Brentford striker Ivan Toney expressed the “painful” experience of watching the 2022 World Cup while realising he could have been a part of the England squad.
Toney missed the tournament due to allegations of betting, which surfaced just before the Three Lions’ squad announcement.
Although he received an eight-month ban in May, the former Peterborough United star described the timing of the revelations about his betting rule violations as “spiteful.” He recently discussed the challenges of witnessing the competition, acknowledging that he could have participated if selected.
He told Sky Sports: “I did watch a bit [of the World Cup] but that was even more painful watching, knowing I could have been involved in that but listen, what’s done is done.
“I can’t change anything; yes, it was painful but life is painful sometimes. You have just got to fly by it and concentrate on what is in front rather than what is behind.”
Ivan Toney is poised to become a focal point of discussions during the January transfer window, with Brentford reportedly placing a £100 million valuation on him to ward off interest from Arsenal and Chelsea.
After an eight-month absence due to a ban, Toney is expected to make a return to first-team football on January 20, when Brentford faces Nottingham Forest.
However, uncertainties linger about his future at the club.
While his ban lasts until January 17,ruling him out of Brentford’s FA Cup third-round replay against Wolves on January 15, he might feature against Forest. Yet, if a substantial offer emerges this month, Toney could find himself at a new club in February.
Morocco is hoping its unprecedented World Cup exploits can help it win friends and influence people, especially among an Arab public opposed to its 2020 rapprochement with Israel.
Support for the Atlas Lions surged as they battled their way to the semifinal of the football World Cup in Qatar – the first Arab or African team ever to get so far.
Their popularity on the Arab street was helped by players and supporters brandishing Palestinian flags following Moroccan victories, to be seen by millions of live TV viewers worldwide.
That in turn was a diplomatic coup for Morocco against arch-rival and neighbour Algeria, which for decades had seen itself as North Africa’s main champion of the Palestinian cause.
Just two years ago, Rabat sparked criticism across the Arab world for re-establishing ties with Israel.
But international relations expert Tajeddine Houssaini said the agreement, part of a string of US-mediated normalisation deals, “doesn’t mean that Morocco has turned its back on the Palestinian cause”.
“The national team and the supporters only confirmed that in Qatar,” he said, noting that Palestinians had even made up chants glorifying the Moroccan team.
FOOTBALL DIPLOMACY
Morocco’s diplomatic gains go well beyond the Palestinian cause and the Arab world.
“Morocco’s extraordinary run in the World Cup of course burnished the image of the country, which has been using soft power for years to make its mark on the international stage,” said sports politics expert Moncef El Yazghi.
The kingdom already had a track record of using “football diplomacy” to boost its ties with African countries, signing at least 30 cooperation deals with other federations, he added.
Morocco’s winning streak gathered excited fans from South Africa to Tunisia, where supporters ignored a simmering diplomatic spat with Rabat over the disputed territory of Western Sahara.
Even in rival Algeria, where the issue is even more hotly contested, the public took the Atlas Lions to heart – though official media outlets kept quiet about the team’s achievements.
The squad’s unexpected success has “grabbed people’s attention”, French historian Pierre Vermeren said.
“This has given Morocco a major symbolic victory over Algeria – but also symbolic, sporting and political revenge against its neighbours,” he said, citing wins over nearby Portugal as well as Spain.
Morocco has been dreaming for decades of playing with the big teams, “and now it’s become a reality”, he added.
TOURISM TO BENEFIT?
Morocco will also be hoping to convert its raised profile into economic gains, especially for tourism.
The sector is one of the country’s top employers, but it was battered by the Covid-19 pandemic and the global economic downturn exacerbated by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The kingdom has yet to see a return to the 13 million visitors it welcomed in 2019.
Lahcen Zelmat, head of the FNIH national hotels federation, said Morocco had an “excellent opportunity”.
The team’s successes “have given us great visibility”, he said, noting Morocco was “familiar for Western Europeans but not necessarily among Asian or Latin American tourists”.
“Today it’s known all around the world, but we will need to work hard to make the most of this unexpected publicity.”
While footballing victories temporarily distracted many Moroccans from their economic woes, the party for the Atlas Lions – who returned home on Tuesday – will soon be over.
Whether the country’s World Cup adventure will have a lasting effect on the country’s economy remains to be seen.
In recent days, Morocco’s image has somewhat been tarnished as Belgian police investigate allegations the kingdom and Qatar bought influence in the European Parliament.
World Cup Qatar host has denied any wrongdoing, while Morocco has offered no official response.
Despite Portugal losing to Morocco in the World Cup semifinals, head coach Fernando Santos admitted he has no remorse about benching Cristiano Ronaldo.
At Al Thumama Stadium, striker Youssef En-Nesyri scored the game-winning goal in the first half by leaping highest and outjumping goalkeeper Diogo Costa to the ball.
Cristiano Ronaldo climbed off the bench in the 50th minute to equal the men’s all-time appearance record of 196 in international matches, but he could not find the equaliser as their last-four hopes were dashed.
“I don’t think so, no regrets,” Santos said. “I think this was a team which played very well against Switzerland. Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player, he came in when we thought it was necessary, so no regrets.
“If we take two persons that were the most upset it is Cristiano Ronaldo and myself. Of course we are upset, but that is part of the job of the coach and the player.”
Walid Regragui’s men will face holders France in the semifinals at Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday.
Shortly after Ghana’s 0-2 defeat to Uruguay in the final Group H encounter in Qatar, a stern-looking Otto Addo appeared at the post-match press conference willing to badly get something off his chest.
