Author: Chris Kodo

  • Paul Pelosi’s alleged attack accused of sexually abusing his kids

    David DePape, the man who allegedly attacked the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has been accused of sexually abusing his stepdaughter and sons.

    The allegations came to light in a blog post shared by Inti Gonzalez, a 21-year-old woman who claims to be DePape’s stepdaughter. According to the since-deleted post, DePape met Gonzalez’s mother in Maui when she was pregnant with her. The woman claimed the couple moved to the Bay Area after she was born, and went on to have two sons.

    Gonzalez said DePape and her mother had a romantic relationship for about three years; however, he remained in their home to help take care of her and her siblings. She said her mother kicked DePape out around 2014, after the man’s behavior had become “toxic.” Gonzalez claimed it was just six months later when her brothers “started getting memories of [DePape] physically and sexually abusing me and my brothers.”

    She wrote that the abuse began when they were young and continued until 2008, when she was 7.

    “My mother made a police report when she found out, but the case not managed properly, so nothing was done about it in the end,” she claimed, as reported by the Guardian.

    Gonzalez said she wasn’t too surprised by DePape’s alleged attack on Paul Pelosi, as he spent years abusing her and her brothers. She did, however, reaffirm her love for DePape, saying he was made a genuine effort “to be a good person, but the monster in him was always too strong for him to be safe around.”

    “He barely opened up about himself or his past, but it was obvious that he grew up in hell and that we didn’t know the worst of it,” she continued. “… Once he sat us down in Tolden Park. He looked like he was about to cry. He said, ‘I am so sorry for everything I have done to you guys. I am more sorry than you will ever know.’”

    Gonzalez said she last saw DePape when she was 13, but reached out to him several months ago. She claimed the conversation ended when she refused to deny that abuse ever happened.

    Police said DePape broke into the Pelosis’ San Francisco estate at around 2:30 a.m. Friday. Officers arrived at the scene shortly after and found Paul Pelosi and DePape “both holding a hammer.” It was at that time, the suspect allegedly pulled the hammer away and began using it to strike Paul Pelosi while shouting, “Where’s Nancy?” The House Speaker was not in the home at the time.

    “Our officers immediately tackled the suspect, disarmed him, took him into custody, requested emergency backup and rendered medical aid,” San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said during a Friday press conference.

    A spokesperson for the House Speaker confirmed Paul Pelosi had sustained injuries to arm and hands. He also reportedly had surgery to repair a skull fracture.

    DePape has been charged with a slew of crimes, including attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, and burglary.

    According to the Anti-Defamation League, DePape is believed to have participated in online forums, where he echoed QAnon conspiracy theories, as well as anti-Semitic and anti-government rants. Gonzalez referenced DePape’s online activity in her post.

    “… I was able to learn more about him and his views from his blogs,” she wrote. “Though I didn’t agree with all of his views, it made me happy to see that he had strong opinions about important issues that our world is facing today.”

    Source: Complex.com

  • Paul Pogba will make Juventus a better side, says ex-teammate Kwadwo Asamoah

    Former Ghana defender Kwadwo Asamoah says Paul Pogba will strengthen the Juventus team when he is fully fit.

    The France superstar has been out of action since joining the Old Ladies in the summer from Manchester United due to injury.

    Paul Pogba is expected to return to action in the coming weeks ahead of the World Cup.

    Kwadwo Asamoah who played with Pogba at Juventus before he joined Manchester United in 2016 said, the French footballer will give a big helping hand to the team when he recovers.

    “We arrived at Juventus the same year and we have always had a great feeling, on and off the pitch. Paul and I occasionally join us. we write on social media”.

    “I’m happy that he is back in Juventus. We are talking about a champion who, when he is well, makes the difference. I am convinced that once again he will give a big hand to the team. ”

    Kwadwo Asamoah who announced his retirement last month won six Italian Serie A titles, four Coppa Italian and three Super Coppa Italia with Juventus.

    Source: Footballghana

  • Asamoah Gyan shattered Black Stars World Cup dreams in 2010 – Richard Kingston

    Former Black Stars goalkeeper, Richard Kingston says Asamoah Gyan shattered the Black Stars World Cup dreams in 2010 after missing a crucial penalty against Uruguay.

    Ghana were denied a semifinal berth at the World Cup courtesy of a Luis Suarez handball incident in the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

    The former Liverpool and Barcelona forward prevent a goal-bound header from Ghana’s Dominic Adiyiah in the final minute of extra time at the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg.

    Suarez essentially produced a save on the line worthy of a goalkeeper and he was shown a straight red card as a result.

    Ghana were also awarded a penalty, but Asamoah Gyan’s attempt from 12 yards crashed into the crossbar, which resulted in Suarez going mental on the touchline and sent the game to a shootout.

    Uruguay won the penalty shoot-out to progress to the semifinals with Luis Suarez celebrated for his demonic act.

    However, Kingston, who was part of the squad insists that Gyan shattered their dreams, but was quick to admit that it’s part of the football.

    “It was a mixed feeling, our dreams were shattered when Gyan missed from the penalty spot but most importantly we were at the center of history, missing penalty is part of the game,” he told Ignite Media.

    Gyan remains the country’s all-time leading goalscorer with 51 goals. The 36-year-old has played in three World Cups in Germany, South Africa, and Brazil in 2006, 2010 and 2014 respectively.

    Meanwhile, the Black Stars face Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay in Group H in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

    Source: Footballghana

  • Jack Harlow addresses ‘rumors’ of his relationship with Lil Nas X During ‘SNL’ monologue

    Jack Harlow makes his return to Saturday Night Live as tonight’s host and musical guest.

    It’ll be his first time pulling double duty, but he was a musical guest on SNL in 2021 when Maya Rudolph hosted.

    In promos, Harlow seems hyped to host this week. In the first one, he runs into Kenan Thompson and Marcello Hernández outside an elevator and they try to guess what his outfit represents.

    In the second one, Harlow is joined by Cecily Strong who will also be returning to the show despite an opening credits omission earlier this month. Viewers can rest assured that she’s still a cast member.1

    In Harlow’s monologue, he poked fun of his appearance and addressed rumors about himself online.

    Harlow is coming off co-hosting with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show. All of these appearances are warm-ups to his acting debut in a remake of the 1992 film, White Men Can’t Jump.

    Source: Complex.com

  • I was named after Brazilian football legend – Black Stars assistant coach Mas-Ud Didi Dramani opens up

    Black Stars assistant coach, Mas-Ud Didi Dramani, has revealed that he was named after a Brazilian football legend, Waldyr Pereira, also known as Didi.

    The Right to Dream Technical Director made this revelation during an interview with Graphic Sports.

    According to him, his father, George Dramani, one-time General Secretary of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), named him after the famous World Cup winner on his return from a coaching course in Brazil, the same year he was born.

    Interestingly, the name Didi has become even more popular among stakeholders in the football industry than his maiden name Dramani.

    “I got the name Didi because I was born when my father, who was an astute coach, returned from a Brazilian tour alongside Asebi Boakye, Ohene Djan, Nana Nketia, Osam-Duodu and the rest,” he disclosed.

    Before landing the Black Stars assistant coaching job early this year, Dramani had won the Ghana Premier League title back-to-back with Asante Kotoko in his first attempt in the 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 seasons, earning him the SWAG Coach of the Year honors in 2012.

    Within that same period, the 56-year-old trainer also lifted the 2013/2014 FA Cup and the Super Cup, while crowning it all with the Coach of the Year awards in 2013 and 2014.

    All those accolades were preceded by a historic bronze medal Didi won with the Black Maidens at the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Azerbaijan, following a 1-0 victory over Germany in the third-place playoff.

    He again chalked another first in the annals of Ghana football after emerging as the first Ghanaian coach to work with a European club following a stint with FC Nordsjælland of Denmark in the 2018/2019 season.

    Source; Footballghana

  • Dortmund boss Edin Terzic reveals plan for Ansgar Knauff’s return after Frankfurt loan spell

    Dortmund boss Edin Terzic has disclosed Ghanaian winger Ansgar Knauff will return to the club after loan spell with Frankfurt.

    The enterprising winger was loaned out by Dortmund to Frankfurt for 18 months in January 2022, with his deal expected to expire at the end of the season.

    According to the trainer, the plan is for Ansgar Knauff to return to the club in the summer after impressing on loan with Frankfurt.

    “I’ve known Ansgar for a very long time. He’s developed really well.” Because he didn’t get the minutes “that were important for his development” in the months that followed, the loan deal came about, which all three sides are likely to rate as successful today”

    “He’s our player, he’s under contract with us. The clear plan is for him to come back to us in the summer.”

    The German-born Ghanaian is under contract at Dortmund until 2024.

    Source: Footballghana

  • Kanye apologizes for George Floyd remarks, compares being criticized and losing deals to having ‘knee on my neck’

    Kanye West has more to say about the recent headlines surrounding him.

    In a video reportedly taken in Los Angeles, Ye stopped to answer questions and make statements to a crowd of people.

    “I had experiences where I felt like I was being teamed up on,” he says. “And I didn’t realize that term would be antisemitic. So I had a mediation with Adidas today and I think Adidas felt like cause everyone else was ganging up on me that they had the right to take my designs.”

