“Ghana is an oasis of peace in the sub-region, where the rule of law works. I assured them of the safety of their investments due to the rigorous application of the law, and encouraged the business community to seriously consider investing back home”, Dr Bawumia posted on his Facebook wall on Friday, 12 April 2019, after addressing the Ghanaian business community in New York at an event organised by the Ghana Chamber of Commerce, USA.
“I reiterated the government’s commitment to creating a conducive investment environment in Ghana, and how businesses the world over have taken advantage of it to set up shop in the country,” he added.
Dr Bawumia is expected to deliver a keynote address at the Columbia University’s Annual Economic Forum in New York City and at Chicago University’s Booth Business School’s 2019 Emerging Market Summit in Chicago, Illinois.
He will also travel to Dallas, Texas to interact with the Ghanaian community and brief them on events back home.
Watch the latest episode of BizTech below:
BizTech: Experts speak on financial principles of life, generational wealth creation
BizTech: Saving money and creating generational wealth through financial literacy. Many people do not know how to save their monies, and for those who save, they leave the money to sit in their accounts without investing them to accrue some interests. This is because they either have no or little knowledge about financial literacy. Now, how do we become financially literate? What should we look out for before investing in a project? On this Friday’s edition of BizTech, our host, Ernestina Serwaa Asante sits with two financial experts; Michael Adjei and Des Amey to give us an insight on this topic. They’ll also teach us how to create generational wealth and the need to have multiple streams of income.
IMANI Africa’s Franklin Cudjoe has urged the government to once again extend the deadline for the domestic debt exchange programme to allow for negotiations.
According to him, it will be in the best interest of the government to do so as it will afford them the opportunity to fully get bondholders on board the programme.
Individual bondholders have put up a strong resistance against the debt programme citing among other things the government’s failure to include them in engagements as well as the lopsided positioning of the deal which they say offloads a significant chunk of the burden on them.
Some have since accused the government and local banks of using subtle coercion to get them to sign the deal.
Addressing the issue on JoyNews’ PM Express, Franklin Cudjoe said, “The question really is, why are we using shadow boxing, subterfuge in order to coerce people, to sign onto something that is supposed to be contractual, really? I mean if it was in good faith you wouldn’t have to use subterfuge.
“I suspect what should be done immediately…I think this deadline of 16th or 17th must be extended, and a proper discussion, a proper negotiation terms handed down by the Ministry of Finance. I don’t even know whether they’re getting overwhelmed by the work itself. It looks to me that they’re very confused.”
“I don’t think they’ll be saving face if they decided to extend the time actually. I think it will be in their best interest to extend the time and cover up the bases properly. And I will submit to people who have been coerced or who are called upon to sign onto something they know very well is not in good faith to desist from doing so,” he added.
He has called on all individual bondholders, including those being coerced to sign onto the deal to join the Individual Bondholders Forum.
The Individual Bondholders Forum was created to pushback against the government’s debt programme and force government to come to the table with a better offer than it is currently proposing.
“If they’ll do that they probably should come under the IBF or any other entity that is calling on people for some mass action. But that is the only language I suspect will be understood at this juncture. Otherwise they’ll be on their own really,” he said.
Authorities at the Ghana Education Service (GES) have meted out sanctions to some students who were seen in a viral video insulting President Akufo-Addo.
The students, numbering about eight, were on suspension prior to this move by the GES. However, they have now been dismissed from the school, which located in the Upper East Region.
In the video that stirred up controversy in the country some months ago, the students, all female, were heard raining insults on the President and accusing him of plunging the country into an economic hardship.
Announcing the decision, GES says its investigation into the incident confirmed that the students used unsavoury language against the President.
It has thus described the actions of the students as “very undesirable, and contrary to the acceptable standards of the conduct generally required of any student in Ghana’s educational system.”
The GES had earlier apologised to President Akufo-Addo over the comments by students.
“We wish to inform the general public that the students in the video have been identified as second-year students of Chiana Senior High School in the Kassena Nankana West District.
“Management of GES wishes to extend our sincerest apology to the President and the general public on behalf of the students and school”, says portions of the statement issued on November 14, 2022.
Former Asante Kotoko player and General Manager, Samuel Opoku Nti has urged the government to stop appointing persons who have no knowledge about football as Sports Ministers.
He says that politicians should remain politicians and must not dabble in the affairs of football which they have scanty knowledge about.
According to him, most Sports Minister know nothing about Sports but because their parties are in power they are handed political appointments.
“One of the areas that is killing our football is the appointment of politicians who don’t have knowledge about football as Ministers of Sports” he said in an interview on Anidasopa TV.
“They don’t know anything about football but we give them the job because of politics. We’ve never appointed a Sports Minister who studied football administration.
When appointed into office, they mostly rely on friends and public opinion to run the ministry and by the time they get experience, they’re reshuffled for us to restart again.”
The legendary former player played for the reds from 1980-1985 and helped in winning Kotoko’s second CAF Champions League title.
He scored the match-winner when Kotoko defeated Al Ahly 1-0 in Kumasi to win their second CAF Champions League title in 1983.
The club legend was appointed in an acting capacity as the General Manager of Kotoko in 2013 after Dr KK Sarpong stepped down as Executive Chairman but was removed in 2016.
The increment was decided after deliberate engagement with the National Pensions Regulatory Authority in accordance with Section 63 (3) of the National Pensions Act 2008, according to a statement released by the Trust and seen by GhanaWeb Business (Act 766).
According to SSNIT, the minimum insurable earning for 2023 has also been raised from Ghanaian currency (GH365.33) to Ghanaian cedi (GH401.76), in line with the increase in the National Daily Minimum Wage that was announced in 2022.
A former Ghanaian referee Emmanuel Okoampah has opened a can of worms about how a former Minister of state under erstwhile President Jerry John Rawlings’s regime instructed him to officiate a cup game in favour of Hearts of Oak.
He shockingly revealed in an interview that the said minister met him and his assistant referees before the game and told them to do all within their power o ensure that Hearts of Oak wins the Cup game.
The former CAF/ FIFA referee disclosed that it was a President’s Cup game but since it did not sit well with him he told his assistants that they should be fair so that the better team on the day wins.
He failed to mention the name of the said minister but quickly added that it was not E.T. Mensah who served as a Sports Minister for a long time under the late Jerry Rawlings.
