bassey recently sealed a record transfer move to the Dutch side from Scottish giants Rangers.
Ajax will next face PSV Eindhoven in the Johan Cruyff Shield final at Amsterdam Arena on Saturday.
Ajaxcoach Alfred Schreuder says he is not worried about losing star winger Antony to Manchester United this summer.
The Premier League side are trying to sign the Brazil international from the Eredivisie champions, who are determined to hold on to him.
Ajax do not need to cash in on the 22-year-old, having already received big money by selling Lisandro Martinez to United, as well as Sebastien Haller to Borussia Dortmund, Ryan Gravenberch to Bayern Munich and Nicolas Tagliafico to Lyon.
What did Schreuder say about Antony’s future?
Schreuder does not expect Antony to follow his former team-mates out the door at the Johan Cruijff ArenA this summer, but admits he cannot guarantee he will stay put.
Quizzed on the Brazilian’s future after Ajax’s 3-1 friendly win over Shakhtar Donetsk, Schreuder told Voetbal International: “I am not afraid of anything. We know that we have very good players and we assume that the selection stays together. You never know for sure.”
United have been working on the signing of Antony throughout the summer transfer window.
The ex-Sao Paulo player’s agent travelled to Europe at the end of last season to conduct talks with the Old Trafford club with the aim of finalising a move to England.
While Antony is keen to join up with ex-Ajax boss Erik ten Hag at United, the Dutch club are eager to hold onto him for at least one more year.
GOAL understands Ajax would be willing to part ways with Antony for a fee of around €80 million (£68m/$82m), but United are not prepared to go higher than €60m (£51m/$61m).
Antony, who has scored 22 goals in 78 appearances since moving to Amsterdam, still has three years left on his contract with the Eredivisie side.
Tottenham have signed former Manchester United defender Amy Turner on a two-year deal.
The 31-year-old has signed a contract until 2024 with Spurs, with the option to extend for a further year.
England’s Turner made 67 appearances for United between 2018 and 2021 before spending a season with Orlando Pride in the United States.
“Amy is a leader on and off the pitch and will be an asset to us,” Spurs head coach Rehanne Skinner said.
Turner, who has been capped four times by England, helped Manchester United win promotion to the Women’s Super League in their inaugural campaign.
She may get an immediate chance to face her previous club at the start of the season as Tottenham open their WSL campaign against United on 11 September.
Black Galaxies over the weekend recorded an impressive first-leg triumph over cross-border neighbours Benin in the 2023 CHAN Qualifiers at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium.
Hearts of Oak forward Daniel Afriyie Barnieh opened the scoring for Ghana in the 25th minute before his club teammate Mohammed Alhassan doubled their advantage four minutes.
After the recess, Ghana captain Gladson Awako put the icing on the cake after he curled a lovely ball into the roof of the net for the third goal of the day.
Ghana have failed to qualify for the tournament in the last three editions and will hope to make another appearance this time around.
The Black Galaxies finished 2nd in 2009 and in 2014.
Former Liverpool and Barcelona striker Luis Suarezsays he has “a preliminary agreement” to rejoin his first club Nacional in his native Uruguay.
The 35-year-old is a free agent after leaving Atletico Madrid when his contract expired this summer.
Suarez’s return to Nacional is expected to be until at least the start of the 2022 World Cup in November.
In a video on social media, he said details would be finalised and “we hope to reach the agreement we all desire”.
Approximately 20,000Â Nacional fans wore Suarez masks at a recent game after they were linked with the forward.
He made his professional debut for Nacional at 18, in 2005, helping them win the Uruguayan league title to earn a move to Europe with Groningen the following season.
Suarez joined Nacional’s youth team at 14 and left the club in 2006 aged 19
“First of all I would like to say thank you for the great affection shown to me and my family these last few days,” said Suarez.
He added that this had made it impossible “to reject the possibility of returning to play for Nacional and we have a preliminary agreement with the club”.