    “I feel like this is God humbling me right now,” he continues. “Cause there’s two things that are happening. A lot of times when I would say ‘I am the richest Black man,’ it would be a defense that I would use for the mental health conversation.”

    “What’s happening right now is I’m being humbled. Another thing that’s happening to me is by being burned to the flesh every single day, it’s actually proving what I had to say. When I went to the mediation, what I wanna say is, Black people are like okay, ‘Lex Friedman got you to apologize, Piers Morgan got you to apologize to Jews, but you never apologized to us about the George Floyd comment that made us feel bad.’”

    He then made sure to say his statement clearly so the “soundbite” is better. “When the idea of Black Lives Matter came out, it made us come together as a people,” he says.

    “So I when said that and I questioned the death of George Floyd, it hurt my people. It hurt the Black people. So, I want to apologize [inaudible] because God has shown me by what Adidas is doing and by what the media is doing, I know how it feels to have a knee on my neck now.

    So thank you God for humbling me and letting me know how it really felt. Because how could the richest Black man ever be humbled other than to be made to not be a billionaire in front of everyone off one comment.”

    Because of Ye’s recent comments, he’s facing a $250 million lawsuit by George Floyd’s family for falsely claiming Floyd was killed by fentanyl, not police brutality. He was dropped by several companies including the aforementioned Adidas, Gap, JPMorgan Chase, Balenciaga, CAA, MRC, Foot Locker, and others.

    His words have caused harm in the community, allowing an antisemitic hate group to support his statements by hanging a banner that read “Kanye is right about the Jews” above Interstate 405 in L.A.

    You can watch the full video above, where he also coined a new term for 2022 called the “red media.”

    Source: Complex.com

  • Alfred Duncan opens up on Fiorentina’s sloppy start to Serie A campaign

    Former Ghana midfielder Joseph Alfred Duncan has opened up on Fiorentina’s sloppy start to the Italian Serie A campaign.

    Fiorentina has failed to impress after 12 matches into the Italian top-flight, winning three, drawing 4, and losing 5 in the process.

    Speaking to the Dazn, the former Black Stars midfielder was of the opinion some serenity is missing at the club, hence their struggle.

    “At the beginning of the season things didn’t go as we wanted. A little bit of serenity is missing, but the performances are slowly coming. Already on Thursday we had a good race”.

    Duncan made a substitute appearance when Fiorentina inflicted a 2-1 win over Spezia at away on Sunday.

    He was introduced in the 46th minute mark and help his side to pick all points at stake.

  • I regret choosing Italy over Ghana – Korea-based winger Maxwell Boadu Acosty

    Maxwell Boadu Acosty, an Italian winger of Ghanaian descent, has expressed remorse over changing nations to play for the European country.

    Born in Sunyani, Boadu Acosty went to Italy at an early age and spent the majority of his career playing for Fiorentina.

    Despite playing for Ghana’s youth teams, he chose to represent Italy at the international level, a choice that was ultimately fruitless.

    He was cited as saying, “I regret picking the Italian national team over Ghana.” by biz.chosun.com.

    After twelve years in Europe, Acosty left Europe for Asia, where he plies his trade in the K-League with FC Anyang.

    The former Ghana youth star has been a key player for Anyang, scoring seven goals and providing 11 assists in the 2022 regular season.

    In three games in the postseason, the 31-year-old has scored a goal for his side.

    Boadu Acosty moved to Italy in 2008 joining Reggiana before he was scooped by Fiorentina a year later. He has also played for Crotone and HNK Rijeka in the past.

    He won two league titles with the Croatian giants.

  • Ghana defender Andy Yiadom shines in Reading FC’s defeat to Burnley in English Championship

    Ghana international Andy Yiadom produced an impressive performance despite Reading FC’s defeat to Burnley in the English Championship on Saturday.

    Yiadom, who is the captain of Reading started and lasted the entire duration as his suffered a 2-1 defeat at away to Burnley.

    Despite his sides defeat, the enterprising right-back earned an impressive rating of 9 out of 10 at the end of the game.

    The defender returned to the starting line-up after missing the sides victory over Bristol City dues to suspension.

    The Black Stars defender was colossal in defence for Reading and always in the right place at the right time to stop crosses into the box.

    He made an excellent recovery to stop Anass Zaroury going clear through on goal in the first-half.

    Meanwhile, his compatriot Baba Rahman also played full throttle of the match as his suffered defeat.

    The on-loan Chelsea player made a couple of key tackles on the left side but was booked for a late challenge on Tella in the first-half.

    Source: Footballghana

  • Kyrie Irving and reporter go back-and-forth after point guard appears to promote anti-semitic film

    Kyrie Irving got into a heated back-and-forth with reporters on Saturday night about the Brooklyn Nets star’s recent antisemitic posts on social media.

    On Thursday, Kyrie sparked backlash after posting a link on social media for the documentary Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America, a 2018 film that focuses on antisemitic tropes, including claims that “many famous high-ranking Jews have admitted to worship[ing] Satan or Lucifer.”

    When asked about the backlash, Irving downplayed his actions, claiming that he wasn’t promoting anything.

    “Can you please stop calling it a promotion? What am I promoting?” he said. “Let’s move on. Let’s move on. Let’s move on, don’t dehumanize me up here.”

    Kyrie continued, “I can post whatever I want, so say that, and shut it down and move on to the next question. I don’t have to understand anything from you.”

    As he walked out of the press conference, Irving reportedly said, “Wish you would feel the same about Black reproductive rights, about the things that actually matter, instead of what I’m posting. Fix your life, bro.”

    Kyrie’s comments arrive a day after Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai hopped on Twitter to condemn Irving’s actions.

    “I’m disappointed that Kyrie appears to support a film based on a book full of anti-Semitic disinformation,” Tsai tweeted. “I want to sit down and make sure he understands this is hurtful to all of us, and as a man of faith, it is wrong to promote hate based on race, ethnicity or religion.

    In another tweet, the Nets owner wrote, “This is bigger than basketball.”

    Source: Complex.com

  • I will not be surprised to see Antonio Conte return to Juventus – Kwadwo Asamoah

    Former Ghanaian international Kwadwo Asamoah has stated that he will not be shocked to see Antonio Conte, his former manager, return to Juventus.

    Conte has been mentioned in connection with a potential return to the Allianz Arena because to Juventus’ dismal performance under Max Allegri this season.

    The Italian juggernauts are now ranked sixth in Serie A with 22 points after being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League.

    Allegri has come under intense pressure due to the team’s performances with calls for him to be sacked.

    Asamoah who played for the Old Ladies for six seasons winning multiple titles with the club had this to say on Conte returning to the club.

    “Yes, his hunger is lacking. A return to Turin would not surprise me”, the 33-year-old told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

    “Conte is a world-class coach and at Juventus he has already done a great job in past. A job that then continued with excellent results Allegri, another great coach’”.

    The former Inter Milan left-back stated that the current Juventus team lack the determination and hunger which was in existence under the former manager.

    “I have not seen all the Juventus matches, but in the ones I followed the feeling is that the hunger, the determination and the Juve spirit that I learned from Conte are not always maximum. There is a lack of continuity, which is one of the fundamental qualities for wearing the black and white shirt.

    “Conte is like that, he is a great coach and an exceptional motivator: both in training and in a match he never lets you relax. He always wants to go one hundred percent and he is the first to lead by example. And then he takes great care of the details: with him you can miss a step, but not a position. Pogba is a champion, he will give a great hand to the team “, he added.

    Kwadwo Asamoah won six Scudettos , four Coppa Italias and three Super Cups with Juventus before leaving the club to join Inter Milan in 2020.

    Asamoah announced his retirement from the sport last month.

  • With God all things are possible – Partey reacts to his performance against Nottingham Forest

    Thomas Partey, a midfielder with the Black Stars, responded to Arsenal’s convincing victory over Nottingham Forest on the thirteenth matchday of the current 2022–2023 English Premier League season.

    In order to maintain their two-point lead over Manchester City in the Premier League standings, Arsenal thrashed Nottingham Forest 5-0 on Sunday, October 30, 2022.

    Thomas Partey was praised by Arsenal supporters for his leadership in midfield during a game in which Arsenal had a lot of possession, and he topped it off with a stunning goal to seal the victory.

    Thomas Partey took to social media to celebrate the victory as he sent a message to the Arsenal fanbase that they can achieve anything they want with God on their side.

    “With God all things are possible,” the Black Stars deputy captain posted on his Facebook page and was sighted by GhanaWeb.

  • 2022 World Cup: French media predicts Ghana’s opponent South Korea will be eliminated from group stage

    French media, ‘le10sport’ has predicted Ghana’s World Cup opponent South Korea will not progress from the group at the mundial.

    The biggest soccer mundial will be staged in the Asian country between November and December, where 32 countries will battle it out for the covetous trophy.

    Ghana, who are returning to the global showpiece after missing out in Russia 2018 has been housed in Group H against Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea.

    The Black Stars will begin their campaign against Portugal on November 24 before facing South Korea in their second game.

    Twenty days to the start of the tournament, the French Media has anticipated the Asian powerhouse will not progress from the group stage.

    ‘le10sport’ said, “Korea showed a very good performance by defeating Germany in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. In particular, there is Tottenham star Heung-Min Son.” He said, “Korea took the defending champion Germany in the last World Cup and saw Heung-Min Son as the main points.