After being introduced to the press, Otto minced no words after a journalist asked if he was going to step down. He answered “I will step down from my position as it was agreed on in May” He was clear in his mind that the news will be no surprise to his employers having stated in many ways before the World Cup that he was still committed to his role at German giants Borussia Dortmund. For the record Otto Addo is a talent coach and second assistant at Dortmund.
He will explain details of his resignation at a presser a day after, but amidst Ghana’s rough 2022 World Cup post-mortem it’s worth noting that Addo left behind a squad that has the potential to reach unthinkable heights in the coming years.
Coming in at such a tricky time, 26 days prior to announcing Otto as Interim Ghana coach ahead of the World Cup qualifiers, the Black Stars had just put up their worst performance at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon. In Garoua, the Black Stars lost 3-2 to tiny Comoros and rounded up their tournament without recording a win in a group that housed Morocco, Gabon and Comoros.
In the stands that night, many Ghanaians were hopeful the Stars could even draw when goals from Richmond Boakye and Alexander Djiku levelled the game up for Ghana, but Mogni grabbed a winner with five minutes remaining. Ghana exited the group stage of the competition in 2006, failed to go past the round of 16 in 2019, but not winning a single game meant that was on paper the most dreadful performance by the four time African champions.
The man who supervised the debacle, Milovan Rajevac, was fired despite his desire to stay on. Next for Ghana was a tricky World Cup playoff game against Nigeria who exited the AFCON competition in the round of 16 but played much better than Ghana. Addo accepted the job with a huge risk of possibly ending his entire career with the big derby coming up – yes, qualifying to the World Cup will make him a Ghanaian hero but failing will surely be the end of his career on these shores – the unwritten rules were quite clear.
He was appointed as an interim manager alongside two-time Ghana Premier League champion Didi Dramani, Aston Villa U23 coach, George Boateng and the experienced English Premier League manager, Chris Houghton playing the role as a Technical Adviser on February 9.
Romance after the Jollof derby
Otto’s first job was to surmount the Nigerian hurdle or be truly forgotten. His employers where keen as well because, missing the World Cup after a poor showing at the AFCON in the minds of ordinary football fans would “mean not good enough” for the job. Ghanaians were skeptic of the Black Stars because of their poor displays in Cameroon. Ghana settled for a 0-0 draw after VAR overruled a decision to award the Super Eagles a penalty in the first leg of the playoff in Kumasi. A review of the decision in the closing stages of the Jollof derby found that Ghana midfielder Iddrisu Baba was fouled before he handled the ball.
In the return leg in Abuja, a long range shot by Thomas Partey ensured Ghana won the tie (1-1) on away goals to book a ticket to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The World Cup ticket also meant an elevation from interim Ghana coach to substantive manager for Otto Addo – He was going to be at the mundial with his initial 5 man technical team.
Building a new squad
Ghana’s performance against Nigeria looked a lot more organized but was still far from perfect which meant the approaching weeks and months were huge windows for augmenting the squad.
He led a wild charge by the Ghana Football Association to get international players of Ghanaian descent to switch nationality. Four months before competing at the World Cup, the Ghana Football Association announced five new recruits who were now eligible to play for the Black Stars in Qatar.
Brighton & Hove Albion defender Tariq Lamptey, who had played for England Under-21s, Hamburger SV pair Stephan Ambrosius and Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer who both represented Germany Under-21s, Athletic Bilbao forward, Iñaki Williams who played one friendly for Spain, and Germany-based player Patrick Pfeiffer a forward at Darmstadt all committed to Ghana. Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu, who initially turned down a Black Stars call-up, also agreed to be called by the technical handlers of the Black Stars ahead of the 2022 FIFA Mundial in November.
The extensive scouting will ensure that in-form Racing Lens midfielder, Salis Abdul Samed and Club Brugge’s Kamal Sowah will be called for the competition.
Friendlies games against Brazil (0-3), Nicaragua (1-0), Switzerland (2-0) and the Kirin cup in Japan were not enough. But all the technical team had to do was fine tune the team for Qatar. Ghana arrived at the mundial as the lowest ranked team (61st) and the youngest squad.
What had changed under Otto Addo?
I followed Otto Addo’s Black Stars so closely to make key observations that were consistent throughout the tenure. The regard for time massively improved with a mini schedule released 24hours prior. The technical team and players stuck to the rigid schedule and were constantly on time throughout their stay in camps.
Imposed fines institutionalized by the technical team were so strict that even if one of them showed up late, punishment followed. Upon interaction with some members of technical team who had worked with previous Black Stars coaches, the attention to details and major meetings of the Otto Addo regime was novel. At close gauge, I saw the technical team meet close to 4 times a day while in camp physically to deliberate over many issues concerning the team. Even when they were at their respective bases they would jump onto a zoom call for hours to get on the same page regarding many fluid situations.
There was efficient distribution of tasks among the technical team with medical team reporting the latest on the team’s health daily. On the training ground, I could see the four –man technical team work on different aspects of the team. The Black Stars camp felt organized , with players and the technical team very much informed about what was about to happen next . The usual fun including the initiation dances stayed and the camp was usually buzzing.
Lack of Cohesion – bane of World Cup 2022
While the criticism comes in hard for Ghana’s performance at the 2022 World cup, it’s worth reminding ourselves of where this team was coming from.
The standards for judging Ghana at the World Cup must surely be the maiden appearance in 2006 where the team exited at Round of 16 and 2010 when Ghana only missed out on the semifinals. In 2006, Ghana assembled a squad that had formed wonderful bonds and understanding from their days at youth level.