Accra Hearts of Oak has revealed that it would no longer work with four players following the end of their contracts with the club.
According to the club’s website, the four are Patrick Razak, William Dankyi, Larry Sumaila Ibrahim and Manaf Umar.
These players per reports from Hearts of Oak have been informed of the clubs decision.
“Meanwhile, the club has also informed Patrick Razak, William Dankyi, Larry Sumaila Ibrahim and Manaf Umar that their contracts will not be renewed,” the Club said.
“We wish to thank them for their services during their stay with the club and wish them all the best in their future endeavours,” it added.
The affected Phobians will now have to find new clubs before the commencement of the 2022/23 domestic top-flight campaign.
Meanwhile, Accra Hearts of Oak has officially notified Kofi Kordzi and Ansah Botchway that they are surplus to requirement.
Both parties are in the process to mutually terminate their contracts, the club said.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is presenting Government’s Mid-Year Review of the Budget Statement and Economic Policy for the 2022 fiscal year.
The minister is expected to address economic issues, including the measures and policies the government has implemented in various sectors, in order to deal with the current economic crisis that the country is currently experiencing.
The government’s decision to apply for an IMF bailout, the E-failure Levy’s to generate the anticipated revenue, and other problems with revenue performance for the first half of the year are likely to be discussed.
The Mid-Year Budget Review is in accordance with Public Financial Management Act of 2016 and Article 179 of the 1992 Constitution (Act 921).
Attacking midfielder for Sporting Lisbon, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, failed to secure victory for his side against Sevilla on Sunday in a pre-season friendly match.
Sporting Lisbon lost to Sevilla after Abdul Fatawu Issahaku missed the final penalty when the game came to a stalemate.
During the game, Jesus Corona opened the scoring for Sporting Lisbon in the 15th minute.
Late in the second half, Paulinho equalised in the 85th minute to restore parity for Sporting Lisbon.
Three minutes after that game, Abdul Fatawu Issahakucame on to replace Nuno Santos to help his team fight for the winning game.
But his efforts proved futile as his side lost 6-5 at the end of the penalty shootout.
Serie A champions AC Milan and PUMA come together once again to unveil the brand new 2022-23 away kit, inspired by the Rossoneri’s seven champions league titles and iconic white kits.
Synonymous with the club’s biggest titles and finals, the all-white away kit holds its icon status within the club’s identity.
Since becoming the first Italian team to lift the European Champions Club’s Cup back in 1963, doing so in an all-white strip, AC Milan channelthis energy into their 2022-23 kit.
AC Milan Chief Revenue Officer, Casper Stylsvig, comments on this season’s away kit: “It is a jersey rich in symbolism, with the white kit being an iconic part of who we are and the seven stripes representing the Club’s incredible success in Europe.”
AC Milan
This season the club look back to a fan-favourite kit; the 1984-85 away kit. Keeping with tradition but inserting a fresh take on the 1984-85 kit, the shirt’s white base features seven red horizontal stripes across the middle of the jersey – representative of the club’s seven Champions League triumphs.
PUMA’s Senior Head of product line management teamsport apparel, Marco Mueller, adds, “AC Milan is steeped in history, so we looked to the 1984/85 season Away kit as an inspiration. We wanted to bring a fresh energy to that kit and celebrate iconic all-white kits of the past.”
AC Milan
The jersey itself features black and red trims on the sleeve cuffs and the collar, alongside the Milan coat of arms on the upper back.
A symbol of global success for the club, the white jersey embraces the solidified union between AC Milan and PUMA as they once again utilize the style, fashion and culture of Milan to develop kits that work just as well on the pitch as they do off it.
The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has revealed that as of June 2022, the average cost of inputs received by domestic producers for the production of goods and services increased by 38 percent.
Per the Service’s latest report, this represents a 4.7 percent increase in Producer Price Inflation (PPI) relative to the 33.3 percent recorded in May.