    In particular, Son Heung-min was evaluated, “Tottenham’s striker maintains good form and has shown his class several times in Europe.”

    However, “Korea can expect good results against Ghana and Uruguay, but realistically, it is not enough to dream of reaching the round of 16. It is highly likely that they will be eliminated in the group stage.”

    Source: Footballghana

  • King Faisal vs. Asante Kotoko Kumasi at the Baba Yara Stadium, King Faisal will take on Kotoko on matchday 4 of the Ghana Premier League.

    At the Baba Yara Stadium, Kotoko will try to defeat struggling Faisal for the second time in a row.

    King Faisal is currently last in the table and has yet to win a game this year.

    Kotoko, on the other hand, head into the match with an unbeaten record of a win and a draw from their first two games.

    Last season, King Faisal handed Kotoko their first league defeat when they won the first meeting, but Kotoko responded with a 1-0 win in the second round on their way to winning the league.

    In the last 10 league meetings, both teams have won four and drawn two.

  • Lil Wayne brings out Drake at Lil WeezyAna Fest

    Cash Money Records fans were in for a treat at Lil Wayne’s Lil WeezyAna Fest in New Orleans this weekend.

    Lil Wayne graced the stage Saturday night for his headlining set, and late into his performance, he asked the audience, “Can you please make some noise for this foreigner? Let’s show him a good time in America.”

    That person was Drake, who joined Weezy on stage at Champions Square. “New Orleans is one of the few cities that shaped my career,” Drizzy said.

    As we know, Lil Wayne took the Toronto native under his wing and helped catapult him to superstar status—and New Orleans producers were pivotal in the early days of Drake’s career.

    He was previously a surprise guest at one of the annual Lil WeezyAna Fests.

    According to Nola.com, he played an 18-minute set, where he and Wayne performed “She Will.” Drake then did renditions of “The Motto,” “In My Feelings,” “God’s Plan,” “Nonstop,” “Jimmy Cooks,” and “Knife Talk.” He also told a story about how he knew his career had taken off when he saw a guy in New Orleans selling bootleg copies of one of his first albums.

    Lil WeezyAna Fest was initially supposed to take place on Aug. 27 for its sixth installation, however, it was delayed at the last minute. Wayne first launched the festival in 2015 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

    The last festival, in 2019, didn’t go well, with hot temperatures, vendors running out of water, and crowd surges ending in injuries.

    Lil WeezyAna has since been on a hiatus due to the pandemic and returned to Champions Square Saturday night.

    Source: Complex.com

  • Government to collaborate with Rand Refinery to obtain LBMA certificate

    The government is prepared to work with the board and management of Rand Refinery to enable Ghana gain London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) Certification, according to the Vice President of the Republic, H.E. Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

    Dr. Bawumia emphasized the significance of the LBMA certificate to the government’s plan to grow the mineral industry and position Ghana as a major player in the processing of mineral resources. He claimed that obtaining the certification will encourage Ghana to take part and fully reap the rewards of the mineral value chain.

    He stated that the gamut of experience and expertise of the Certification makes them strategic and beneficial partners to Ghana and that partnering with them will help the country evade the blunders other countries committed on their journey to creating refinery hubs in their mining sector, “because you have a very long history in this area and also help us not to repeat mistakes of others”.

    Dr Bawumia made these remarks when the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor led the delegation from Rand Refinery to call on the Vice President on Monday, October 31, 2022, in Accra .

    The meeting was to deliberate on ways of actualizing government’s agenda to make Ghana a hub for the processing and refining of mineral resources and in particular obtaining the LBMA Certification for the country.

    The Chairman of Rand Refinery, Mr. Rams Ramashira disclosed that his outfit has held positive preliminary talks with the Ministry and other key stakeholders.

    He said the CEO of Rand Refinery is a member of the LBMA Board and “we are very happy to be of assistance and share some experiences and strike some alliances and hope the meeting with key stakeholders will help develop something concrete for the two parties”.

    Earlier on Monday, 31 October 2022, the Hon. Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor received the visiting Rand Refinery delegation at the Ministry.

    He indicated that his invitation to the Rand refinery is to have them hold discussions and share ideas on how to move forward with the partnership that exists between the parties.

    He advocated for an intelligent and effective collaboration between the government and LBMA to ensure that the certification is issued.

    He took the team through the itinerary for the visit and hoped that it will be a fruitful one as they get the opportunity to meet the Vice President who he said has been very passionate about leveraging the gold industry and the gold value chain in Ghana in support of the national economy.

    “The idea is that this visit is productive and substantive and that it gives us the opportunity to delve into the concrete issues with concrete outcomes” , he said.

    The Sector Minister thanked the team for their hospitality during his last visit to their Refinery in South Africa, indicating that the tour of their refinery was very enlightening and educative.

    He hoped that at the end of all meetings and discussions the Ministry would be able to acquire sufficient mentorship from Rand Refinery.

    “We should be able to find a workable platform to engage cause as I believe all of us acknowledge that your refinery turns to be the leader when it comes to the business of Gold Refinery in Africa and therefore whatever we seek to do,
    here in Ghana, our idea is to get sufficient mentorship from your outfit.”

    The Sector Minister said as much as possible it is his desire that Rand Refinery will be able to establish a branch in Ghana perhaps through a partnership with an existing Refinery.

    The CEO of Rand Refinery, Mr. Praveen Baijnath on his part said they are excited and very expectant about the opportunity to partner with Ghana on the event of establishing a Refinery in the country.

    He argued that their general objective on this trip is to meet all stakeholders involved in the gold value chain to better understand government expectations and to consider how best they can unlock their assets available to meet up on that level.

    “Our general strategic objective is to collect much intelligence and data as possible to build a business case and see how we can develop it”.

    Also with the Minister was the Deputy Minister in Charge of Mines, Hon. George Mireku Duker, the CEO of Minerals Commission, Mr. Martin Ayisi, the Advisor on Mines to the Minister, Mr. Ben Aryee, the Managing Director of PMMC, Nana Akwasi Awuah and other officials from the Ministry.

  • We are considering to bid hosting 2025 Africa Cup of Nations – Ghana Sports Minister Mustapha Ussif

    Ghana’s Youth and Sports Minster, Mustapha Ussif, has hinted that the country is considering bidding for the rights to host the 2025 Total Energies African Cup of Nations (AFCON).

    Guinea, who won the rights to host the continent’s most prestigious tournament has lost its rights after the Confederations of African Football [CAF] stripped the West African nation of the hosting rights for the competition.

    The continent’s football governing body has gone ahead to open bids to host the tournament.

    Hon. Ussifspeaking in an interview hinted that there have been discussions to decide whether Ghana would like to co-host the tournament.

    “There’s a discussion that Ghana should bid with the likes of Nigeria and Benin,” the sector minister told Citi Sports during the National Team Day Walk with the Legends event put together to raise awareness of the Black Stars’ upcoming campaign at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

    “We are still considering it. We have not taken a decision yet but there is that discussion that we should get sister countries so that we can put in that bid,” he added.

    Interested countries have up to November 11 to officially declare their interest to host the 2025 AFCON and November 16 is the deadline for submission of related documents.

    The last time Ghana hosted the AFCON was in 2008, where the Black Stars finished 3rd.

    Source: Footballghana

  • $36 million settlement announced in Lawsuits over wrongful convictions in Malcolm X assassination

    A $36 million settlement has been announced in response to lawsuits spurred by the wrongful convictions of two men in connection with the assassination of Malcolm X.

    Per a report from the Associated Press citing comments from attorney David Shanies, who represented Muhammad Aziz and the estate of the late Khalil Islam, the settlement will see New York City paying $26 million while the state of New York will pay $10 million.

    In November 2021, both men were exonerated following the discovery of what was then described as “new evidence” in the case. Previously, Aziz had had been released on parole back in 1985, while Islam was paroled in 1987. In 2009, Islam died at the age of 74.

    When reached for comment by Complex on Monday, a New York City Law Department spokesperson said the newly announced settlement “brings some measure of justice” after the wrongful convictions of the two men.

    “This settlement brings some measure of justice to individuals who spent decades in prison and bore the stigma of being falsely accused of murdering an iconic figure,” the spokesperson told Complex in an emailed statement. “Based on our review, this office stands by the opinion of former Manhattan District Attorney Vance who stated, based on his investigation, that ‘there is one ultimate conclusion: Mr. Aziz and Mr. Islam were wrongfully convicted of this crime.’”

    Complex has also reached out to Shanies’ office for additional comment. This story may be updated.

    In the coming days, the expectation is that documents related to the $36 million settlement will be signed and approved, at which point the settlement will be split between Islam’s estate and Aziz.

    Source: Conmplex.com

  • ‘Togo’s inflation has not increased by 16 times’ – Bright Simons ‘corrects’ Akufo-Addo

    The president claims that this rate is far lower than that of Togo, Senegal, and Cote d’Ivoire, which he claims have increased by 11, 7, and 16 times, respectively, over the same time period.

    Inflation grew five times in Ghana, sixteen times in Togo, eleven times in Senegal, and seven times in Cote d’Ivoire between the end of 2019 and the present.