“I handled a game between them (Hearts) and Kotoko and they won. Two weeks after I was assigned to a game between them and Kotoko again. It was an anniversary cup. We were in the dressing room when a minister came. It wasn’t ET Mensah,” the retired referee told Dan Kwaku Yeboah on YouTube.
“He told us that the cup must stay in Accra which means Hearts had to win. We responded in the affirmative but once he left I told the linesmen that our reputation was at stake and that we should handle the game without any bias.”
He added: “I told them to be fair but they were tensed. In the first half, the Hearts players were falling apart looking for a penalty but I ignored them.
“After the first half break, the man (Minister) came into the dressing room protesting that some big men were not happy with our decisions. He was a minister under Rawlings but I won’t mention his name.”
Hearts had their glory days in the late 90s to early 2000s when they won multiple domestic titles, the elusive CAF Champions League trophy, CAF Confederations Cup among others.
The warning appeared in the January 2023 Global Economic Prospects report from the World Bank.
The research stated that “large current account deficits are anticipated to keep currencies under pressure in a number of countries, adding to inflation and external vulnerabilities (Gambia, Ghana)”.
The World Bank also stressed the implementation of policies targeted at boosting exports to narrow the current account deficit, while controlling excessive importation.
It noted that the implementation of these measures and policies must check rising inflationary pressures which could peak in the coming months thereby negatively impacting the local currency.
Meanwhile, the cedi has begun to experience some marginal depreciation against the US dollar since the start of 2023.
The currency is selling for around GH¢12.45 to $1 on the forex market while going for GH¢9.00 on the Bank of Ghana interbank forex market.
As of January 12, 2023, the British Pound is selling at GH¢14.70 on the forex retail market while the Euro is going for GH¢12.80 on the forex retail market.
A 35-year-old Assistant Headteacher of Ekumfi Akra Methodist Basic School in the Central Region, Shadrach Frimpong has been shot while easing himself in a bush near the Teachers Bangalow which has no toilet facility.
The incident happened on Wednesday, January 11, 2023 around 5:30am.
Bullets fired missed him by a whisker and rather hit a tree infront of him saving the victim from being shot dead instantly.
The bullets, however, ricocheted and hit his left eye and hand.
He was rushed to the Mankessim Roman Hospital for treatment by some teachers who heard him screaming for help and went to his aid.
The father of the victim, Richard Anaman in an interview with Kasapa News, suspects the assailant had tried killing his son for canning a student.
He revealed that his son had a misunderstanding recently with some parents for canning a student for misconduct but the issue has been settled.
The case has been reported to the Ekumfi Essiohyia Police for an investigation.
The November 50.3% figure was increased to 54.1% in December.
According to the Ghana Statistical Service, the consumer price index tracks changes in the cost of a predetermined basket of products and services that households typically purchase.
It further said the assumption is that the basket is purchased each month, hence as the price changes each month, the total price of the basket will also change.
Adobea Mpaninsem, an eight-year-old girl known for exhibiting adult traits, has rendered an apology to Ghanaian comedienne Afia Schwarzenegger for making disrespectful remarks against her.
The young star dressed down the mother-of-twins in a video that went viral on Tuesday and received widespread condemnation from disappointed internet users.
Adobea’s attack follows a video Afia recorded of herself many months ago casting aspersion on Dr Kwadwo Safo Kantanka during her feud with his former Kantanka TV employee Mona Gucci.
Among the things Adobea said, she suggested that Afia lacks a proper upbringing which is why she rains insults on revered personalities like Kantanka at the least chance.
Watch video here
After coming under fire from members of the public, with her mother also getting backlash for raising a spoilt brat, Adobea has come out to apologise to Afia Schwar for her rants.
Just as she earlier recorded herself speaking, the little girl expressed remorse in the apology video with her hand in her palm.
She pleaded for forgiveness from Afia and vowed never to make such remarks in the future.
Meanwhile, TikTok has disabled Adobea’s account from the video-sharing platform after multiple reports following the outrage the video sparked.
Surprisingly Afia Schwar is yet to respond to both the insults and apology issued by the little girl.
According to him, his leisure time at the beaches in Ghana gives him inner peace because it seems God lives there.
“The year just started. Started the year going to Ghana because that is where I have actual genuine peace. When you go to Labadi beach and you’re looking at the water, you see that there is this line at the end where it separates the sky from the water, I feel like that’s where God lives.
…I will do like four shows a day, then I just break down then that’s when I go to Ghana,” he added while speaking in an interview with the media.
Ghana has become the best destination for tourists, especially during the yuletide season.
The government’s Year of Return and Beyond the Return initiative has paid its dues for the country and has made the West African country a go-to destination for tourists.
Ghanaian award-winning star Gyakie has been called among other notable artistes to perform at the ‘City Splash Fest’ at Brockwell Park in Brixton, United Kingdom.
Gyakie’s growth musically is in tandem with her growing success is undeniably clear.
Her hit song ‘Forever’ peaked in 2021 earning the artiste millions of streams across over hundred countries.
Her video for the ‘Forever’ remix with Omah Lay has maxed over 30 million views and her songs have constantly been in Apple Music charts across several African countries.
In the lineup shared and announced earlier this week on ‘city splash’ Facebook page, Gyakie, who is the only Ghanian act on the bill now would be sharing the stage with other reggae, dancehall, afrobeat artistes across the globe.
Legendary Jamaican artiste, Chronixx, has been named as the headline act with support from Koffee, Shenseea, Iration Steppas, Ras Kwame, Pioneer b2b Supa D ft Coldsteps and many others.
City splash is a huge spectacular festival where dancehall, reggae and afrobeat’s music is celebrated.
The festival which celebrates Caribbean and African culture is slated for Wednesday. May 29, 2023.
City Splash Festival is to help celebrate the impact and importance of Caribbean and African music on British culture.
The outspoken preacher was speaking in respect of the Meek Mill brouhaha, after the American rapper was captured in photos in and around the Jubilee House in postures deemed disrespectful to the presidency.
Prophet Oduro made copious comparisons as to whether a Ghanaian musician could be fortunate to just visit the US presidency, the White House, and go as far as take photos with their president while posing with the presidential podium.
“Ghana my motherland, our forebears suffered in vain, I am telling you,” he told his congregation in a viral video, lamenting further: “Now look at the things that are going on, abuse.