The PPI in the Mining and Quarrying sub-sector increased by 1.6 percent to 25.5 percent in June 2022.
In May 2022, the sub-sector recorded a rate of 23.9 percent.
The producer inflation for the Manufacturing sub-sector, constituting more than two-thirds of the total industry, increased by 7.2 percentage points to 51.8 percent.
Manufacturing Sector
In June 2022, one out of the sixteen major groups in the manufacturing sub-sector recorded inflation rates higher than the sector average of 51.8 percent.
Manufacture of coke, refined petroleum products and nuclear fuel recorded the highest inflation rate of 135.9 percent, while the Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c. recorded the least inflation rate of 0.0 percent.
Petroleum Price Index
The producer inflation rate in the petroleum subsector was 23.9 percent in June 2021. The rate increased to 25.2 percent in July 2021.
Thereafter, it increased continuously to 58.4 percent in November 2021 but dropped to 36.0 percent in January 2022. In February 2022 the rate increased to 44.3 percent and jumped to 135.9 percent in June 2022.
Yunus Musahexcels as a midfielder, a position where he has distinguished himself with his national team.
Musah in an interview has stated that he is having a wonderful time in preseason with new coach Gennaro Gattuso.
“I having been playing in midfield in training. We are working on it. The coach was also a midfielder and he is helping us a lot with showing us how to play there. He sees on the pitch that we can do it,” he told VCFMedia.
“He wants to see me on the ball more. He gives us clear ideas about how to play. I’m trying to do my best,”
“I have always grown when playing in the position I’m in now, both at the VCF Academy and now in the national team, and I like it. It’s what the coach wants,” he ended.
In the summer of 2019, Musah joined Valencia, at the age of 16, and was assigned to the reserves in Segunda Division B.
At age 17 years and eight months, he made his first team and La Liga debut on September 13 2020, starting in a 42 home win against Levante UD.
Musah scored a goal in a 22 draw on November 2020 against Getafe CF, becoming the youngest non-Spanish player to score for Valencia.
Ghana Premier League side, King Faisal FC, is set commence pre-season training officially next week.
The club in a Twitter post announced that preparations for the 2022/23 football seasonwill begin on Monday, July 25, 2022.
“King Faisal FC pre-season preparations will begin on Monday 25th of July 2022. All players and technical team members are expected to report for duty as usual as we kick off our 2022/23 season preparations,” parts of a club statement from the Kumasi-based club said.
Training venue details and start times will be communicated to the players in due time, the statement added.
Former Orlando Pirates skipper Edward Motale has said Ghana goalkeeper Richard Oforishould be named the new captain of the international club.
According to the Daily Sun, Edward Motale believes Richard Ofori has garnered enough experience and would be able to lead Orlando Pirates.
“If I have to be honest, I am not a big fan of goalkeeper captains. But now Ofori can lead Pirates. He has the experience and he’s an international player. I have seen him communicating with players and also shouting (on the pitch),” he said.
“A captain needs to be someone vocal is the right man for me,” he continued as quoted by the Daily Sun.
Ahead of the start of the 2022/23 football season of the South African top-flight league, several players have been chosen for the captaincy role of the club.
Besides Richard Ofori, Thabang Monare, Thembinkosi Lorch, Olisa Ndah, and Ben Motshwari are being considered for the captaincy at Orlando Pirates.
One will be chosen to replace Happy Jele who has left the club.
The Director-General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Samuel Awuku, has entreated the Nigerian Lottery Regulatory Commission to operate with maximum integrity and transparency as it begins its new lotto game.
According to him, such virtues will help earn the trust of patrons in the Commission.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony of the 6/49 game which was launched on Monday, July 18, 2022, he said “as you commence the 6/49 game, you must endeavour to earn the trust of your cherished patrons, and other stakeholders by conducting the game with the highest sense of integrity, accountability, and transparency.â€
The Federal Government, on Monday, launched the Nigeria National Game as part of efforts to provide jobs and create wealth for the teeming population in the country.