    “In truth, however, the fact that there are petrol queues in France does not make it more tolerable that the ‘trotro’ price from Kasoa to Circle has doubled in the past one year, nor does it make it any more tolerable that the price of cooking oil goes up every other week,” President Akufo-Addo indicated.

    He continued, “It is important to state that mentioning the increases in prices worldwide is not meant to belittle the scope of suffering here, but simply to help us put things into some perspective, and, hopefully, learn some useful lessons about how other people are coping.”

    Reacting to this assertion via Twitter, Bright Simons pointed out some “factual inaccuracies” in the figures mentioned by President Akufo-Addo in his address to the nation on the economy on October 30, 2022.

    He wrote, “Minor issue: why the factual inaccuracies? No, inflation hasn’t increased by 16 times in Togo or eleven-fold in Senegal! Inflation has moved from 1.8% to 7.5% in Senegal. And 0.7% to 5.6% in Togo.”

    “The figures are still so low that the impact on citizens is far lower than in Ghana,” the policy analyst added.

    In a response to a tweet on the same subject, Bright Simons said, “A major presidential speech should NOT have elementary errors! And this did. Secondly, these movements are still within the single-digit band and also below the 8% range most central banks try to stay within. The comparison to our case is misconceived.”

    Meanwhile, Ghana’s current inflation is pegged at 37.2 percent in September 2022, making it the highest in 20 decades.

    3/
    Minor issue: why the factual inaccuracies? No, inflation hasnt increased by 16 times in Togo or eleven-fold in Senegal! Inflation has moved from 1.8% to 7.5% in Senegal. And 0.7% to 5.6% in Togo. The figures are still so low that the impact on citizens is far lower than in Gh. pic.twitter.com/T20hWUPaIh

    — Bright Simons (@BBSimons) October 30, 2022

    A major presidential speech should NOT have elementary errors! And this did. Secondly, these movements are still *within the single digit band* & also below the 8% range most central banks try to stay within. The comparison to our case is misconceived.

  • I will not be surprised to see Tottenham boss Antonio Conte return to Juventus – Kwadwo Asamoah

    Former Ghana international, Kwadwo Asamoah has said he will not be surpirsed to see his former boss, Antonio Conte return to Juventus.

    Conte has been linked with a possible return to the Allianz Arena following Juventus poor performance in the ongoing season under Max Allegri.

    The Italian giants have been kicked out of the UEFA Champions League and are currently placed sixth on the Serie A table with 22 points.

    Allegri has come under intense pressure due to the team’s performances with calls for him to be sacked.

    Asamoah who played for the Old Ladies for six seasons winning multiple titles with the club had this to say on Conte returning to the club.

    “Yes, his hunger is lacking. A return to Turin would not surprise me”, the 33-year-old told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

    “Conte is a world-class coach and at Juventus he has already done a great job in past.  A job that then continued with excellent results Allegri, another great coach’”.

    The former Inter Milan left-back stated that the current Juventus team lack the determination and hunger which was in existence under the former manager.

    “I have not seen all the Juventus matches, but in the ones I followed the feeling is that the hunger, the determination and the Juve spirit that I learned from Conte are not always maximum.  There is a lack of continuity, which is one of the fundamental qualities for wearing the black and white shirt.

    “Conte is like that, he is a great coach and an exceptional motivator: both in training and in a match he never lets you relax. He always wants to go one hundred percent and he is the first to lead by example. And then he takes great care of the details: with him you can miss a step, but not a position. Pogba is a champion, he will give a great hand to the team “, he added.

    Kwadwo Asamoah won six Scudettos , four Coppa Italias and three Super Cups with Juventus before leaving the club to join Inter Milan in 2020.

    Asamoah announced his retirement from the sport last month.

    Source: Footballghana

  • Let’s stop politicizing banking sector reforms – Financial Analyst

    Dr. Courage Edwards, a financial analyst, has argued against the politicization of the Bank of Ghana’s efforts to clean up the financial industry and has suggested that Ken Ofori-Atta was behind the initiative.

    He said that the Bank of Ghana and the International Monetary Fund had rather suggested making the reforms possible as a requirement of the IMF.

    He said that, prior to the exercise, some commercial banks and financial organizations that were approaching distress levels had also received warnings from the banking sector regulator.

    “Let me state that the decision to undertake the reforms in the financial sector was mooted by the IMF. Thus, the clean-up was part of the IMF conditions for the country.”

    “You remember the asset quality review which was executed during the NDC era. The asset quality review gave a sense of the state of the banks. Former Finance Minister Seth Tekper and Governors appointed by President Mahama were aware of the malfeasance which was discovered after the asset quality review of the Banks.”

    He further explained that during the erstwhile John Mahama administration, the IMF published several reports warning the Bank of Ghana to take some corrective measures within the banking sector.

    “I think we should stop politicizing the benefits of the banking sector reforms because I believe these reforms have led to stability and confidence in the financial sector.”

    “I can tell you that, some depositors were not getting back their funds from some of the financial institutions. Some of the banks had also breached several banking regulations. Indeed, the financial system at the time, was on the brink of total collapse.

    The central bank had clearly explained that the clean-up was based on poor business practices and weak capital positions of the banks and financial institutions. I am aware that the liabilities of some of the banks were more than their assets,” he explained.

    Dr Courage Edwards made these comments following a recent statement made by former president Mahama suggesting that Ken Ofori-Atta had proposed and introduced the idea of reforms in the banking sector.

    “I will say that the resilience shown by the banking sector is due to the comprehensive financial sector reforms that took place before the coronavirus pandemic. You can imagine what would have happened if the banking sector reforms wasn’t done”

    “We would have woken up one day to see a collapse of the Ghanaian economy and so the measures taken safeguarded the investments of 4.6 million depositors and brought confidence and stability in the financial sector.” the financial analyst concluded.

    In 2017, the BoG undertook a clean-up exercise that saw the revocation of operating licenses of some eight banks, 23 savings and loans companies and more than 400 specialised deposit-taking institutions (SDIs).

    According to the Receiver for some of the financial institutions, preliminary investigations found that most directors of the defunct financial institutions failed in their fiduciary responsibilities to customers and other stakeholders.

  • Cedi Depreciation: We’ll flush out all illegal forex operators – Akufo-Addo

    According to President Akufo-Addo, actions being taken to stop the cedi’s depreciation will not stop, and this includes shutting down forex operators who are not in compliance.

    In his speech to the country on October 30, 2022, President Akufo-Addo promised that the government will not give up on efforts to prevent the cedi from losing value relative to other major currencies.

    “In fact, actions have been made to bring order back to the foreign exchange markets, and we are already starting to notice a restoration of calm.
    We won’t give up until the order is fully reinstated. The following steps have already been taken:

    “Enhanced supervisory action by the Bank of Ghana in the forex bureau markets and the black market to flush out illegal operators, as well as ensuring that those permitted to operate legally abide by the market rules.”

    According to him, “already some forex bureaus have had their licenses revoked, and this exercise will continue until complete order is restored in the sector;

    “Fresh inflows of dollars are providing liquidity to the foreign exchange market, and addressing the pipeline demand;

    “The Bank of Ghana has given its full commitment to the commercial banks to provide liquidity to ensure the wheels of the economy continue to run in a stabilized manner, till the IMF Programme kicks in and the financing assurances expected from other partners also come in.”

    Meanwhile, the Bank of Ghana has revoked the license of Trade House and Airport City Forex Bureaux Limited in Accra effective October 27, 2022.

    The move is in accordance with the provisions of Sections 11 (1) and 12 (f) of the Foreign Exchange Act 2006 (723).

    Also, the action was based on the Non-compliance with rules governing the operations of the foreign exchange bureau including directives on customer identification and issuance of electronic receipt (Bank of Ghana Notice Number: BG/GOV/SEC/2018/16),

    (i)The Bank of Ghana reserves the right to revoke the license of any forex bureau if: in the Bank’s opinion, the conduct of any forex bureau is detrimental to the success of the Forex Bureau Scheme.

  • U-23 AFCON Qualifiers: Black Meteors coach Ibrahim Tanko wants Kamaldeen, Fatawu Issahaku and Afena-Gyan for DR Congo clash

    Black Meteors coach Ibrahim Tanko says he is willing to invite foreign-based players to complement his squad ahead of the DR Congo clash in the U-23 AFCON qualifiers.

    The Black Meteors won 4-1 on aggregate after the second leg ended 2-0 at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Sunday to set DR Congo tie in the final round of the qualifiers.

    Speaking at the post-match conference, Coach Ibrahim Tanko indicated he is looking forward to inviting players abroad who qualify to play for the team.

     

    “Every player who is playing outside the country and is a Ghanaian qualifies for this team why not”, he said at the post-match conference.

    “We want what is best for the country.  It is not only about the local players but the foreign players. We just want to have a very good side both foreign and local. There is going to a mix and hope we qualify to the AFCON”.

    “We have Fatawu Issahaku, Felix Afena-Gyan, Kamaldeen Sulemana and they all qualify for this team. Those who played in the Ghana U20 are also there”.

    “We are waiting for any opponent and we just prepare ourselves. Our target is the Olympics but we must first qualify to Africa’

    Source: Footballghana

  • Conduct a regular evaluation of your appointees – Former Energy Minister tells Akufo-Addo

    A former Energy Minister, Boakye Kyeremateng Agyarko, has asked President Akufo-Addo to constantly evaluate the performance of his appointees and prune those who are underperforming from his administration. 