“I saw this young musician who came for a visit recently, took pictures standing behind podium and doing all sorts of things. Can you do that in the White House?
“Which of our musicians have traveled to America and seen the president of America, Stonebwoy, Shatta Wale, which of them have met the president of America?” he quizzed.
“I want to ask you, there are preachers, prophets of this land, they have never stepped into the Jubilee House, so somebody gets an opportunity, don’t abuse it…. Can Ohemaa Mercy go to the White House for photo opportunities?
“Don’t abuse office, don’t abuse that office because if it leaves, you won’t get it back again,” he cautioned Akufo-Addo.
He also bemoaned how senior clergymen in the country have not had the opportunity to visit the Jubilee House yet Meek Mill had done that and, in the process, angered a wide cross section of the populace by his conduct while there.
The rapper issued an apology to Ghanaians and the presidency after footage of the Jubilee House was contained in a video he was set to release.
He deleted the promo he had posted on Instagram and absolved the presidency of knowing that he was taking videos during his visit to the place.
His visit was facilitated by Gyankroma Akufo-Addo, daughter of the president. Government is under fire to explain how the highest security installation in the country suffered such a breach.
Ghanaian musician Nii Addo Quaynor, better known as Tinny, has for years been showered with accolades for his youthful and radiant look, which makes it hard to determine his real age.
The 40-year-old singer has opened up about what keeps him young.
According to the ‘Makola Kwakwe’ hitmaker, he lives a stress-free life. One that affords him peace of mind at all times despite the pressures of life.
“Everyone says I am not aging, that is what they say. It is scary but it is all with the mind. The mind doesn’t stress at all. The mind is stress free…it keeps things on the low. To my knowledge, my mind is always fine. I don’t give myself pressure,” Tinny disclosed in an interview actor Kwaku Manu.
Tinny has admonished individuals to manage the pressures of life, as failure to do so will cost them a healthy and long life.
“Those I started with have changed, the pressure is too much. You can’t avert pressure, the problems won’t stop coming. You just need to manage it,” he adviced.
Speaking in an interview with GhanaWeb reporter Paula Amma Broni back in December 2022, Tinny clarified that he holds nothing against any of his colleagues in the music industry.
“There is peace every time, I am not into beefing and stuff. I see myself as an artiste who doesn’t have beef with anybody at all in this industry. Maybe the people got it twisted,” he said.
Kennedy Agyapong Jr has narrated a story about how he once used his father’s name to get out of trouble but it did not work.
One of the founders of Afrochella, now rebranded as AfroFuture, he is the son of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central Kennedy Ohene Agyapong.
“I remember when I first came to Ghana, 2014, I was going back [to America] for holidays,” he told Andy Dosty on Accra-based Hitz FM, Tuesday, January 10, 2023. “I had a visa but I didn’t know when they stamp the visa it says ’60 Days’ but then you have to renew it.”
He had reasoned because he had a five-year visa, he “could go [and] come,” as he pleased.
“So, this is the first time I used his [my father’s] name and it backfired,” he recalled and illustrated with a story at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), Accra.
“I was at the airport and the Immigration Officer informed me that my visa had expired. I insisted it said five years but he showed me that the 60 days I had been given had elapsed,” he said.
Kennedy Jr “got upset,” and challenged the officer. According to him, at this point, and for the first time, he used the famed line; “Do you know who I am?”
When the officer did not budge, “I called Honourable [his politician father],” he demonstrated being on a phone call with his right hand.
His father, a renowned stateman, asked that he would be put on loudspeaker.
“The officer said [to my father], ‘He overstayed’,” the 33-year-old Kencity Media Limited boss recalled. “I had been in Ghana for one year and there was a penalty and he [the officer] said, ‘It’s US$360, the penalty’.”
To the young man’s astonishment, his father replied the officer saying: “Oh, let him pay the penalty.”
Andy reacted with a belly laugh. Kennedy Jr chuckled as he repeated his father’s words.
“I’m thinking he was going bail me out, but, no, no, no, he told me to pay,” he stressed.
He indicated that Terminal 2 was for intertional flights at that time and the Immigration Officer was professional; he did not ask for any bribe.
“They took the [penalty] money and gave me a receipt and everything, and I was like, ‘Oh, man! It didn’t work,” he laughed.
Andy expressed surprise at his father not intervening.
“That was the first and the last, I never used his name again,” Kennedy Jr replied, laughing a bit and shifting in his seat.
He further accused politicians of hoarding dollars, leading to the depreciation of the cedi.
Speaking at the maiden edition of the McDan Business Forum, Kofi Amoabeng said “Ghana exchange rate regime is a pathetic one. The so-called politicians are the ones hoarding the dollars, but it’s seen out there as if they are not the cause of all this. Corruption is part of our problem and we need to work on it”.
“One thing that causes big demand for dollars is corruption. All the money they are making and stealing are not in cedis but in dollars…They must change dollars. So they hide it under their beds and when they get the opportunity they put it outside”, myjoyonline quoted him to have said.
It would be recalled that on October 20, 2022, Bloomberg reported that the cedi had diminished in value by 9.6%.
The news portal said it makes the total loss of the cedi in 2022 almost 52%, the highest recorded in 22 years.
The free fall of the cedi now places the currency at the 148th position of worst-performing currencies in the world.
“The currency depreciated as much as 9.6% on Thursday, heading for its biggest decline in 22 years. That took losses in 2022 to nearly 52%, the worst performance among 148 currencies tracked by Bloomberg,” the news portal reported.
During the same period, a committee was formed to hold talks with domestic bond investors on debt management strategy and how to negotiate the deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Joao Felix has joined Chelsea on loan until the end of the season.
The Blues saw off interest from Premier League leaders Arsenal to land their man after Atletico Madrid made the Portuguese star available for a short-term switch worth a reported £9million.
Prior to agreeing the move, the 23-year-old attacker extended his contract with Atleti by a year, meaning his deal in the Spanish capital now runs until the summer of 2027.
After arriving in West London, he said: “Chelsea is one of the great teams in the world and I hope to help the team reach their objectives.
“I am very, very happy to be here and very excited to play at Stamford Bridge.”
Felix has looked slightly out of place since arriving at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium from Benfica for a whopping £113m in 2019.
But he gave a timely reminder of his talents with some superb performances during Portugal’s World Cup campaign in Qatar.