The launch was put together by the NLRC in partnership with Elrae Technologies, to boost jobs and wealth creation in the country.
In emphasizing the importance of Responsible Gaming, Mr Awuku entreated the Commission to strongly adhere to proper and correct practices, amongst many, advertising responsibly and most importantly, ensure that minors are not involved in lottery, stressing that the the onus lies on the commission to make a difference.
Background
Nigeria has joined the world in regulating the gaming industry to harness its potential and increase revenue generation for the nation.
Director-General of Nigerian Lottery Regulatory Commission, Lanre Gbajabiamila, at the ceremony said prior to this, the Nigerian playing public had been playing Ghana games for some time.
However, it became imperative for the country to establish its National Games for wealth creation in the form of job opportunities and income generation.
Also in attendance was the Nigerian Minister for Special Duties and Inter-Government Affairs who represented President Muhammadu Buhari.
Highlighting benefits of the National game, he mentioned that “the most important benefit of it is that it translates to significant employment opportunities, in line with President Buhari’s directives to all MDAs to initiate programmes that generate employment for teeming youth.â€
He further stated that “Nigeria is currently exploring other means to widen and strengthen its revenue streams in other to fund its annual budgets rather than resorting to borrowing. Hence, the compelling need for the federal government to look beyond oil and gas, taxation amongst others to sustain the Nigerian economy.â€
Are you a Barcelona fan looking for a Robert Lewandowskijersey? Well, you may be disappointed.
The Polish striker has been the marquee signing for the Blaugrana in this summer transfer window and unsurprisingly the demand for his shirt has already hit the roof.
However the Nike store at the premises of Camp Nouhas run out of stock – because they have run out of the letter W to put on their strips for fans.
‘Lewandowski’ – the spelling is the problem
Lewandowski has got two ‘w’s’ in his name, which has caught the store on a sticky wicket.
In a video posted on Instagram, an employee of the store is seen explaining to a fan the reason behind the crisis.
“We don’t have the letters ‘W’. And because he has two ‘W’s’ in his name, we have run out (of stock),” he stated.
The Polish forward took part in the warm-up with his new teammates but did not make his debut.
The Catalan club will return to action on Sunday against bitter rivals Real Madrid, and there is a probability that Xavi might use Lewandowski on that day.
Sadio Manescored as Bayern Munich recorded a 6-2 win in a pre-season game against DC United at Audi Field in Washington, District of Columbia on Thursday morning.
The Senegal international joined the Bavarians from Liverpool in the ongoing transfer window, and the fans had an opportunity to see what he is bringing to the table.
Mane and youngster Lucas Copado led the attack in a 4-4-2 formation as the Bundesliga champions continued their preparations for the new campaign.
The Lion of Teranga needed just five minutes to get on the scoresheet. Copado was fouled in the danger zone and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Mane rose for the occasion and managed to beat Jon Kempin.
Seven minutes later, it was 2-0 in favour of the German side, this time around Marcel Sabitzer’s deflected effort hitting the back of the net.
In the 34th minute, the hosts had a chance to pull a goal back but Moses Nyeman shot just wide.
Moments later, Mane had a massive chance to score his second when he was put through but failed to beat the custodian.
However, it mattered less as the 30-year-old assisted Serge Gnabry for a third on the stroke of half-time.
In the 47th minute, new signing Matthijs de Ligt hit a volley to make it 4-0 in favour of the Bavarians. He expertly connected a Joshua Kimmich corner past the stranded goalkeeper.
Joshua Zirkzee then managed to score in the 50th minute after good work by Thomas Muller and Kinsley Coman set him up.
DC United were not giving up despite trailing by a huge margin. Their effort paid dividends in the 55th minute. De Ligt attempted to head the ball out for a corner but it hit the woodwork and the rebound kindly fell to Skage Lehland who fully capitalised on the advantage.