    He believes this is one of the surest ways of keeping the Ministers on their toes.

    He made the call on Peace FM’s morning show, Kokrokoo where he also asserted that President Akufo-Addo owes Ghanaians the duty of regularly assessing his appointees and removing those who have so far not lived up to expectation from office.                        

    “There are Ministers who may not be necessarily underperforming but they are fit for the offices they hold. With that you [the President] can say I’m posting that person to another office where he probably may perform better,” Mr Agyarko noted.

    He, thus, asked the President to sit back and evaluate all the concerns raised and at least consider reshuffling the Ministers who have so far been labelled as incompetent. 

    Source: The Independent Ghana

     

  • No position is anyone’s Bonafide property – Former Energy Minister backs calls for Ofori-Atta to resign

    A former Energy Minister, Boakye Kyeremanteng Agyarko, has backed calls for the resignation of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, stressing that “no position is anyone’s Bonafide property.”

    His comment follows the call of Members of Parliament from the ruling New Patriotic Party for the resignation of Mr Ofori-Atta as the finance minister. 

    Responding to a question posed by the host of Peace FM’s morning show, Kokrokoo, he noted that “if I’m the President and 80 of my Parliamentarians and not only them, but a lot of people have also called for his resignation, why not?”

    Buttressing his point, he cited various instances where government officials were asked to step down when they were not living up to expectations. He noted that during the Kufour led administration, Dr Richard Anane, one of his Ministers was temporarily dismissed and reinstated when tempers cooled down following calls from the public for his dismissal. 

    “Under Nkrumah’s regime as well, Krobo Adusei was also asked to step down when news broke that he had purchased a golden bed for his wife and was later restored into office. So there is no position that is anyone’s Bonafide property,” he stressed. 

    He noted the move by the MPs “has set a certain bad precedent which is likely to spark rebellion from beneath.”

    He, thus, asked the President to negotiate with the MPs and resolve all outstanding issues in order forestall any instability in the party.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

     

  • Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta lauds Thomas Partey’s incredible strike against Nottingham Forest

    Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has heaped praise on Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey after scoring a screamer in their 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League.

    Partey put up an impressive performance as he helped the Gunners claim biggest top-flight victory over Forest on Sunday at the Emirates stadium.

    Gabriel Martinelli scored Arsenal’s opening goal in the fifth minute before the home side extended the lead in the 49th minute through Brazilian forward Nelson.

    He collected his brace in the 53rd minute after Arsenal broke through. Partey scored the fourth for the dominant Gunners in the 57th minute before captain Martin Odegaard added the fifth in the 78th minute.

     

    “He did watch it this morning to be fair, but for sure it was a great goal, his performance as well raised today to a level he should be playing,” Arteta said as quoted by the club’s website.

    Partey has made 12 appearances and scored two goals across all competitions for Arsenal this season.

    He is expected named in Ghana’s squad for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

    Source: Footballghana

  • Sachet water prices to go up today, October 31

    The price of sachet water has increased as of today, Monday, October 31, 2022.

    The price was revised by the National Association of Sachet and Packaged Water Manufacturers (Naspawap) to protect producers from the effects of the steadily rising cost of production.

    As a result, Ghanaians would start paying extra starting today for bottled and sachet water.

    Iced sachet water will then be offered for sale for 60 pesewas.

    Additionally, cooled bottled water in quantities of 500 ml and 750 ml will be sold for GH02.50 and GH03.50, respectively.

    It however cautioned that there might be slight variations across regions and towns due to haulage to remote and distant areas and other overheads.

    In the open market, consumers may purchase a bag of sachet water between GH012.00 and GH015.00 depending on the shop location.

    The price of Sachet water has seen an upward adjustment twice this year.

  • 2022 World Cup: Our goal is to leave a mark in Qatar – Uruguay midfielder Frederico Valverde

    Uruguay and Real Madrid midfielder Frederico Valverde says his side target is to leave a mark at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

    The biggest soccer mundial has been scheduled between November and December, with 32 countries set to battle it out for the covetous trophy in the Asian country.

    The two-time World Cup winners has been housed in Group H against Ghana, Portugal and Uruguay.

    Uruguay will open their account against South Korea on November 24 before taking on Portugal and Ghana on November 28 and December 2 respectively.

    According to the 24-year-old, Uruguay intends to leave a mark in Qatar despite being paired in a difficult group at the mundial.

    “(Uruguay coach) Diego Alonso tells us that we can be world champions and the dream is there,” he added.

    “We believe that we can achieve beautiful things. We may not be able to, but our goal is to leave a mark. Anything can happen on the pitch and you have to think big”

    Valverde has been in a rich vein of form for Real Madrid this season, scoring 6 La Liga goals as a midfielder.

    Source: Footballghana

  • President failed to address our main concerns – GUTA

    The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), the trade association’s parent group, has expressed conflicting opinions about President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s efforts to alleviate Ghanaians’ economic woes.

    In his message to the nation on Sunday, October 30, 2022, the president allegedly neglected to address the primary issues facing the nation’s traders.

    The denial of haircuts on investments, in particular, was praised by the vice president of GUTA, Mr. Clement Boateng, as being particularly touching.

    Mr Boateng made these statements while reacting to the president’s address in an interview with Emmanuel Quarshie (The Hitman) on Accra100.5FM’s morning show Ghana Yensom on Monday, October 31, 2022.

    According to him, the main concern of GUTA was the act of pegging import duties at the port to the dollar.

    He said every week, import duties at the ports are increased because of the cedi’s depreciation.

    “We are disappointed in the president for failing to address this significant concern of members of GUTA.

    “You go to the port and clear goods at GHS100,000, and you go there next week to clear the same goods, the import duty has jumped to GHS150,000,” he lamented.

    He maintained this worrying phenomenon needed to have featured in the president’s address to the nation.

    He added that this contributed to the rising cost of goods and services in the country.

    He said GUTA would continue to push for many of these issues to be addressed by the government, especially the matters GUTA agreed on in the meeting with the president when they embarked on the sit-down strike.

    He revealed that the leadership of the association will be meeting today to review the president’s address and chart the way forward.

    In the same vein, Mr Daniel Osabutey, a senior lecturer at the Accra Technical University’s (ATU) business department, called on the government to stop quoting import duties in dollars.

    According to him, our attitudes as Ghanaians have contributed to the loss of confidence in the cedi.

    We need to respect our currency, he said.

  • Economic hardships: Internet buzz over Akufo-Addo’s ‘Sika mp3 dede’

    After the President’s seeming “loud silence” on the country’s economic troubles, Ghanaians were eager for some respite when it was announced that he would address the nation on October 30, 2022.

    Social media hasn’t stopped talking since the 28-minute, nine-page address to the country.

    Others claim that the President’s policies weren’t particularly original, while some have noticed that his speech didn’t inspire hope.

    According to one of the President‘s quotes that is now trending, “Fellow Ghanaians, as the French would say, l’argent n’aime pas le bruit, to wit, money does not like noise, sika mp dede.
    You won’t find money in an environment marked by disorder, commotion, or turmoil.

    Here are some reactions below:

    “Sika mp3 dede meaning the noise you people dey make dey affect the economy. I agree with Nana Addo, keep quiet and suffer,” A Twitter user @Latif wrote.

    ““Sika mp3 Dede” I knew this man was a fraud boy” @SneakerNyame said.

    Another user, @OkwasiaBinti wrote: “Nana Addo in opposition:
    Y3te sika so nso 3kcm de y3n. As he come power come see money norr, Fellow Ghanaians, sika mp3 dede. Showboy is now the spokesman for money
    Heeeerh ????????????”

    @fantheranthoni said: “Come and see how this fine woman is fighting with the mate because the mate said from Adenta Barrier to circle is GHS 10. If not for Akufo-Addo’s Sika Mp3 dede failed governance, fine woman like this, why would she be fighting?”

    “Nivea roll on moved from 12 cedis in January to 30 cedis in October. Sika mp3 dede is the solution. Okay oo,” @theasiedua wrote on the Twitter.

    Nana Addo in opposition:
    Y3te sika so nso 3kcm de y3n

    As he come power come see money norr,
    “Fellow Ghanaians, sika mp3 dede”

    Showboy is now the spokesman for money
    Heeeerh ????????????

  • Is Ken Ofori-Atta the only competent person in Ghana? – Kwesi Pratt questions Akufo-Addo

    Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwasi Pratt, has asked President Akufo-Addo to heed to the numerous calls on him to dismiss the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, from his post. 

    Speaking on the back of President Akufo-Addo’s plea to some 80 MPs from the ruling party to allow the Minister to stay in office till after the IMF negotiations are over, Mr Pratt argued that there is no justification to keep Mr Ofori-Atta in office is the majority of Ghanaians have described him as incompetent. 

    Baffled by the President’s request, he questioned if Mr Ofori-Atta was the only competent person for the job. 

    Is Ken Ofori-Atta the only sensible person in Ghana? People have asked him to resign over incompetence and you still want him to stay in office and read the budget? There are over 31 million people in this country so I can’t comprehend this” he said. 