Assistant coach of Legon Cities FC, Ahmed Tijani has assessed the team’s draw against Dreams FC on Wednesday afternoon.
In a post-match interview, the coach said the team is disappointed the match ended in a draw.
“Good game but we are disappointed not to win,” coach Ahmed Tijani said while adding, “I think the draw is a true reflection of the game. We created many chances but in the end, we have to settle for a point.”
The coach further defended fringe players who had the chance to play. In his estimation, they did well in the match and helped Legon Cities FC to earn a point from the game.
“We missed couple of players but all these players you saw today are our players that we registered from the beginning of the season. We just gave them the confidence to go and they did that well.
“We can just put this behind us. Work hard in training and go again on Sunday,” coach Ahmed Tijani said.
Up next for Legon Cities FC, the team will take on Nsoatreman FC in Week 13 of the Ghana Premier League season.
The owner and bankroller of King Faisal, Alhaji Karum Grusah has stressed that he is very confident the team will beat Hearts of Oak on Thursday in the Ghana Premier League.
According to him, the Kumasi-based club has prepared very well and will see off the Phobians.
“I was extremely worried about the false allegations that people made against us when King Faisal won over Hearts of Oak last season.
“That game wasn’t the first time we defeated Hearts, I was looking for evidence to sue those people who were making those allegations.
“On tomorrow’s game, we are preparing hard for it and I’m confident King Faisal will win if God permits,” Alhaji Grusah said in an interview with Akoma FM.
The King Faisal owner further disclosed, “There isn’t going to be any special bonus for the players if they win against Hearts. But I know my players are well-prepared and motivated to win.
“Isha Allah, King Faisal win beat Hearts.”
The match between King Faisal and Hearts of Oak will be played at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium tomorrow.
Ghanaian match officials, Daniel Laryea and Kwesi Brobbey have safely arrived in Algeria ahead of the 2023 TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN tournament).
The two are the only referees selected by CAF for this year’s CHAN tournament being staged in the North African country.
With the tournament set to commence in Algeria on Friday, January 13, Daniel Laryea and Kwesi Brobbey have reported themselves.
Top referee Daniel Laryea is one of 18 centre referees selected for the tournament.
Meanwhile, Kwesi Brobbey has been included in the list of assistant referees to work at the CHAN 2023 tournament.
The Black Galaxies of Ghana will be one of the countries competing in this year’s tournament.
Ghana has been drawn into Group C and will face off with the likes of Madagascar, Sudan, and Morocco.
The Black Galaxies will play their first match against Madagascar on Sunday, January 15.
Immediate-past Minister for Trade and NPP flagbearership hopeful, Alan Kyerematen has been slammed by Ghanaians on social media for an uninspiring address last night.
The former Trade Minister, who resigned from the NPP Government last week to pursue his NPP flagbearership dreams, addressed the nation last night, in what was onviously indented to be a major statement of intent.
Alan and his team, would have set a target of captivating Ghanaians with his major public address since his early resignation from government.
But the outcome appears not to have gone down well, as significant number of Ghanaians on social media have critiqued Alan’s delivery and message with a dim view.
The former Trade Minister announced his intention to contest the flagbearership race, outlined his policies, and in a stunning fashion, aimed a veiled dig at the NPP Government he has been part of in the past six years, until a few days ago.
What has earned Alan the biggest social media flak is his inference to the NPP Government he has been part of for six years as a ‘no action, talk only’ government.
While some have criticised him for being self-centred and hypocritical, in his attempt to absorb himself of any blame and also run away from the pressure the government is currently facing, others, some have also labelled his policies and general delivery rhetorics and uninspiring.
One observer passed a damning verdict on Alan’s delivery, giving him a pass mark of 2/10.
“I will give ALAN 2/10. I was not impressed. Nothing New. Just ENGLISH!,” wrote broadcaster Nana Jantua.
Another, Listowell Yesu Bukarson, a US-based Ghanaian journalist wrote: “this was supposed to project and announce him to the world as, at least, a force to be contended with by his political opponents, but it fell short by drastic proportions. Going forward, if he means business he must get his act together and reorganize his addresses, especially his CONTENT.”
The President of the Ghana League Club Associations (GHALCA), Cudjoe Fianoo, is urging the government to come to the aid of Ghana Premier League clubs in the wake of low fan patronage.
There has been a menace of lack of patronage of games in the 2022/23 Ghana Premier League, with even Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak struggling to attract more than 5,000 fans to their games.
The GHALCA boss views this as a downtime for the local lead and wants the government to step in as a matter of urgency as it has done to other sectors of the economy when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
“Something that touches the soul and heart of the citizenry, the government must also show some concern,” he told LUV FM.
“When industries were collapsing, the government came to their aid, they met with the association of Ghana industries, they met with the Ghana national chamber of commerce to see what they can do and it is a fact that some assistance was extended to some of them.
“So, if we are talking about the passion of the nation, this should not be the concern for only the industry players, I believe that the state should also come in.
“After all, in some jurisdictions, governments are doing a lot of investment so, they should not stop at providing only infrastructure.
“Withing the economic environment, it is not enabling enough, I think that we need help.
“The government should make room for the passion of the nation, when the Black Stars qualified for the world cup, everybody forgot about the e-levy.”
Minister for Lands and Natural Resources,Samuel Abu Jinapor, has underscored the importance of the Ghana Chamber of Mines in the attainment of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s vision of making Ghana a mining hub of Africa.
According to him, as the body that represents the interest of mining companies in the country, the Ministry recognizes that the Ghana Chamber of Mines is arguably the most important partner in the mining industry.
Speaking during a working visit to the Chamber on Tuesday, January 10, 2022, Samuel Abu Jinapor emphasized the need for conscious, constant and fruitful deliberations between the Ministry and the Chamber so as to achieve the aim of making Ghana a Mining hub of Africa.
The Lands Minister also sought the enhanced support of the Chamber in the fight against illegal mining.
He explained that the Chamber needs to take a leading role in the regulation of the Mining industry and that the Ministry with its open-door policy will welcome all proposals and assistance from the Chamber and all other stakeholders.
“You are one of, if not the most important partner, for the ministry in mining industry. You control an overwhelming stake in the industry and contribute overwhelmingly to the national economy. As partners, we have to find proper platform for engagements and I believe that, that is the spirit with which we’ve been working for the past two years. It is important that we see ourselves as partners”, the Minister said.