Ghana’s 2001 U20 side produced 7 out of the 23 man squad in Germany 2006. Derek Boateng Sulley muntari, Razak Pimpong, Micheal Essien, John Mensah, John Painstil and Emmanuel Pappoe were all part of the silver winning U 20 world cup squad and made the cut to Germany. These were easily the stars of the world Cup. In Ghana’s crucial do or die game against Czech Republic 5 of them started in crucial areas – Derek Boateng, Sulley Muntari, Michael Essien, John Mensah, John Painstil – and helped Ghana to an important win and the round of 16. The team had formed bonds since their youth playing days and knew each other for well 6 years before the World Cup.
The story of the 2010 World Cup was no different. About half of the 2006 World Cup squad were back in South Africa and with huge experience playing at the top level. Augmenting the squad was a select group of players from Ghana’s 2009 Un 20 World Cup winning team – Samuel Inkoom, Jonathan Mensah, Dominic Adiyah, and Emmanuel Agyemang Badu. Even before the World Cup, the young group had the chance to try out with the seniors at the 2009 CHAN competition and the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations under the same coach – Milovan Rajevac. So the team had the opportunity to strike levels of cohesion before the 2010 World Cup began. The results of 2010 world Cup speaks for itself.
Even in 2014, about 40 percent of the Ghana’s 2010 World Cup made the squad in Brazil. So historically the Black Stars have had teams represent Ghana at the World Cup with history and some experience. However 2022 was the exact opposite.
A World Cup too soon for this squad?
Maybe yes, even though many widely believe Ghana could have made the knock out round. Traditional Ghana does a poor job of keeping squads together irrespective of their age group when competitions end up in disappointment. So after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup there was real trouble with keeping a consistent squad.
Ghana exited the 2019 AFCON at the round of 16 stage following a defeat to Tunisia which further destabilized the boat. Black Stars failed to win a game at the 2021 AFCON in Cameroun which was termed a disaster. In a short space of time, the Black Stars had seen as many as four coaches ( Kwasi Appiah, CK Akonor, Milovan Rajevac and Otto Addo. That meant continuity was a headache and the nucleus of the Black Stars kept changing.
So the key issue with this assembled group of players for the World Cup was not a lack of quality or potential but lack of playing time together, quite literally. Otto’s men were many miles off the cohesion needed at such a high level competition. All Ghana group opponents (Uruguay, Portugal and South Korea) were at the 2018 World Cup so somewhat had a squad to fall on for cohesion and team chemistry in Qatar.
The nucleus of Ghana’s Squad for the Ghana-Nigeria 2022 World Cup qualifiers appeared to be the blue print around which Coach Otto Addo’s new team would evolve, but there were more additions and subtractions such that the team that started at the World Cup against Portugal had six new faces in Lawrence Ati Zigi , Baba Rahman, Alidu Seidu, Salis Abdul Samed, Inaki Williams and Mohammed Salisu.
These faces were not accidentals, in fact, they were about the framework around which players where introduced deep into games in Qatar. Otto and his team were unlucky with injuries, first and second choice goalkeepers Jojo Wollacot and Richard Ofori picked up knocks, Baba Iddrissu, who had formed a partnership of a sort with Thomas Partey was also unavailable and meant quick replacements. Time to assemble a team after the World Cup qualifiers was rare.
There were two AFCON 2024 qualifiers against Madagascar and Central Africa republic, a Kirin cup tourney in Japan quickly followed, but largely without key players in early June. The next window was in late September and October where Ghana played Brazil and Nicaragua with still some key names missing. The team had to soon Camp for the World Cup and this time, the full squad including newbies like Salis Abdul Samed and Kamal Sowah were drafted in.
The lack of time to play together as a team and find the right understanding on the pitch was pretty obvious but this squad looks promising.
Pregnant with Titles
Ghana’s best performances have come from a well-knit squad with bundles of experience and cohesion developed from competition time together. The 2006 and 2010 World Cup tournaments are perfect examples of this.
The composition of Otto’s squad for the 2022 World Cup inspires more hope for the coming years. The Black Stars squad was the youngest at the mundial with an average age of 26 years. It was also by far the most inexperienced side Ghana has ever assembled for a World Cup with 24 out of the 26 participating at the competition for the first time. Only captain, Andre Dede Ayew and his brother, Jordan Ayew had tasted World Cup action before.
The balance of the squad was another strong reason to believe this team is worth keeping. In the goalkeeping department the absence of Richard Ofori and Jojo Wollacot gave Lawrence Ati Zigi the chance to prove that he’s not far off. In central defense Ghana can boast of Daniel Amartey (Leicester City), Alexander Djiku (Strasbourg), Salisu (Southampton) and Joseph Aidoo (Celta Vigo) who all good and could only get better with time. At right back, Alidu Seidu (Clermont) who starred at the World Cup shares the spot with Tariq Lamptey (Brighton). Even 34-year-old Dennis Odoi (Brugge) offers an option though he may not be around for long.
At left-back the heavily vilified Baba Rahman (Reading) is seconded by Gideon Mensah (Auxerre) who looked great against South Korea. Deep in midfield the partnership between Thomas Partey (Arsenal) and Salis Abdul Samed (Racing Lens) can be nurtured – not forgetting Baba Idrissu (Mallorca) who got injured ahead of the tourney and the Elisha Owusu (Gent KAA) who didn’t feature in Qatar. On the right side of attack, there’s Jordan Ayew (Crsytal Place), Club Brugge’s Kamal Sowah and Sporting’s Fatawu Issahaku who will get much better with time – On the left wing Kamaldeen Sulemana (Rennes), Osman Bukari (Red Star Belgrade), Antoine Semenyo(Bristol City) are all exciting wingers with pace and enough tricks to outwit defenders in one on one situations. Upfront Inaki Williams (Athletic Club) and Dede Ayew (Al Sadd) can do a job.