     

    He said since the position is not the Bonafide property of anyone, Mr Ofori-Atta must either resign or be dismissed for another person who can do the job as expected to be appointed.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

     

  • Sack Ofori-Atta or we demonstrate – Automobile dealers give Akufo-Addo 2 weeks ultimatum

    The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has been urged by the Automobile Dealers Union (ADUG) to fire Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta immediately.

    They said that the minister’s “abysmal performance in managing the economy of Ghana” was the cause of this.

    The Union claims that the quick depreciation of the Ghana cedi has a significant impact on their working capital and, consequently, their overall standard of living.

    A release from October 31, 2022 stated that “the effects of exchange rates are actually having a terrible effect on enterprises, and all our investments are going down the drain.”

    The Union also threatened to start a “huge” demonstration on November 19, 2022, if their demand was not met.

    The release signed by the General Secretary of the Union, Benjamin Owusu Yankey, stated: “However, we are giving the President two weeks ultimatum if he fails to release Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta from his position as the Finance Minister of the Republic of Ghana, we will stage a huge demonstration against him (H. E. Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo) on November 19, 2022, at 8:00 am, at Obra Spot, Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra.”

    ADUG has also called on other trade unions to join to make these demands from the government.

    “We are calling on all concerned importers and traders whose businesses have been negatively affected by the high exchange rates (US Dollar) as a result of the poor policy decisions by the Finance Minister should join hands with us to stage a demonstration against the President for his refusal to sack the Finance Minister,” they added.

  • 2022 World Cup: Our goal is to leave a mark in Qatar – Uruguay midfielder Frederico Valverde

    Uruguay and Real Madrid midfielder Frederico Valverde says his side target is to leave a mark at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

    The biggest soccer mundial has been scheduled between November and December, with 32 countries set to battle it out for the covetous trophy in the Asian country.

    The two-time World Cup winners has been housed in Group H against Ghana, Portugal and Uruguay.

    Uruguay will open their account against South Korea on November 24 before taking on Portugal and Ghana on November 28 and December 2 respectively.

    According to the 24-year-old, Uruguay intends to leave a mark in Qatar despite being paired in a difficult group at the mundial.

    “(Uruguay coach) Diego Alonso tells us that we can be world champions and the dream is there,” he added.

    “We believe that we can achieve beautiful things. We may not be able to, but our goal is to leave a mark. Anything can happen on the pitch and you have to think big”

    Valverde has been in a rich vein of form for Real Madrid this season, scoring 6 La Liga goals as a midfielder.

    Source: Footballghana

  • Enforce investment laws to control excess influence of foreign imports – GUTA

    The government’s move to examine the criteria needed for imports into the nation has been praised by the Ghana Union of Traders Association.

    In a speech to the nation on October 30, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo stated that the government would revisit the criteria needed in May 2023 as part of measures to lessen the effect of foreign exchange on imports and put more of a focus on domestic production for exports.

    Reacting to the development in an interview with GhanaWeb Business, GUTA president Dr. Joseph Obeng said government must critically look at addressing the structural challenges in the country’s import regime.

    “Apart from pruning down on excess importation, we suggest that government must begin to look at stringent enforcement of Ghana’s investment laws to control the excess influence of foreign imports into Ghana’s direction and that is even an easier option government must take.”

    “Using these investment laws can go a long way to containing the excessive influence of imported products by foreigners and so we [GUTA] are for government’s call to review the standards required for imports which is aimed at structurally transforming the Ghanaian economy,” he explained.

    He further cited the Services, Communication, Mining and other sectors within the economy which he believes have been gaining a lot of resources and in turn repatriating funds out of the country due to foreign dominance.

    “Most certainly we need our investment laws to tackle some of these issues because all the gains made from these sectors of our economy go outside the shores of Ghana and I can’t be so.”

    The GUTA president also suggested the introduction of a Retention Law which seeks to ensure 30 percent of gains made from foreign companies are retained in the country, while 70 percent is used to purchase forex which is transferred outside.

    “It should not be difficult for us to amend our laws to ensure these requirements are enforced,” Dr Obeng concluded.

  • Former Ghana midfielder Alfred Duncan opens up on Fiorentina’s sloppy start to Serie A campaign

    Former Ghana midfielder Joseph Alfred Duncan has opened up on Fiorentina’s sloppy start to the Italian Serie A campaign.

    Fiorentina have failed to impress after 12 matches into the Italian top-flight, winning three, drawing 4 and losing 5 in the process.

    Speaking to the Dazn, the former Black Stars midfielder was of the opinion some serenity is missing at the club, hence their struggle.

    “At the beginning of the season things didn’t go as we wanted. A little bit of serenity is missing, but the performances are slowly coming. Already on Thursday we had a good race”.

     

    Duncan made a substitute appearance when Fiorentina inflicted a 2-1 win over Spezia at away on Sunday.

    He was introduced in the 46th minute mark and help his side to pick all points at stake.

    Source: Footballghana

  • I regret choosing Italy over Ghana – Korea-based winger Maxwell Boadu Acosty

    Ghanaian-born Italian winger, Maxwell Boadu Acosty has said he regrets switching nationalities to represent the European nation.

    Boadu Acosty, who was born in Sunyani moved to Italy at a young age, spending most of his career at Fiorentina.

    He decided to represent Italy at international level despite featuring for Ghana’s youth teams, a decision that has proven futile.

    “I regret choosing the Italian national team instead of Ghana,” he said as quoted by biz.chosun.com.

    After twelve years in Europe, Acosty left Europe for Asia, where he plies his trade in the K-League with FC Anyang.

    The former Ghana youth star has been a key player for Anyang, scoring seven goals and providing 11 assist in the 2022 regular season.

    In three games in the post season, the 31-year-old has scored a goal for his side.

    Boadu Acosty moved to Italy in 2008 joining Reggiana before he was scooped by Fiorentina a year later. He has also played for Crotone and HNK Rijeka in the past.

    He won two league titles with the Croatian giants.

    Source: Footballghana

  • It’ll take 5 To 7 years to stabilize the economy – Former Energy Minister

    A former Energy Minister, Boakye Kyeremanteng Agyarko, has projected that it will take between five (5) to seven (7) years for the economy to stabilise, given the current economic crisis.

    Speaking on Peace FM’s morning show, Kokrokoo as part of conversations on the current economic situation, he noted that “2 years is not enough to stabilise the economy.”

    He further asserted that the U.S $3 billion IMF bailout government is seeking is not enough to restore the economy. According to him, “the economy needs an injection of about U. S$ 6 to 7 billion in order to be stable.”

    Proposing the way forward, however, he mentioned that government must hold regular meetings with members of the various trade unions in the country to deliberate on the way forward with regards to how to alleviate the economic hardship.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

     

  • Reshuffle brings accountability – Prof Gyampo tells Prez Akufo-Addo

    A Professor of Political Science and a former Director of the Centre for European Studies of the University of Ghana, Prof Ransford Gyampo, has asked President Akufo-Addo to evaluate and consider reshuffling or dismissing Ministers under his regime who are under performing.

    According to him, failure of the President to reshuffle or dismiss government officials who are under performing has largely contributed to what he described as a display of gross incompetence on the part of the Ministers. 

    He, thus, believes that reshuffling such officials will largely eradicate the high rate of incompetence displayed so far.

    “Reshuffling ensures efficiency in government; it brings about productivity and accountability,” he said.

    He added that a reshuffle will be a wake-up call on the Ministers to act.

    Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo remains resolute on his decision to retain his appointees despite calls for the dismissal of some of them and a reshuffle of the Ministers.

    He has on many occasions justified his decision, with a claim that there is no reason to reshuffle any Minister since they are all performing. 

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • Thomas Partey is key to Arsenal – Ex-England striker Darren Bent

    Former England and Sunderland striker Darren Bent has lauded Thomas Partey for his performance in Arsenal’s 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League on Sunday.

    Partey, who lasted the entire duration of the game helped the Gunners claim biggest top-flight victory over Forest at the Emirates stadium.

    The 29-year-old received the ball outside the box and unleashed a first-time shot into the top corner.

    “Thomas Partey is key to this Arsenal team, more control more protection for the back line,” Bent posted on his twitter.

    Gabriel Martinelli scored Arsenal’s opening goal in the fifth minute before the home side extended the lead in the 49th minute through Brazilian forward Nelson.

     

    He collected his brace in the 53rd minute after Arsenal broke through. Partey scored the fourth for the dominant Gunners in the 57th minute before captain Martin Odegaard added the fifth in the 78th minute.

    Arteta will be hoping to keep Partey off the sidelines as he has struggled with injuries since moving to the Emirates.

    Partey has made 12 appearances and scored two goals across all competitions for Arsenal this season.

    He is expected named in Ghana’s squad for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

    Source: Footballghana

  • 2022 FIFA World Cup: Black Stars will deliver if they stay united – John Mensah

    John Mensah, a former captain of the Black Stars, advised them to put teamwork first in order to succeed at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

    Mensah told GhanaWeb that if the team stays together, they can achieve the nation’s World Cup goal during the Dinner with the Legends event hosted by the Ghana Football Association.

    In response to criticism of Ghana’s alleged lackluster performance during the international break in September, he noted that friendlies are used to evaluate the team, therefore Otto Addo’s attention is less on results.

    He also advised that the team treat their opening game with optimum importance because it will set the tone for their tournament.