“For us to be able to derive the needed benefit from the sector, we must continue to see each other as partners. As partners, it is important that we have these kinds of constructive engagements”, he added.
“We are going to engage on how we can build the mining industry of our country to realize the vision of the president of making Ghana a mining hub of Africa,” he reiterated.
President of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Mr. Joshua Mortoti lauded the Government for its plan to make Ghana a mining hub of Africa and assured of the total support of the Chamber in actualizing that vision.
He highlighted the immense contribution of the Chamber to the country’s economy.
He disclosed that the Sector Minister, in response, requested that they furnish his outfit with further details of the above-mentioned and recommended ways they can be addressed.
Duker said it was important for the Ministry and the Chamber to work together for the growth of the sector and the Ghanaian economy.
The meeting with the Chamber of Mines forms part of the Sector Minister’s continuous agenda to engage key stakeholders and partners
Coffin maker who is struggling to make sales storms a nearby hospital to remove the drips from patients to fast track their passing
A Cameronian coffin maker is currently in the grips of the police for trying to cause mass murder.
According to reports, the 33-year-old coffin maker who’s struggling to makes sales stromed a nearby hospital to remove the drips from cholera patnets who were on admission.
This incident is said to have happened in Limbe, a seaside city in the South-West Region of Cameroon.
Reports indicate that the man who was caught removing drips from cholera patients at a hospital in limbe has a coffin workshop nearby pic.twitter.com/tyTHz0vzhW
“There is also a subtle attempt to insulate Mr. Alan Kyerematen from the mess created by this government. No amount of perfume can be used to wash Honorable Alan Kyerematen from the mess created by this government. That is the narrative that they are trying to push that he resigns so that we can insulate him from the mess? He cannot,” Mr. Mohammed stated.
“As a matter of fact he is a member of the Economic Management Team. On the day that Dr. Bawumia said that they have an Economic Management Team, he mentioned Professor John Baffuor, Alan Kyerematen. When he mentioned Alan Kyerematen he was so happy and has always acknowledged the fact that he is a member of the Economic Management Team,” the Tamale Central MP stated.
The lawmaker further added that Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumia cannot win the impending Presidential primaries of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“Clearly the agenda of President Nana Addo and the Ofori-Attas is to get someone who will come and plunder the resources of Ghana. Dr. Bawumia is an active participant of how they have plundered the resources of this nation and they would want to protect him.”
“The disaster that is happening, he is the Chairman for the Economic Management Team. And trust me I will never be surprised that what they did to my father Aliu Mahama is the same thing they will do to Dr. Bawumia,” he reiterated.
“All those who know him and happen to have come in contact with this affable gentleman will attest to the fact that he is an astute politician, a very humble public servant, versed in his area of duty, coupled with excellent human relations which have endeared him to all who have happened to meet him on matters of trade and industry, especially, those of us in the private sector,” the release said.
The associaiton added that “We can confidently say that he has performed excellently and left an indelible footprint that will ever remain in our memories. So we see him as an asset not only to Ghana but also to the sub-regional and continental blocs, as well as the entire globe.”
Meanwhile, after his resignation, the president has appointed the Finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta as the caretaker of the Trade Ministry in the interim.
He said unwarranted delays in permit issuance for businesses and building projects had contributed to the slow pace of employment opportunities in the districts and must, therefore, be averted in the quest to create more jobs, grow the private sector and ultimately spur socio-economic growth.
Mr Darko-Mensah said this when he called on the Shama District Assembly, where he interacted with the staff as part of his two-day working visit to Shama and Wassa East districts.
“We need to develop rapidly as a society and the private sector must be a priority…Let’s assist them on timely basis and also work to avoid longer waiting times for the necessary documentations to operate any venture in our district,” he said.
The Minister encouraged the Spatial Planning Directorate to have a blue print on how the built environment should be and demand maximum compliance from all investors/developers to create an aesthetic environment that, in itself, engineered domestic tourism.
From the Assembly, the Regional Minister visited the Paramount Chief of the Shama Traditional Council, Nana Wienu II, who prayed for a successful tenure of all political heads in the district.
The Minister and his team were taken through production processes at the Roland Rice Factory near Anto and how investment in the rice sector could change the fortunes of farmers and attract more youth.
He praised the young Chief Executive Officer, Mr Roland Prah, for the decision to go into agriculture and announced that a consultant had been engaged to help the region on rice production.
The CEO called for irrigation systems and investment in the business.
The Minister visited the Marco Polo Tiles and Keda Ceramics, two prominent ceramic companies in the district, to familiarise themselves with operations and chart a path of growth together.
He lauded the leadership of the companies for creating jobs for the youth and entreated them to abide by all labour regulations to enjoy a peaceful operating environment.
Through the partnership, grant support of US$20 million (cedis equivalent) has been earmarked for the flagship SME High Growth Programme, targeting SMEs nationwide for general training, capacity upgrades, consulting, and financing.
The Grant Programme’s support is expected to help 2,000 SMEs to become investment ready, capable of attracting both local and foreign capital into their businesses, increase sales and more importantly build their capacities to export and culminate into job creation and job sustainability.
“It is designed to provide training and capacity building necessary to lead to the operational efficiency of the enterprises, boost their competitiveness and scale up their operations for further job creation,” Mrs Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, Chief Executive Officer of GEA said at the launch.
“This makes the programme design very relevant to the vision of His excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for SMEs through the GEA, that is to optimize their potential to enable them to contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of the national economy and poverty reduction.
“I am happy that together with our Development partner, the World Bank, through the GETP, we can deliver this support to our SMEs,” she added.
Small or Medium Enterprise (SME) with a majority Ghanaian shareholding of 51 per cent or more and registered under Ghanaian law in sectors such as Agribusiness/agro-processing, Construction, Education, Food and Beverage, Healthcare or Pharmaceutical industries, ICT, Manufacturing, Textile & Garment, Tourism & Hospitality, Trade/Commerce of locally produced goods, Transport and Logistics are qualified to participate in the programme.
Small enterprises should also demonstrate an employee size of six to 30 and/or annual sales between GHS 180,000 and GHS 7.2Million while Medium enterprises should demonstrate an employee size of 31 to 100 and annual sales between GHS 7.2M and GHS 21.6M
The GEA has So far implemented three successful interventions under Ghana Economic Transformation (GET) Project, including phases 1 and 2 of the COVID-19 Response Grant Programme and this current SME High Growth programme.