Surely this team needs few tweaks and more time to develop the right chemistry. The squad managed to win Ghana’s first game at the World Cup since 2010, and suffered together against Portugal and Uruguay. These are key experiences that help the growth of a squad – they have learnt more about each other the hard way and this is invaluable for team this young.
Keep this group together
Expectation for the Ghana at the World Cup went through the roof after a 2-0 win against Switzerland. But in fairness a squad as inexperienced as Otto’s could only punch above their weight to make the knock out phase. The win against South Korea was inspiring and possibly did wet the appetite of many fans who felt making the Round of 16 was a must.
Yes, Ghana could have finished second and played against Brazil in the Round of 16 but nothing more really. It’s time to stop the ranting and let the planning begin around a squad which is pregnant with titles.
A BrewDog advertisement was banned for implying that its fruit-flavored beers counted as “one of your five-a-day.”
The brewer asserted the email was “tongue-in-cheek” but the advertising watchdog said it could mislead customers.
BrewDog’s advertisements frequently spark controversy, but some campaigns have backfired.
It was heavily chastised last month for launching a “anti-sponsorship” World Cup campaign while continuing to show matches in its bars.
To stay healthy, the government recommends that people eat five portions of fruit and vegetables per day; however, this does not include alcoholic beverages, even if they have a high fruit content.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)said that many consumers would not have known that for sure when BrewDog sent them a marketing email in July with the five-a-day claim in the subject line.
BrewDog argued that the email was only sent to existing customers who had opted in to email alerts and would have been aware of its playful marketing style.
But the regulator said the advert cannot appear again in its current form and warned BrewDog not to repeat the claim.
A BrewDog spokesman said: “We respect the Advertising Standards Authority’s decision and are happy to confirm that beer is not a fruit or a vegetable. We hope that sorts it out”.
This is not BrewDog’s first run-in with the ASA.
Last year, the Scottish brewer offered shoppers the chance to find a gold can worth £15,000 hidden in cases sold from its online store.
But some winners complained to the ASA after they discovered the cans were not solid gold, but were gold-plated instead.
The regulator banned the adverts with BrewDog boss James Watt admitting the firm had got the campaign “wrong”.
World Cup backlash
Last month, the brand also faced a backlash after it said it would screen World Cup games at its bars while also running a marketing campaign criticising Qatar’s human rights record.
The pub and brewery chain promised that profits made from sales of one lager during the tournament would go to “causes fighting human rights abuses”.
But critics on Twitter accused it of a “PR stunt”, arguing it would still profit from all the other beers sold. Responding at the time, BrewDog said the campaign had “struck a nerve” and raised awareness of human rights abuses in Qatar.
The last few years have been stormy for the brewer, which built a loyal following for its independent craft beers before becoming a mainstream hit on supermarket shelves.
Last summer it faced a flood of allegations about its “toxic” workplace culture, which led to an independent review of the organisation.
Mr Watt apologised to former staff and said their complaints would help make him a better chief executive.
In June this year fresh claims about his conduct emerged in the US, with former staff accusing him of inappropriate behaviour.
Ghana international, Elisha Owusu, says the Black Stars will look to play with more hunger in their next assignment following their elimination from the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Black Stars suffered a group-stage exit in Qatar following their 2-0 defeat to Uruguay in their final group game at the Al Janoub Stadium on Friday, December 2.
Ghan needed a draw to stand a chance of progress from the group heading into the final game but that result proved a difficult task as they succumbed to defeat.
Reacting to the exit, Owusu, who was one of six not to have gotten any minutes from the three games, said the team will be back better than ever while also thanking the fans for their support.
“First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge and thank our great fans for their consistently amazing support throughout the tournament,” he wrote on his Instagram page.
“Although we were not able to qualify, I am proud of my teammates for the hard work they put in on and off the pitch. I am sure with this determination and fight, that we will be back to give the wonderful fans of Ghana the performances they deserve.
“On a personal note, I am very thankful to have experienced the World Cup as this has always been a dream of mine. This would not be possible without God, which is why I am always grateful. I will continue to put in the hours off the pitch to ensure the future is bright.
“The Black Stars will be back stronger and hungrier than ever!” he added.
The exit from the group stage now means Ghana has suffered back-to-back exits in the first round of the World Cup in their last two apearances.
The group stages of the World Cup saw a staggering 83% rise since the last tournament in goals scored in open play that came from the flanks, a trend Arsene Wenger believes will determine who wins the competition.
Discussing a technical analysis of the first round by world governing body FIFA, Wenger, who heads its global football development, said there was a trend of defences protecting the centre of the final third, meaning teams were forced to go down the left and right channels to create chances.
“The teams block the centre of the pitch, so they open more on the flanks… it means the best teams who have the best wide players have the best chance to win the World Cup,” Wenger said in a presentation in Qatar on Sunday.
Juergen Klinsmann, who is a member of the Fifa Technical Study Group, said the pattern of packing the defence was also impacting the number of attempts to shoot on goal from outside the area.
“It’s really difficult for teams to break through the middle,” he said. “Defensive and midfield lines are so close together there’s no chance to pull the trigger.”
That defensive pattern also led to a 33% reduction since the 2018 World Cup in Russia in the number of “take-ons”, or players in possession of the ball running at defenders and beating them, while many were being forced out wide.