Theodore Ku-DiPietro scored the second for the hosts with seven minutes to go, but Muller had the last laugh when he coolly finished off a Ryan Gravenberg pass.
Ghana international, Ebenezer Assifuah has disclosed that he hoped  to reach the top most level in football with his career.
According to him, he feels sad anything he thinks about how far France midfielder Paul Pogba has gone in football after he played with him at the 2013 FIFA U20 World Cup.
“I feel so sad when I see the likes of Pogba, Umtiti, and the rest. Because we all played on one stage during the FIFA U20 tournament in Turkey.
“The difference between them and Us is that their country saw what they can do and groomed them.
“Now they are all World cup winners and still playing. But for Us the moment we couldn’t win the tournament that was it,†Ebenezer Assifuah lamented in an interview with Original TV.
Meanwhile, he insists that if he had been given a lot of opportunities to play for senior national team, he would have scored a lot of goals for the Black Stars.
Prosper Narteh Ogum, the head coach of Asante Kotoko has resigned from his role at the club.
According to Eugene Adu Poku of Kumasi-based Oyerepa FM, the former WAFA gaffer has parted ways with the after a meeting with the board and the technical committee of the side on Wednesday.
Narteh Ogum joined the Porcupine Warriors prior to the start of the 2021/22 Ghana football season from West African Football Academy [WAFA] on a two year deal.
The Black Galaxies head coach led the Reds to win the Ghana Premier League in his first season at the club.
Narteh Ogum was expected to lead the side ahead of their CAF Champions League campaign next season.
Meanwhile, officials of Asante Kotoko are engaging Coach Prosper Narteh Ogum in hopes that he will rescind his decision to resign as head coach of the first team.
“I’m finally here. I’m delighted to be at Barca,” Lewandowski said.
“The last few days have been very long, but the deal is done and now I can focus on a new chapter and challenge in my life.
“I’ve always wanted to play in La Liga and for the big clubs.
“I’m here to help Barca get back to the top and win as many titles as possible.”
Lewandowski, who has a buyout clause of 500m euros (£425.9m), joined Bayern on a free transfer in 2014 after his departure from Borussia Dortmund.
He scored 50 goals in 46 games last season as he helped Bayern win a 10th straight Bundesliga title.
Lewandowski has scored 344 times in 374 games for the club and is their second-highest scorer of all time behind Gerd Muller.
He has won the league in all eight of his seasons at Bayern and also won the Champions League in 2019-20.
Lewandowski is Barcelona’s fourth signing of the summer following Brazil winger Raphinha joining from Leeds United in a deal worth up to £55m, while Ivory Coast midfielder Franck Kessie and Denmark defender Andreas Christensen have arrived on free transfers after their respective contracts with AC Milan and Chelsea came to an end.
France winger Ousmane Dembele has also signed a contract extension with Barcelona this summer.
In August 2021, Barcelona president Joan Laporta revealed the club’s “very worrying” 1.35bn euro (£1.15bn) debt.
Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann said Barcelona is “the only club in the world that has no money but can buy every player”.
He added: “It’s kind of weird and kind of crazy for me but at the end they find solutions. I don’t know how.”
Meanwhile, Bayern have signed the Netherlands defender Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus on a five-year contract in a deal worth 77m euros (£65.6m).
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of Ghana will begin its 107th regular meeting from today July 20, 2022 to Friday, July 22, 2022 to review developments in the economy.
This meeting is coming at a crucial time in which the government is seeking a bailout from the International Monetary Fund to revive the Ghanaian economy.
The economy has been challenged by rising debt and high fiscal deficit, increasing inflation and interest rates as well as exchange rate instability.
Already, a team from the IMF had visited the country to hold meetings with government officials including the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison and other stakeholders on the way forward in reviving the economy.
Though the rate of inflation reduced in June 2022, the MPC must adopt certain measures besides the Inflation Targeting framework to bring down inflation or stablised the rising prices of goods and services.