More than GHS 65 million has been disbursed/committed to more than 800 SMEs between September 2021 to December 2022 with almost 40 per cent of the funding going to women-owned enterprises at a value of more than GHS 23 million.
Overall, the scheme has chalked over a 90% satisfaction rate based on an online survey conducted in March 2022. This is because the application process is transparent and fast.
3,195 jobs have been sustained by 311 firms supported with grants.
Launching the programe, Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei, Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, said the SME Growth Grant Programme, an initiative supported by the World Bank, is being implemented by GEA under the Ghana Economic Transformation (GET) Project.
She said the programme aimed to address the many challenges faced by SMEs because of the Covid-19 pandemic to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of high-growth export companies, and viable firms owned by the vulnerable, such as women-owned enterprises, persons with disability and the youth.
“In effect, the second phase of the nationwide Grant Programme being launched this day, will focus only on eligible SMEs in priority sectors that are still negatively affected by the COVID-19 crisis but have also showed positive signs of resilience to spur growth,”she said.
The main objective is to provide these SMEs with liquidity to enable them to readjust and bounce back to profitable businesses that contribute meaningfully to Ghana’s overall economic growth.
The Minister reiterated the Government’s commitment to fully implement all initiatives under the Ghana Economic Transformation Project, including the Grant Programme, for the full benefit of SMEs across the country.
She encouraged all beneficiaries to use the grant received for the intended projects to grow and expand their operations.
According to him, the “lifestyle” of the country does not merit the gesture it may want from creditors.
Ablakwa intimated that the country’s expenditure on certain projects and activities such as the building of the National Cathedral and the “chartered flights” are not representative of the country’s problems.
“We were declared a Highly-indebted poor country. In less than 20 years after we got debt forgiveness, see where we are now. Are we not ashamed of ourselves?
“They are not even ashamed to go around seeking debt forgiveness on chartered flights. We are appealing for debt forgiveness but are building a cathedral. If the President does not change his ways, we will not get the debt forgiveness we seek,” he was quoted by citinewsroom.com.
Ghana announced a suspension of Eurobond debt payments in December after it announced a domestic debt restructuring programme.
The country is however expecting a financial bailout from the International Monetary Fund to shore up its reserves and deal with the depreciation of the cedi.
The Managing Director of FBN Bank Ghana, Victor Yaw Asante, stated that the banks have been engaging the government and other stakeholders on some of the modalities of the programme.
He however assured that the general public, as well as customers, will be updated as and when any new development occurs.
“We’ve been engaging all players. This includes the government because they are rolling it and whatever they do has implications for us and our regulators. There has been a lot of engagement since the announcement was made,” he is quoted by myjoyonline.
“We wait and see. We are now going to bake in all the changes and see how it pans out. The debt exchange programme has many problems. There are liquidity issues,” he added.
Yaw Asante however added that the debt exchange programme also poses liquidity challenges to banks.
“Banks are now worried that we may not have liquidity. We are engaging our regulator about how we will manage the liquidity and see how we can have a forbearance around some of the requirements of the regular bank or else it will affect us,” he added.
On debt forgiveness, however, Yaw Asante intimated that even though it would be relieving to get debt forgiveness, Ghana must make sure to find good ways to solve its debt issues.
“We owe money. If your debtor forgives you, thank God for it. But for now, we are in a serious position because we are not generating as much as we should generate in terms of debt service and we all know what happened at the beginning of the year, our debt went up, revenue didn’t come as we thought, so it’s good if we get the cancellation,” he said.
This is according to a press statement from the ministry which noted that the only contracts signed with GENSER on record are by GNGC and GNPC.
In a response to the article, “Overturn Napo’s Approval of Genser Deal – Ghana Gas Workers Urge Akufo-Addo,” the energy ministry said, “This contract between GENSER & GNGC predates the Minister’s tenure at the Ministry of Energy and was signed on behalf of the GNGC by Dr. Ben Asante, its CEO and the Ministry duly informed.”
“At the appropriate time, the Ministry will fully come out with all documentation necessary in respect of this matter,” the statement concluded.
Read the earlier article published by starrfm.com.gh
The Ghana Gas Senior Staff Association has questioned the Minister of Energy’s commitment to the construction of a second state-owned gas processing plant and the entire indigenisation drive of the sector.
A statement issued by the Ghana Gas-SSA urged President Akufo-Addo to intervene since his dream of having a second gas processing plant is on the line.
The workers of Ghana Gas expressed disquiet about the way the current Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, is handling the issue of the concurrent existence of Genser Energy Ghana Limited’s (GEGL/Genser) Gas Conditioning Plant and Ghana Gas’ Gas Processing Plant Train 2.
They claimed the situation reverses the hard-earned indigenisation achievement by his predecessors.
“Ghana Gas is 100% owned by the state whiles Genser is known to have about 90% of its shares being owned by foreigners. It is also known that Genser repatriates over 80% of its revenue to South Africa. Therefore, it baffles the minds of workers of Ghana Gas for any Minister of State to do the bidding of Genser at the expense of a state-owned company.
“It is worthy to note that Ghana Gas derives its obligation to construct a second Gas Processing Plant from the 2022 President’s State of the Nation Address. The President was emphatic that Ghana Gas will be building a second Gas Processing Plant with a higher capacity than the existing Gas Processing Plant,” part of the statement said.
The statement further added that having a private-owned entity compete with Ghana Gas for raw gas from the Jubilee fields is a recipe for disaster.
The Ghana Gas-SSA has therefore called on the President to overturn the Minister’s approval of the 50MMSCFD of raw gas supply to Genser’s plant.
The minister, who also serves as Member of Parliament for Kwadaso in the Ashanti Region submitted his resignation letter to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House on Tuesday, January 10.
According to GhanaWeb sources, the resignation is to allow him to focus on his flagbearership ambition as he seeks to lead the New Patriotic Party (NPP) into the 2024 general elections.
He becomes the second cabinet minister to resign for a similar reason. Trade and Industry Minister Alan Kyerematen resigned late last week for similar reasons.
Harry Kane has emerged as a shock summer target for Real Madrid.