Klinsmann said the data showed this favouring South American teams far more than Europeans.
“It’s their way of doing things. It’s the love for the street football games still… the kids take on each other, one against one. So it’s not surprising that they’re leading on this,” he said.
Another big change was how often goalkeepers made themselves available to receive passes to their feet, up from 443 times during Russia’s group stages to 726 times in Qatar.
“This means the technical level of a goalkeeper distributing with has feet has become a vital element of quality of a team,” Wenger said.
“He is becoming a real part of the team; now they’re part of the team, it’s the modern part of the team.”
Wenger said the larger amounts of stoppage time at the end of the matches in Qatar was having little impact on games, but could add to physical demands on players.
He also said he favoured the increase in the number of World Cup teams from 32 to 48 in 2026, saying it would encourage countries to raise their domestic standards.
“It means that we will have to find 16 more good teams,” he said. “I’m convinced that if countries have more opportunity to go for the world stage they do more in that country.”
The pair have flown to Qatar in style, courtesy of a sponsored paid trip to the Arab nation. The duo was filmed in a Black Stars jersey in an Instagram video. They paired their look with dark shades.
McBrown and her hubby may watch the second match of the Black Stars
The Black Star will face South Korea in the ongoing 2022 Qatar World Cup on Monday, November 28, at 1 pm. The media personality and her significant other are likely to watch the match at the stadium.
The recent footage of the couple on a plane, shared on Nkonkonsa, showed Nana Ama McBrown and her husband drinking juice on-board the flight.
Netizens and fans of the television personality and her husband have reacted to the rare moment of the couple having fun on a plane. Most people who reacted seemed jealous of the pair.
Inside a bustling Doha neighbourhood is a popular beauty and fashion store, which was started by a former taxi driver.
In the heart of the lively Doha neighbourhood of Al Mansoura is a beauty and fashion shop which has gained a strong following among Africans living in the Qatari capital ever since the store opened about two years ago.
Butterfly Beauty Shopis located along Al Mansoura’s crowded main street and is nestled among grocery stores – known locally by the Arabic word baqaala, restaurants, tea and snack spots and a smattering of hardware supply shops.
The shelves and aisles of Butterfly Beauty Shop are packed with beauty products, hair extensions, fashion accessories, clothes, shoes, and seemingly every possible fashion item from Africa.
“This is the only shop catering to the fashion needs of Africans in Qatar,” boasts the Kenyan shop owner Bernard Wanjiku, 32.
Qatar is home to a diverse foreign community that makes up 90 percent of the country’s population.
The sub-Saharan African community accounts for roughly 6 percent of the total population in Qatar, with foreign nationals coming from countries such as Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Nigeria, South Africa, Somalia and Ghana.
Wanjiku arrived in Doha from Kenya in 2013 to work as a driver for a local organisation, but switched jobs to become a taxi driver five years later. It was through conversations with his clients that he got the idea to start his own business.
“It would happen so frequently that I realised this was a business opportunity waiting to be grabbed.”
Shop owner Bernard Wanjiku started his operations small, selling beauty products to people he met while he worked as a taxi driver [Hafsa Adil/Al Jazeera]
Testing the waters
Wanjiku’s operations started small. In the beginning, he would arrange for friends travelling from Kenya to bring skincare and hair products in small batches, and then he would sell them to Africans who he met on taxi rides. Those customers would keep coming back for his products.
“I wanted to test the waters before investing all my savings in one place. For four years, I ran this business as a side hustle on [a] demand-and-supply basis while having a cab as my main source of income,” explains Wanjiku, whose beauty business spread by word of mouth.
Since opening the shop in February 2021, Wanjiku has already established a significant clientele, most of whom have followed his journey from the taxi to his brick-and-mortar store in a bustling neighbourhood.
But Wanjiku admits he has social media to thank for the rapid growth of his business.
“Soon after the opening, African people living in Mansoura posted photos and videos from inside the shop,” he explains. “They would try on some wigs, hair extensions or rave about finally having access to skin products from back home.”
Some of these posts led to social media buzz among Qatar’s African community.
“A group of Sudanese shoppers once posted something from here, and it went viral within their community, leading to queues and traffic jams outside my shop in the following days,” he recalls, laughing.
At the time, the shop had recently opened and the Sudanese shoppers had posted pictures of themselves on social media trying on hair extensions and clothes. Wanjiku himself uses WhatsApp, YouTube and Instagram to promote his business.
Jessie, one of the shop assistants, shows some face creams and hair products to a couple from Kenya. He tells them which product would work better for them, and assures them of its authenticity.
“Jessie is from Kenya as well,” Wanjiku says. “It is important to have people who understand the products and connect with the shoppers to make them feel like they are back home.”
Mehrab, who is from Uganda, is browsing in the shop. He says he first visited the store a few months ago after some of his Kenyan friends shared a YouTube video about it.
He says he often stops by to chat about news from “back home” and to see if there are any new products to try.
“Not all hair products work on African hair,” he says, running his hand over his head. “I have lost so much hair since moving to Qatar but now that I know about this place, I come here to get hair products from home.”
Wanjiku brings African fashion and beauty trends to Qatar [Hafsa Adil/Al Jazeera]
Satin dresses, World Cup flags
Colourful printed shirts called dashikis hang from a rail high above the shelves. Jessie says they are among the best-selling items as Filipinos and Arabs like to buy them as well.
He points at a rack of sparkly satin dresses and says Kenyan women love them because they are on trend.
“Kenyan women love following fashion from the rich and influential people back home, so we try to cater to their demands and bring them [fashion trends] here,” Jessie says.