    During the international break, Ghana lost 3-0 to Brazil before beating bottom-ranked Nicaragua 1-0.

    At the World Cup, the Black Stars have a tall order as they have pitted against Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay in Group H of the World Cup.

    They will begin their World Cup campaign against Portugal on November 24, followed by South Korea on November 28, and conclude against Uruguay on December 2 at the Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakra.

  • Seeking revenge against Uruguay shouldn’t be Ghana’s objective – Agyemang Badu

    The current Black Stars team has been cautioned by Black Stars player Emmanuel Agyemang Badu not to seek revenge against South American foe Uruguay at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in QATAR.

    Ghana enters the tournament as the 32 nations scheduled to compete in the World Cup in Qatar, Middle East, with the lowest FIFA ranking (61st), having been drawn in Group H with the 2016 European Champions Portugal, Ghana’s longtime rival Uruguay, and South Korea.

    The four-time African Champion is set to have a reunion with Uruguay in the second group game after Portugal, certainly a match that rekindles memories of what transpired at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where they exited in the quarterfinals, losing on penalties to the South Americans.

    After 120 minutes, the Black Stars were awarded a penalty following a handball clearance by Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez. A goal would have ushered the West Africans into the semi-finals. However, the Black Stars missed out on the historical feat when Ghana’s all-time top scorer Asamoah Gyan missed the penalty.

    The u-20 World Cup winner and current Great Olympics midfielder, on the Class Morning Show on Class 91.3 FM, revealed Ghana’s chances at the 2022 World Cup and stressed on the need for the country not to seek vengeance for the devastating 2010 loss at the hands of the Uruguayans.

    “Whoever tells you our group is not difficult, isn’t telling you the truth,” Agyemang Badu said and added: “Well, everyone has his or her opinion.”

    “But for me, the group is very, very difficult. It is not tricky, but difficult,” he stressed and warned: “You can’t go on revenge without planning very well.”

    “The kind of team the Uruguayans have now, I am afraid, I haven’t even spoken about Portugal, that’s our first game,” he worried.

    The Ghanaian football star also highlighted that: “Uruguay sacked their longest serving coach Oscar Tabarez, who spent almost a decade with them, but are still a tough nut to crack under new gaffer Diego Alonso who led the team to qualifying for the 2022 World Cup and are currently unbeaten in the last couple of games.”

    The 31-year-old midfielder further admitted Uruguay has evolved over the past years with the team currently boasting of top-quality talents plying their trade in major European leagues.

    He cited: “Edison Cavani, yes he is aging, but he has 3 goals to his name with club side Valencia in the Spanish league; Darwin Nunez, his exploits with Benfica before moving to Premier League side Liverpool; Luis Suarez is still active; Federico Valverde with Real Madrid is regarded as, arguably, one of the top three midfielders in world football; Rodrigo Bentancur at Tottenham,” to host of the Class Morning Show, Kofi Oppong Asamoah.

    “It is an all-round team so I can understand when Ghanaians are fixated on the Uruguayan national team,” he further noted before expressing optimism: “But for me no, with good preparations we can perform in Qatar.”

    The Black Stars have been tasked by His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to reach the semis of the World Cup, an expected improvement on the 2010 finish in South Africa.

    Coach Otto Addo and his technical team will open camping on November 10, in Abu Dhabi, before the announcement of the complete 26-man squad on November 14.

    There is also a final international friendly against the World Cup-bound Switzerland team on November 17.

    Emmanuel Agyemang Badu was part of the team that finished at the quarter-final stage of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. That achievement meant Ghana had joined Senegal and Cameroon as the only three African countries to reach that stage of the tournament.

  • Ghana pin FIFA World Cup hopes on Otto Addo, Chris Hughton

    There aren’t many better ways to endear yourself to your fans than by beating your closest rival. Knocking them out of contention for the FIFA World Cup in the process, meanwhile, escalates one’s status further faster.

    Otto Addo had only played briefly for Ghana, a 15-cap stint that lasted from 1999 till 2006. But the former attacker found himself thrust into the limelight when the Black Stars needed someone to show them the way.

    Addo had been acting as assistant to the head coach Milovan Rajevac since 2021 and watched from the sidelines as his team lost to Morocco and Comoros at the Africa Cup of Nations and suffered an embarrassing group stage elimination.

    Rajevac did not last long after that. Days after Ghana were knocked out of the continental competition, the federation decided to part ways with the Serbian and installed Addo in his place on an interim basis. His first task: beat rivals Nigeria in the two-legged third-round play-off for a spot at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

    With their new head coach lacking experience at the upper-most level, and a crunch tie on the horizon, the federation moved quickly to add the same to the coaching team.

    Raising several eyebrows, the Black Stars appointed former Newcastle United and Brighton and Hove Albion manager Chris Hughton — who has Ghanaian roots — as a technical advisor.

    Former Aston Villa and Middlesbrough player George Boateng and experienced coach Mas-Ud Didi Dramani joined the staff, too.

    Chris Hughton, the Nottingham Forest manager, issues instructions during the Sky Bet Championship match against Cardiff City at City Ground on September 12, 2021, in Nottingham, England. (Photo: Getty Images)

    The new team assembled in time for the fixture – a two-legged tie was played over four days with the first leg in Kumasi on March 25 and the return leg in Abuja on March 29, 2022.

    The old rivals drew 0-0 in Ghana and 1-1 in Nigeria, allowing the former to seal a berth in Qatar based on the away-goal rule.

    Ghana rewarded their new coaching quartet for the job they did by renewing their deals until the end of the year, confirming their place in the dugout for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

    The Black Stars also enhanced their preparations by recruiting five new players, the most high-profile among them Athletic Club forward Inaki Williams and Brighton full-back Tariq Lamptey.

    Otto Addo, who, before joining the Ghana set-up, was a talent coach at Borussia Dortmund, tasked with helping young and promising players transition from the youth to the senior team, seems to have the appropriate skills to help bring the new stars into the fold.

    Add to that, the experience of Hughton and the team’s set-up begins to look promising. Quarter-finals remain the best finish Ghana have achieved in a FIFA World Cup, and, after a four-year-long absence, the Black Stars will be looking to match – or better – the accomplishments of their past under a new-look coaching team.

    Source: Fifa

  • Nico Williams has to make mistakes to learn – Inaki Williams

    Inaki Williams, a professional footballer for Ghana, claims that his younger brother Nico Williams must commit errors in order to improve as a player.

    The team for Athletic Bilbao has been in excellent form as of late.
    In contrast to his younger brother, who has 3 goals and 4 assists in 11 games, Inaki has 4 goals in 11 matches.

    Despite giving his younger brother guidance, the Black Stars striker maintains that Nico Williams must make errors in order to grow.

    “I try to help him as much as possible, I try to give him the advice that I could have from other references such as Óscar (De Marcos), Iker (Muniain), Aduriz or Gurpegui. I try to help and advise him as much as possible, but he also has to make mistakes to learn from his mistakes” Inaki said.

    Meanwhile, the duo has decided to go separate ways at international level. Whiles Inaki has decided to play for Ghana, his younger brother has opted for Spain.

    And according to Inaki, their mother will have a decided heart during the World Cup tournament.

    “I think it would be more divided, but in the end, because of the family, in this case the majority would go with me, because in the end they live in Ghana and have been raised in Ghana. But the success of either one is joy for either of our families. I think that the one who would have the worst time would be our mother, that she would suffer it and she would have a divided heart” he said.

  • ‘We are Ghana, we don’t fear our opponents’ – Wollacott denies making comments on local radio

    Jojo Wallocott, the starting goalkeeper for the Black Stars, has denied reports in the local media that he had made remarks regarding Ghana’s opponents at the 2017 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

    “As has been reported in the Ghanaian media, I have not made the statements or given any interviews regarding our opponents. I want to make it very plain to all of the fans, my followers, GFA, and the entire nation of Ghana.

    “We are Ghana/Ghanaians we don’t fear who our opponents are or who we face or who we come across in a game of football. It’s a shame that some of the media has to go to this length to try and tarnish my image in Ghana,” he tweeted late Sunday, October 30.

    Weeks back, some sports websites wrote publications about the Charlton Athletic FC goalkeeper, stating among others purported views he shared about Ronaldo and the prospect of playing at the mundial.

    The 26-year-old played a vital role in Ghana’s road to qualification and is expected to make the final list of coach Otto Addo all things being equal.

    The fake comments:

    “Yeah, yeah. It’s obviously a big team, a big country, and big players. I am sure we will wipe up our preparations for the games,” he told Kumasi-based Oyerepa FM.

    “The magnitude of Ranaldo is the face of football ever known and recognized people say so the opportunity to play against them will be fantastic.

    “The most important thing is to represent Ghana at the World Cup, that’s the ultimate goal and that’s a dream come true for me so we hope that when we get there we can be successful as possible,” he is reported to have said.

    The Black Stars qualified for the World Cup after defeating Nigeria in a two-legged tie in March.

    Ghana have been paired with Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay in Group H.

    They will kick off their campaign against Portugal at Stadium 974 on November 24, and face South Korea at Education City Stadium on November 28 before they close group matches with a date against Uruguay at Al Wakrah Sports Complex on December 2.