After failing to land Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe last year, Real have not given up hope of making a marquee signing to bolster Carlo Ancelotti’s attack ahead of next season.
And Tottenham goal machine Kane, 29, is viewed as the ideal candidate, according to Spanish outlet Todofichajes.
The England skipper has netted 15 goals and notched one assist in 18 Premier League appearances so far this season.
The Guardian claim Manchester United have reached a verbal agreement to sign Wout Weghorst.
The report suggests United will pay Besiktas £2.7million to end the Burnley striker’s loan early to take him to Old Trafford until the end of the season.
But the Turkish side are only willing to give final approval if they can find a suitable replacement for the 30-year-old Netherlands international, with Cameroonian ace Vincent Aboubakar believed to be their No1 target.
Alan spoke extensively about his goals for the presidency and his ideas for changing the nation in a 17-minute speech that was televised to the entire country.
Joshua Kimmich joked he may have to play until the age of 45 to lift an international trophy as he rued Germany’s dire showing at the 2022 World Cup.
Having been eliminated in the group stage at Russia 2018 and fallen to England in the last 16 at Euro 2020, Germany arrived in Qatar in the midst of a dismal run of tournament showings.
Hansi Flick’s side were left with a familiar sinking feeling as they failed to recover from a shock defeat to Japan in their Group E opener, missing out on a place in the round of 16 despite taking four points from games against Spain and Costa Rica.
Bayern Munich midfielder Kimmich has now been a Germany regular at four major tournaments, and their shortcomings have left him with a “bitter” taste.
Kimmich is back in Doha for a mid-season training camp with Bayern, and asked in a press conference about Germany’s chances of winning a major trophy as they look ahead to hosting Euro 2024, he said: “I just have to keep playing until I’m 45, then we will, hopefully.”
Reflecting on Germany’s World Cup exit, the 27-year-old added: “We had big objectives and wanted to reach something.
“Eventually, we got knocked out early again. After 2018, the Euros and now another tournament like this, it is very bitter.
“You don’t get that many chances with the national team, so this is not something you can just easily forget and move on from because it is what it is.”
Kimmich believes Germany could have grown into the tournament had they qualified from their group, but he acknowledges other sides – including eventual champions Argentina – arrived in Qatar in better form.
“I thought that in 2018, many things weren’t working, also internally on our team. Against England [at Euro 2020], it felt like a 50-50 game,” Kimmich said.
“Last year, I don’t want to say everything was great but in the end, those 30 minutes against Japan cost us the tournament. If we had drawn there, we would definitely have progressed
“We were also missing self-confidence, especially when I look at other teams. Italy before the Euros had a long streak of unbeaten games, Argentina as well [before the World Cup].
“This is something we have to aim for. We can’t just start with that once the tournament starts. We should start that in March.
“We have to win our games, gain self-confidence and gain some self-understanding for our processes. Then we have to also bring that to the pitch and be able to rely on that.”
The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) has stated that oil marketing companies have overpriced fuel for the first pricing window of January 2023.
Detailing its projections and predictions for the first window, COPEC stated that fuel petrol should be sold at GH¢10.59 and diesel at GH¢12.84.
COPEC, therefore, calls for deepened investigations into the pricing regime used by OMCs as it noted that its projections were based on the dollar rate.
Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC).
COPEC’s Predictions: (Window 1 of Dec. 23)
Petrol: 10.59 Diesel: 12.84 Mean Val: 11.72 ————————
Pump Prices of Some SELECTED OMCs (As on 10 Jan. 2023)
Ghanaian international, Kwaku Bonsu Osei is currently on trials at Hungarian club Ferencvaros TC.
The youngster according to information gathered from GHANAsoccernet.com, has ended his three-year stay at the Venezuelan club Caracas FC.
The winger is now keen on a return to Europe to continue his career to take it to the next level.
Kwaku Bonsu Osei, 22, back in 2020 joined the Venezuelan club in a move from Slovakian club FK.
Before that, he played in the Ghana Premier League for impressive side Bechem United.
During his stint with Caracas FC, He made 83 appearances and scored 17 goals. In addition, the winger also provided 13 assists to help the club.
The exciting attacker is now trialing at Ferencvaros in hopes of securing a deal. The youngster has been working hard so far and looks set for a deal that will see him sign for the Hungarian giants on a free transfer.
According to the Concerned Staff of the CAGD, they will advise themselves if the 2021 and 2022 honorarium are not paid.
In a petition to the CAGD Directors and MoF, dated Tuesday, 10 January 2022, the concerned staff noted that: “Having been denied our 2021 honorarium for the first time in the history of CAGD, we the concerned staff of CAGD wish to unequivocally state that any attempts by the Management of CAGD and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to once again deny our hardworking staff of this age-old ‘solace’ would not be tolerated.”
Former Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen, has said one of the reasons Ghana’s economy is wobbling is due to its high dependence on the exportation of commodities.
He stated that most of the commodities exported are either of no or little value addition.
Making this known in an address to the nation on Tuesday, January 10, 2022, Alan Kyerematen said this has made the economy fragile and susceptible to both external and domestic shocks.
” One of the lessons that we have learnt from the recent developments is that Ghana’s economy is still fragile, vulnerable and susceptible to both external and domestic shocks. This primarily is as a result of the fact that our economy is highly dependent on the export of commodities with little or no value addition,” the former trade and industry minister said.
“Indeed, the 5.1% projected GDP growth for the Ghanaian economy for 2023 is based on the anticipated increase in commodity prices,” he added.
Ghana Football Association‘s spokesman, Henry Asante Twum has stated that referee Selorm Yao Bless has been punished by the FA but they have decided not to publish sanctions against referees.
Mr. Twum explained that the Ghana FA took the decision in order to protect the general image of Ghanaian referees.
Reigning Ghana Premier League champions Asante Kotoko petitioned the Ghana Football Association over some controversial decisions made by Yao Bless.
Fans of the Porcupine Warriors have complained about not hearing anything from the FA about their club’s petition. Henry Asante Twum reacting to their concerns revealed the referee was punished.