“Sometimes, they just hold up their phones to show us exactly which trendy outfit they want and if we have it, they will put it on and post about it on their social media accounts right away.”
Some Nigerian men and women, visiting Qatar for the World Cup, enter the shop and browse the clothes on display. They want to see if the country has any African fan paraphernalia to offer.
“We are here to support the African teams,” says Steve, one of the tourists.
Wanjiku pulls out a few African flags from a box and unfurls them for the shoppers.
He says he changed the look of his shop front in the weeks leading up to the World Cup to match the occasion. The display is now adorned with large flags and the football shirts of Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Ghana and other participating teams.
“Ghana, Senegal and Cameroon flags are very popular. In fact, I have had to restock on Ghanaian flags as they have been selling out quickly.”
Butterfly Beauty Shop has become a go-to shop for people from sub-Saharan African countries [Hafsa Adil/Al Jazeera]
Looking for the next trend
An Indian fan of the Argentinian football team beckons Jessie from the door.
“Brother, do you have a Messi shirt? Number 10?” he asks. He walks away disappointed when Jessie shakes his head.
Wanjiku says the South Asians and Filipinos of Al Mansoura are interested in supporting only Argentina, Brazil and Qatar.
Wanjiku has already started planning for life after the World Cup.
“There is a trend of Kenyan, African-style placemats that is picking up back home. I want to bring them here for the local Africans. I know they will ask for them as soon as they see it on social media.”
Jessie nods and chimes in, “You see that yellow T-shirt up there?” He points to a bright T-shirt emblazoned with a photo of George Wajackoyah, a losing candidate in this year’s general elections in Kenya.
“We got it because this man was popular among the youth back home, and the young Kenyan people here wanted to be a part of the trend,” he explains. “Anything that’s popular in Kenya, we bring it to Qatar.”
DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana
Iranian football federation slams ‘unprofessional act’ as US footballbody uses modified flag in social media posts.
Iran’s football federation says it has lodged a complaint to FIFA over the removal of the word “Allah” from the Islamic Republic’s flag on social media posts by its counterpart in the United States, ahead of an upcoming World Cup game between the two countries.
“In an unprofessional act, the Instagram page of the US football federation removed the Allah symbol from the Iranian flag,” state news agency IRNA reported on Sunday.
“The Iran Football Federation sent an email to FIFA to demand it issue a serious warning to the US federation,” it added.
There was no immediate public response from world football’s governing body to the reported complaint, which came as the US prepares to face Iran in a decisive World Cup match on Tuesday — a fixture already burdened by the decades of enmity between the countries.
The US and Iran cut diplomatic relations in 1980.
Show of ‘support’ for Iran protests
The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) said in a statement on Sunday morning it had decided to forego the official flag on social media accounts in a show of solidarity with the “women in Iran fighting for basic human rights” in the wake of the death of 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini in police custody.
The Islamic Republic’s flag consists of three horizontal bands in red, white and green with the word “Allah” appearing in stylised script in the middle.
The Twitter account of the US men’s team displayed a banner with the squad’s matches in the group stage, with the Iranian flag only bearing its green, white and red colours. The same was seen in a post on its Facebook and Instagram accounts laying out the point totals so far in its group.
By Sunday afternoon, the normal flag with the emblem had been restored in the Twitter banner, and the Facebook and Instagram posts with the altered flag had been removed.
“We wanted to show our support for the women in Iran with our graphic for 24 hours,” the federation said.
The United Nations says more than 300 people have been killed amid a crackdown on the protests which erupted in the wake of Amini’s death in September, and some 14,000 have been arrested, including children. Iran has accused the US and other foreign states of fomenting the demonstrations, without providing evidence.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency said on Twitter that the US team had “breached the FIFA charter,for which a 10-game suspension is the appropriate penalty”.
The US team “should be kicked out” of the World Cup, it added.
By posting a distorted image of the flag of the Islamic Republic of #Iran on its official account, the #US football team breached the @FIFAcom charter, for which a 10-game suspension is the appropriate penalty.
Team #USA should be kicked out of the #WorldCup2022pic.twitter.com/c8I4i4z3Tv
It is not expected that FIFA will take any such action.
Meanwhile, the two nations’ prospects on the pitch at the World Cup remain finely posed.
Iran’s dramatic 2-0 win over Wales and the US team’s tense goalless stalemate against England on Friday set up a tantalising final round of Group B matches.
England, sitting top with four points, face the bottom side Wales, meaning the Iran-United States contest will decide which team goes through to the round of 16.
The eagerly awaited meeting is a rematch of the 1998 World Cup groupstage contest, dubbed the “mother of all games”, which Iran won 2-1. In a symbolic moment before that match at Lyon’s Stade Gerland, the Iranian players gave white roses, a symbol of peace in the country, to their American opponents.
Fights broke out between protesters and pro-regime Iranians at the country’s second World Cup game on Friday in Qatar.
Others reported they were screamed at and harassed, while several demonstrating supporters claimed their flags were taken away.
Additionally, stadium security officers confiscated items including anti-government T-shirts and other items.
Iran has had widespread protests since the passing of Mahsa Amini,22, in September.
Ms Amini was arrested in Tehran by the morality police for allegedly not covering her hair properly and died in police custody three days later. The demonstrations spread across the country with people demanding changes such as more freedoms or an overthrow of the state, and the government has responded with a deadly crackdown.
On Friday – at Iran’s World Cup game against Wales – some protesters had Persian pre-revolutionary flags snatched from them by pro-government fans at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.