  • Ghana FA and PFAG hold Legends Dinner in Accra

    The Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Professional Footballers Association of Ghana (PFAG) have jointly held an event dubbed “Dinner with The Legends’’ a program that was put together in honour of our retired footballers.The program which took place at the Event Centre – East Legon brought together retired footballers who played their part in the enormous football history of Ghana.

    Prior to the Dinner, the two entities held a Walk Saturday morning to whip up public interest as part of Ghana’s build up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 finals in November/December.

    Present at the Dinner were President of the Ghana Football Association Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku and Vice President Mark Addo.

    Executive Council Members Nana Sarfo Oduro, Dr. Ransford Abbey, Samuel Anim Addo, Dr. Tony Aubynn and Kingsley Osei Bonsu were all present.Others included former Ghana defender and CAF Deputy General Secretary Anthony Baffoe who doubles as General Secretary of the Professional Football Association of Ghana. The rest include former Bayern Munich super star Samuel Osei Kuffuor, President of PFAG, John Painstil, Yussif Alhassan Chibsah, Derek Boateng, Asamoah Gyan, Augustine Arhinful, Awuku Issaka, Jerry Akaminko, Isaac Vorsah, Richard Kingston, Kwame Ayew, Rev. Osei Kofi, Edward Ansah, Sam Johnson, Leayea Kingson, Yaw Acheampong, Yaw Preko, Peter Ofori Quaye, Maxwell Konadu, Emmanuel Armah, known in football circles as Senegal, Frimpong Manso, Emmanuel Agyemang Badu and Prince Tagoe.

    The rest were Ali Jarah, Abdul Razak, James Kuuku Dadzie, Ibrahim Sunday, Hamza Mohammed, Dan Owusu and Mallam Yahaya.

    President Simeon-Okraku later presented Black Stars jerseys to the Legends and called on them to support the team during the mundial in Qatar.

    The event was also attended representatives and key management members of Partners and Sponsors of the Ghana Football Association.

    Source: Footballghana

  • How sports journalists reacted to Akufo-Addo’s address on economy

    “Sika mp3 dede” became the catchphrase during President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s speech on measures his government is taking to address the faltering Ghanaian economy. Several Ghanaians expressed confusion at the president’s assertion that currency speculations are a major reason for the rise of the dollar against the cedi.

    In his speech, President Akufo-Addo explained some of the measures his administration has taken to stabilize the cedi and keep the Ghanaian economy from collapsing completely.

    Among the measures are restoring macro stability an IMF program, stabilizing prices of fuel, tackling currency speculation, and embarking on a process to stop the importation of certain items.

    These measures, adopted after a cabinet retreat are what the president and his appointees believe will lead to a turnaround in the downward direction of Ghana’s economy.

    If social media posts are to be used as an instrument of measuring the popularity of President Akufo-Addo’s speech, then it is safe to conclude that his speech did not inspire confidence in Ghanaians.

    Social media platforms have been awash with reactions of anger and sometimes amusement over some of the statements made by President Akufo-Addo.

    Among the section of Ghanaians who did not enjoy the president’s speech are some sports journalists who has voiced out their concerns on various social media platforms.

  • What Darren Bent, Asamoah Gyan said about Partey’s exceptional display against Nottingham Forest

    Thomas Partey, a midfielder from the Black Stars, had an outstanding performance for Arsenal against Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League.

    With lavish progressive passes that cut Forest loose and rendered their defensive structure useless as the Gunners pounded them 5-0, Partey masterminded an Arsenal carnage at the Emirate Stadium.

    In addition to the astounding display, Partey scored a stunning curler from outside the box, bending the ball from a Reiss Nelson setup to the top corner.
    The goal was an exact duplicate of one he scored against Tottenham a few weeks prior.

    After the game, former Sunderland and England striker, Darren Bent pointed out the importance of Thomas Partey to Arsenal.

    “Thomas Partey is key to this Arsenal team, more control more protection for the back line,” he wrote on Twitter.

    The post saw a comment from former Black Stars striker, Asamoah Gyan could not agree more with his former teammate as he commented “facts”.

    Arsenal, who are on top of the table are yet to lose a game in the EPL when the former Atletico Madrid man is on the field.

    The North London side have had an impressive start to the season as they lead the standings with 31 points, two points above reigning champions Manchester City.

    Facts ????????

    — ASAMOAH GYAN (@ASAMOAH_GYAN3) October 30

  • Forex Bureaus sell $1 at GH¢13.85 BoG GH¢13.01 as of October 31

    On the Interbank forex rates from the Bank of Ghana as of October 31, 2022, the Ghana Cedi is trading against the dollar at a buying price of 13.0026 and a selling price of 13.0156.

    As compared to Saturday’s trading of a buying price of 13.0028 and a selling price of 13.0158. At a forex bureau in Accra, the dollar is being bought at a rate of 13.00 and sold at a rate of 13.85.

    Against the Pound Sterling, the Cedi is trading at a buying price of 15.0583 and a selling price of 15.0747 as compared to Saturday’s trading at a buying price of 15.0481 and a selling price of 15.0658.

    At a forex bureau in Accra, the pound sterling is being bought at a rate of 14.50 and sold at a rate of 16.20.

    The Euro is trading at a buying price of 12.9267 and a selling price of 12.9385 as compared to Saturday’s trading at a buying price of 12.9848 and a selling price of 12.9978.

    At a forex bureau in Accra, Euro is being bought at a rate of 12.80 and sold at a rate of 13.70.

    The South African Rand is trading at a buying price of 0.7159 and a selling price of 0.7166 compared to Saturday’s trading at a buying price of 0.7263 and a selling price of 0.7271.

    At a forex bureau in Accra, South African Rand is being bought at a rate of 0.65 and sold at a rate of 1.10.

    The Nigerian Naira is trading at a buying price of 33.9522 and a selling price of 33.9783 as compared to Saturday’s trading at a buying price of 33.9522 and a selling price of 33.9783.

    At a forex bureau in Accra, Nigerian Naira is being bought at a rate of 16.00 Naira for every 1 Cedi and sold at a rate of 20.00.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Osimhen, Partey and Mane: What did you miss this weekend?

    In Bayern Munich’s 6-2 thumping of Mainz on Saturday, Sadio Mane continued his recent strong play with possibly his greatest performance.

    When he scored a hat-trick in Napoli’s 4-0 victory over Sassuolo, Victor Osimhen in Italy’s top division, he matched achievements from both seasons.

    In this article, GOAL’s Seye Omidiora selects a few obscure statistics from this week that you might have missed and explains what they represent for the top talents in Africa.

    Kelechi Iheanacho

    Iheanacho did not start Leicester City’s 1-0 defeat by old side Manchester City on Saturday lunchtime but had a decent impact off the bench.

    The forward shot at goal twice in 20 minutes of action, outdoing Jamie Vardy who managed no efforts in 70 minutes on the pitch.

    Patson Daka, also introduced with 20 minutes to play, outshot Vardy despite limited game time as the Foxes went for broke in the final quarter of the game.

    Ademola Lookman

    Atalanta returned to winning ways with a 2-0 win at Empoli with Lookman finding the back of the net in La Dea’s fifth away victory this term.

    The attacker has now netted more league goals than he did in 2020-21 (four) and is now one goal from matching last term’s tally (six) with Leicester City.

    In this form, the Bergamaschi will believe Lookman will surpass his previous best in England’s top flight.

    Sadio Mane
    The Bayern forward scored and assisted two in a 6-2 success over Mainz over the weekend, a result that saw Julian Nagelsmann’s crew maintain second spot on the Bundesliga table.

    It was probably Mane’s finest game for FC Hollywood since signing from Liverpool, with his raw and underlying numbers blowing previous games out of the water.

    Mane was involved in nine shot-creating actions, higher than his previous best (six), three goal-creating actions (previous best was one) and his expected assists (xA) of 0.8 bettered his xA from September’s draw with Union Berlin (0.2).

    After a mixed start, is the Senegal international returning to his best?

    Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting

    In the same game, Choupo-Moting scored and assisted to take his tally to three goals and two assists in seven appearances (three starts).

    The Cameroon international is now a goal behind last season’s Bundesliga return and has matched three goals scored from his first season in Bavaria.

    Nagelsmann was seemingly against playing a natural centre-forward earlier in the season but Choupo-Moting’s recent run has brought about a slight change in approach by the Bayern boss.

    Thomas Partey

    Partey’s curled effort past Dean Henderson in Arsenal’s 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest was his second goal of the campaign in a matter of weeks, following his goal in the North London derby success over Tottenham Hotspur at the start of the month.

    The Ghana international’s strikes this term have both come from outside the box, signalling his threat from long-range to Arsenal’s opponents.

    Interestingly, both of Partey’s Premier League goals last season were netted from inside the box and he has now matched that with two scorchers from distance in 2022-23. Balance.

    Victor Osimhen

    A stunning hat-trick in Napoli’s 4-0 hammering of Sassuolo not only took Osimhen to the summit of the goalscoring standings but means the Nigerian has now netted in three successive Serie A games for the third time.

    The Super Eagle netted in four straight league games in 2020-21, scored in three games on the trot last season and has hit the back of the net in his last three domestic appearances this term.

    Osimhen could match his scoring streak from his debut campaign if he scores in the Partenopei’s next Serie A outing with high-flying Atalanta.