“He was punished we didn’t publish we just didn’t want to make it public. For this season we have punished referees we put them on ice we don’t make it public. That is the decision the secretariat has taken. You can see that Yao Bless for a long time he wasn’t officiating,” he told Asempa FM as monitored by Footballghana.com
“There is a global effect as well so you think about the collective good about the product than just to appease the public. In the past when we punish a referee then we publish it you can sit and ask yourself how this affects the image of our referees globally or at the international front,”
“At FIFA they punish referee they put them on ice they don’t talk about the referee again. Same CAF unless there is a grievous error that is so huge and bad then they must come out and explain saying they are investigating. But if it is a minor error then you report it then they do look into it and see that the referee is wrong they just put the referee on ice without making any public statement. We also feel that should be the new way that is the decision the secretariat has taken,”
Ghana Football Association spokesman Henry Asante Twum has revealed that referees in all the Ghana Premier League, Women’s Premier League, and the Division One are paid after every four games.
Henry Asante Twum also revealed that the Ghana FA pays referees through mobile money (momo) and payments are made across the board.
He assured football fans that this payment policy does not affect the performances of referees.
“The policy is that payment are made after every four games or every four weeks. So from match day 1, 2,3, 4 when we complete the four then we put everything together then we pay,” he told Asempa FM.
“Whether Premier, Division One, Women’s Premier League so sometimes after the first four it can continue to eight matches which will be outstanding because we want to add everything up. So four Premier, four division one, and four women’s league. After every four round of games then we add up. We pay them through momo,”
The shutdown is to allow for the replacement of some critical valves at the Takoradi station.
This is aimed at securing the safety and integrity of the station.
According to management, during the 10-day shutdown period, there will be no gas transportation from the Takoradi facility to customers in the Tema power enclave.
In a statement, WAPCO said: “We will, however, continue to deliver gas from Nigeria to Tema based on volumes agreed between the customer and the shipper.”
It indicated that: “This shutdown is supported by the Ministry of Energy (MoE) and coordinated with Ghana Grid Company Ltd (GRIDCo), the Volta River Authority (VRA), the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and other key stakeholders to minimise the impact of the shutdown on communities that rely on power generated from cleaner and more efficient gas transported through the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP).”
WAPCo apologised to its “customers in Tema for the inconvenience that may be caused by the planned shutdown.”
“We will work collaboratively with our contractors to ensure that the shutdown activities are safely executed and within the timeline stated herein,” WAPCo assured.
The statement added: “Gas supply would be immediately restored after completion of the maintenance works and commissioning of the Takoradi facility.”
Ghana defender, Tariq Lamptey has settled on both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are at par when it comes to the greatest footballer of all time debate.
Having led Argentina to win the Mundial in Qatar, many football fandom have rated the former Barcelona as the greatest player of all time.
However, Lamptey has described five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo and seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi as generational players.
“We are blessed to see two generational players in Messi and Ronaldo and we really have to enjoy what they do,” the Brighton defender who featured at the global showpiece told Citi Sports.
“Both have different qualities and have worked hard to get what they have.
“I enjoy both and I love watching them play.
“I try to take as many lessons as I can to try and become a better player myself.
“I will take both of them in my team if I can,” he added.
Portugal however, exited the tournament at the quarterfinals after losing to Morocco.
Prof Mensah also an Honorary Fellow at Solidaire Ghana believes that, since the bank and non-bank sector stability plays a major role in a non-market economy like Ghana, the government is advised to stress-test all these sectors before any debt exchange program.
The economist explained that, the stress test will provide information on how to design the needed support for the sector. Indicating further that, the financial stability support fund provided in the first and the revised DDEP is not enough, some of the institutions may need recapitalization, liquidity support, and in large regulatory measures.
Prof Mensah stressed that, “There seems to be no appreciation of the consequence of the entire DDEP on the domestic financial sector.”
Consequently, he provided education on the effect between the DDEP and the financial sector. “The government should note that Banks and the Non-Bank (including pensions, rural banks, and insurance companies) sectors hold more than 84% of the domestic debt, and as a result, careless execution of the DDEP may spread the country’s debt distress to other parts of the economy, with likely effects on the financial stability and economic activity.
“The structure of the DDEP will play a major role in achieving the necessary fiscal space whiles minimizing the risk to the domestic financial system and the broader economy. The government must sacrifice and cast its net wide to ensure borrower-creditor participation in the DDEP by lowering the relief it is seeking from the creditors.”
Meanwhile, moving from the above analysis on the DDEP, the economist expects the “macroeconomic indicators like the exchange rate (Cedis to the Dollar) and inflation to see some stability compared to last year, due to the fall in global oil prices and other policies.
“The fall in global oil prices, the suspension of external debt payments by the government, and the possible IMF extended credit facility will have the potential to control the exchange rate.
“The control of the exchange rate will build up into a reduction in inflation since the greater part of the Ghanaian inflation is imported.”
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi look as though they will have one final dance together on a football field next week – although it won’t be in the circumstances that they have both been used to in their glittering careers.
Many El Clasicos, a Champions League final, international battles and head-to-heads when Ronaldo played for Juventus all occured, though his time at Manchester United and their subsequent failure to qualify for the Champions League put an end to any of that for the near future.
A move to Al-Nassr just before the new year seemed to be the nail in the coffin for any rendezvous between the highly-heralded pair, with Messi still strutting his stuff at Paris Saint-Germain and rumours of a move to Inter Miami meaning they would not be able to play against. one another in club competitions.
Ronaldo further said during his oddly-timed interview with Piers Morgan that a dream of his would be to beat Messi in the World Cup final to lift the famous trophy. He remarked that it would be “too good”, though that did not come to pass.
The striker was caught crying in the tunnel after being knocked out in stunning circumstances by Morocco, who became the first African team to ever make a World Cup semi-final. Knowing that he will be 41 at his next World Cup, Ronaldo perhaps knew that his time to win the famed accolade was up – and that will have been salt in the wound once Messi took home the trophy in his swansong.
Regardless, Ronaldo’s new club were meant to to face PSG last season, but COVID-19 woes saw the fixture postponed. Instead, the French giants added the fixture into their mid-season tour of Saudi Arabia that gets underway this January with the game against Al-Nassr set for the 19th.
In terms of the game, Al-Nassr won’t be pushovers. The likes of former Arsenal keeper David Ospina, former Bayern Munich midfielder Luiz Gustavo and Cameroon’s World Cup hero Vincent Aboubakar all ply their trade at the league leaders, and with Rudi Garcia as their boss, predicting the score will be difficult – though the 58-year-old has shared his annoyance at the timing of the friendly.