Insults were also reportedly hurled at some people wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the words “woman, life, freedom” – a phrase that has become a rallying cry among protesters against Iran’s authorities.
One Iranian spectator alleged that Qatari policeordered her to wash off the names of protesters killed by Iran’s security forces from her arms and chest after pro-government fans complained.
Another woman said she was prevented from wearing a T-shirt with Ms Amini’s face in the stadium.
Women giving interviews to foreign press about the protests were also seen being harried by at least one group of men.
Some used their mobiles to film the women who were also subjected to verbal attacks and the men loudly chanting: “The Islamic Republic of Iran”.
The match itself, which Iran won 2-0 against Wales, saw Iranian players booed and whistled at as they sang the country’s national anthem before kick-off.
At their earlier game against England on Monday, the players remained silent during the anthem in an apparent expression of support for anti-government protests.
Some fans in the stadium wore hats with the name of a former Iranian football player, Voria Ghafouri, written on them.
A critic of Iran’s government, he was arrested in Iran on Thursday and reportedly taken away by authorities after being accused of spreading propaganda.
Capped 28 times for his country, Mr Ghafouri was part of Iran’s 2018 World Cup team and his absence from the 2022 squad surprised many.
The Iranian-Kurdish player has been a high-profile voice defending Iranian Kurds within the country.
Earlier this week, the UN Human Rights Council voted to set up a fact-finding mission to investigate the crackdown on the anti-government protests in Iran.
The UN said Iran was in a “full-fledged” crisis and more than 300 people had been killed and 14,000 others arrested over the past nine weeks.
Ghanaian forward Osman Bukari, claims that imitating Cristiano Ronaldo‘s “SIU” celebration after scoring a consolation goal in their 3-2 loss to Portugal on Thursday was not meant as a disrespect.
After a scoreless first half, Portugal’s Captain Ronaldo took the lead for his country by converting a penalty after being fouled in the area by Ghanaian defender Mohammed Salisu.
Following the goal, Ghana improved and captain Andre Ayew scored a close-range equalizer.
But Portugal responded with two goals in two minutes to seal the points – Joao Felix converting a delightfully clipped finish and substitute Rafael Leao coolly stroking in just seconds after coming on.
Osman Bukari headed in a late consolation for Ghana and there could have been real drama in the ninth minute of stoppage time.
After scoring, Bukari mimicked Ronaldo’s trademark celebration to the delight of the fans at the stadium.
He was criticised after the celebration but has come out defend himself.
“I have noticed my celebration today has generated comments claiming I was disrespectful towards Ronaldo This is incorrect. I was overcome by the emotion of the moment of scoring for my country on my World Cup debut leading to my celebration. My upbringing doesn’t permit me to be disrespectful to elders let alone one of my idols. Thanks for your support and we focus on our next game,” Bukari posted on his twitter page.
Defender Mohammed Salisu has reiterated that the penalty decision against the Black Stars was never a penalty but the team will now focus on the next group game.
The second group game against South Korea comes off on November 28th. The game will be played at the Education City Stadium at 13:00 GMT.
Mohammed Salisu took to his official Instagram page after the game to post: “Thanks for your amazing support!! We go again on Monday #neverapenalty”
After the goalless first half, former Manchester United attacker Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring for Portugal via the penalty spot after a dubious call by the Moroccan-born American referee.
Ghana improved after Portugal scored and netted the equalised through skipper Andre Ayew from close range in the 73rd minute. Andre Ayew was substituted in the 77th minute he was replaced by Jordan Ayew.
But Portugal responded with two goals in two minutes to seal the points – Joao Felix converting a delightfully clipped finish and substitute Rafael Leao scoring another controversial goal.
Osman Bukari who came on to replace Mohammed Kudus headed in a late consolation for Ghana in the 89th minute.
Mohammed Salisu who played full throttle made two clearances, one tackle, 56 touches, 68% pass accuracy, and two interceptions.
Black Stars defender Denis Odoi is confident his side can upset former European champions Portugal in their 2022 World Cup opener on Thursday.
Coach Otto Addo’s side will begin their campaign against Cristiano Ronaldo’s side before taking on South Korea and Uruguay in the other Group H matches.
Black Stars are the lowest-ranked team at the tournament following a poor 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon where the Stars exited at the group stage, failing to win a single game.
“Everyone knows Portugal players are of a high level,” he told the BBC World Service.
“We still have to play the game. It is not like Portugal has won this game. I am sure they are aware of that.
“If you look at the performances of other African counties, and Saudi Arabia [against Argentina], you still have to play the game.”
Asked about how the new players are settling in including Athletic Bilbao forward Inaki Williams, he added, “We’ve used this last week to fit everybody in and to get used to the system and practice the defensive and offensive battles.”
“And everybody gets to know each other a little bit better on the pitch.”
Ghana are making a record 4th World Cup appearance in Qatar having previously played in the 2006, 2010 and 2014 in Germany, South Africa and Brazil respectively.
Only three sides from the continent have ever progressed to the quarter-finals; Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002, and Ghana in 2010.
Ghana will be hoping to progress from the group stage at this year’s tournament.
Black Stars exited the group stage at the 2014 edition in Brazil after a slow start to the tournament.
Former Ghana international Dan Quaye has predicted doom for the Black Stars ahead of their group opener against Portugal.
The Black Stars 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.
On Thursday, Ghana will open their account the European giants before they face South Korea and Uruguay respectively.
In an interview, the former Hearts of Oak star was clear Ghana cannot beat Portugal considering their squad depth at the moment.