The Central Bank in its last meeting in May 2022 adjusted upward the policy rate by 200 basis points to 19% to help check the rising inflation.
Already, some experts and institutions are projecting a further rise in the policy rate because the real policy rate is still negative.
Also, the MPC will review some business risk factors such as consumer and business confidence.
The meeting will conclude with a press conference on Monday, July 25, 2022 to announce the decision of the Committee.
Government has hinted that the Mid-Year Budget Review to be presented by the Finance Minister on Monday 25th July, 2022 will seek to roll out additional measures to fast-track the recovery of the Ghanaian economy.
According to Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Finance Minister will give an update up till June 2022 about the fiscal position of the government.
Speaking in an interview with Joy Business, he said the government will also introduce measuresthat will cushion Ghanaians against shocks from the rising prices of goods and services, among others.
“The Finance Minister will give us the latest update, maybe up to about March 2022 or up to about June 2022 about the fiscal position of the country. That is debt, revenue, expenditure, financing, macroeconomic targets, and all that.â€
“Secondly, we would hear about government economic policies. Do we want to change some of the economic policies we came to the table with at the beginning of the year?†Mr. Oppong Nkrumah pointed out.
The Information Minister again argued that the economic challenges facing the country is due to the global shocks as a result of COVID-19and the Russian-Ukraine war.
Meanwhile, Joy Business is learning that the Finance Minister will be seeking to review all the targets of the macro-economic indicators announced in the 2022 Budget.
Mr. Ofori-Atta will also update the public on current negotiations with the IMF for an Economic Programme.
He will also announce measures that will also help check fiscal slippages in the next five months.
The Minister will similarly give more details on the one billion dollars Syndicated Loan currently before the Finance Committee for approval.
Another chapter in the personal rivalry between former Liverpool teammates Sadio Maneand Mohamed Salah will play out in Rabat on Thursday when the annual African award winners are announced.
Mane was a key figure in the Senegal team that defeated Salah-captained Egypt in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations final and in a 2022 World Cup playoff.
Both the African title decider in Cameroon and the Qatar eliminator in Senegal were won by the Teranga Lions after penalty shootouts.
Mane scored in each shootout while the final was decided before Salah could take his kick, and he blazed wide in the playoff.
The Senegalese successes have made Mane favouriteto win a second straight Player of the Year award after 2019 the following two editions were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Should Mane win in the Moroccan capital, he will become the first Bayern Munich star to be voted the top African footballer.
The closest a player from the German giants has come to winning was in 1999 and 2001 when Ghanaian Samuel Kuffour finished second.
Mane moved to Bayern last month on a three-year deal after joining Liverpool in 2016 from Southampton and Anfield boss Jurgen Klopp calls him “a complete forward”.
“My only criticism of Sadio is that maybe at times he is the only one not to realise just how good he is.”
Liverpool defender Andy Robertson hailed the predatory instincts of the 30-year-old: “Whenever he is in front of the goal you do not think he will miss.”
Salah lifted the award in 2017 and 2018 and the victory of Mane the following year raised to four the number of winners from Liverpool with another Senegalese, El Hadji Diouf, topping the 2002 vote.
The Egyptian had an outstanding 2021-2022 season for the Reds, sharing the Golden Boot award with South Korean Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur.
Salah was voted Premier League Player of the Season by both the Professional Footballers’ Association and the Football Writers’ Association.
Algeria captain and Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez is the other former winner among the 10 nominees having come first in 2016 after helping rank outsiders Leicester City become Premier League champions.
Mahrez and Algeria have struggled lately, however, with the defending champions making a humiliating first-round exit from the Cup of Nations, then losing a World Cup playoff against Cameroon.
The 10 candidates for the Club Player of the Year include Brazilian Tiago Azulao, whose chart-topping seven goals in the Caf Champions League took Angolan outfit Petro Luanda to a surprise semifinals spot.