“It will be difficult for Ghana to beat Portugal, even at the time we had matured and experienced players we couldn’t beat them. If I were to be a betting company, I would have given Ghana (1,000 odds) and Portugal (500) because we cannot beat them”
“Look at the squad depth of Portugal, I know football is full of uncertainties but this time I believe the best team will win. Pepe is playing but in Ghana, we consider Jonathan Mensah and others as old player” he said.
The Black Stars having missed out in the last edition hosted in Russia in 2018 will be hoping to improve their performance in Qatar after exiting the group phase during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Only three sides from the continent have ever progressed to the quarter-finals; Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002, and Ghana in 2010.
Ghana will be hoping to progress from the group stage at this year’s tournament.
The Black Stars of Ghana have safely arrived in Qatar two days before the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The team arrived in the host country of the mundial on Friday, November 18, 2022.
Since Sunday, the team had been in Abu Dhabi, UAE, where it held a short pre-tournament training camp.
During the team’s stay in Abu Dhabi, the Black Stars played a friendly match against Switzerland.
In the game played on Thursday, Ghana dominated the European opponent and cruised to a deserving 2-0 win.
Today, the Black Stars have arrived in style in Qatar and are now geared up for the start of the world cup on Sunday, November 20.
Ghana at the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be one of five African countries representing the continent.
The Black Stars will compete in Group H of the group stages of the tournament. In that group, Ghana will battle it out with two-time champions Uruguay, as well as European giants Portugal.
The other group opponent is South Korea from Asia.
While the 2022 FIFA World Cup will commence on Sunday, November 20, Ghana’s Black Stars will play their first match on November 24.
Subsequently, Ghana will take on South Korea on November 28 before finishing the group stages campaign with a rematch against Uruguay.
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has assured the twenty-six-man Black Stars contingent and the entire technical team of the nation’s unalloyed support ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
According to the President, the Black Stars, who will be featuring and representing the nation at the Mundial in far-away Qatar “should know and feel that the entire nation, without the distinction of politics, religion, ethnicity; the entire Ghanaian nation are 100% solidly behind them.”
This was when the President met a delegation made up of and led by the Minister of Youth and Sports Hon. Mustapha Ussif, the Ghana Football Association, and all the Supporters Unions of Ghana, today Thursday, 17th November 2022 at the Jubilee House, to sign the national flag; a move towards rallying popular support for the team, and wish them well in this national endeavor.
Delivering a message of optimism on the account of the Two-Zero victory today over Switzerland in a pre-tournament friendly, President Akufo-Addo said, “I know that they are not there to make up the numbers and that they are going to give a very good account of themselves.”
Therefore, he stated, “I want first of all to thank all of you, very much for making the effort to come and see me before the competition starts, so that we can all together with the black stars the very best of luck,”.
“All of us know what football means to us in this country and what a very rich history we have in football. History goes right back to the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s, right up till today; and I’m very confident that the players that have been selected, right up to the excellent technical team that we have under the leadership of Otto Addo, that we are going to give a very good account of ourselves.”
Recalling Pele’s prediction of the 1970s, the President said, “a long time ago, the greatest footballer that has ever lived, the Brazilian, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele, said that very soon an African country is going to win the African Cup and I know that, when he said that, he had in mind Ghana.”
He, therefore, called on all to “rally round the team, and make sure that we give them our maximum support. They are going to go a long way away to Doha in Qatar, but they should know that the entire nation, without distinction of politics, religion, ethnicity; the entire Ghanaian nation are 100% solidly behind them.”
“I am impressed by the arrangements that the Minister for Youth and Sports, has made and all those who are involved in the administration of the Black Stars. Very well-organized and systematic efforts have been made to make sure that we give the Black Stars the best possible conditions, to go forward,” he stated.
One of the hottest songs on the planet now is ‘Cough (Odo)’ by Nigerian singer Kizz Daniel.
The singer has finally revealed why he chose a Ghanaian word for the title of his song.
He explained to Lexis Bill on Drivetime on Joy that his choice for a Twi word ‘Odo’ which translates to ‘love’, stems from the realization of how much Ghanaian fans were endeared to his preceding single, ‘Buga’.
“Buga stayed at number 1 in Ghana the longest, out of all the African countries. So I was like ‘big love to Ghana’, Kizz Daniel disclosed. The song, which currently has 91 million views on YouTube, enjoyed massive airplay in Ghana and was streamed by millions of Ghanaians.
Kizz Daniel, who is billed to perform at the 2022 Qatar World Cup this month, will later be in Ghana for his ‘Kizz Daniel Live in Ghana’ concert at the Untamed Empire Event Garden in Accra. The event is scheduled for December 23, 2022, powered by Joy Entertainment and has already proven to be one of the most-anticipated concerts for the ‘December in GH’ line-up.
According to Kizz Daniel, he hasn’t “been to Ghana in a while, it’s been like 5 years”, and he “can’t wait to come back home”.
He stated, “I am really excited, Ghana it’s been a while, I miss you, and I want to come back home. I need you to accept me. I promise you, it’s going to be an epic experience”.
Organizers of the event, Play Network Africa and Pepperdem Worldwide Entertainment have announced that Ghanaian acts, Kidi, Gyakie, Camidoh and Herman Suede will also perform live at the ‘Kizz Daniel Live in Ghana’ concert, come December 23.
“My brothers out there are coming to support me as well, so I can’t wait to see you guys. Let’s make it a memorable day for myself and for you guys”, Kizz Daniel told host Lexis Bill on Wednesday, November 16.
Music fans in Ghana and beyond can access tickets by visiting eventbrite.com.
