The Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association, Henry Asante Twum disclosed that the FA paid $80,000 for yellow cards accumulation during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The Black Stars performed below the bar and exited the tournament in the group stages with just a single win, losing 3-2 to, 2-0 to Portugal and Uruguay respectively, and winning 3-2 over South Korea.
According to Henry, each yellow card received came at a fee of $10,000 ad throughout Ghana’s campaign, the team accumulated eight yellow cards which sums up to $80,000.
Ghana received four yellow cards in the first game against Portugal with Kudus Mohammed, Andre Ayew, Alidu Seidu, and Inaki Williams going into the books of the referee.
In Ghana’s second group game against South Korea, Daniel Amartey and Tariq Lamptey were booked as well and two more were recorded from the last game against Uruguay which went to Alidu Seidu and Kamaldeen Sulemana.
Speaking to Angel TV, Henry said, “We paid$80,000 for yellow cards acquisition at the 2022 World Cup”.
The Black Stars will begin their campaign for the2026 FIFA World Cup fifth appearance from November 2023 to November 2025.
The four-time African Champions have been pitted in Group I alongside Mali, Chad, Madagascar, Comoros, and Central African Republic for the World Cup qualifiers.
Morocco, a team that reached the semi-finals of the World Cup, has been given a relatively straightforward path to the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, following the draw for the African qualifiers held in Abidjan.
In the qualifiers, the top team from each of the nine groups, which consist of six countries each, will secure automatic qualification for the World Cup.
The four best runners-up will advance to an African playoff stage, where the winners will then compete in the inter-confederation playoffs scheduled for March 2026.
This guarantees Africa nine spots in the expanded 48-team finals, with the possibility of a tenth team being added through the playoffs.
Morocco have been drawn with Zambia, Congo-Brazzaville, Tanzania, Niger and Eritrea, and will be heavy favourites to finish top of the pool.
They had a thrilling run to the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar last year, the first African side ever to make it to that stage of the global tournament, and finished in fourth place.
African champions Senegal face a tougher road with the Democratic Republic of Congo in their group and a potentially tricky away day in Mauritania. They also meet 2006 World Cup finalists Togo and the duo of Sudan and South Sudan.
Nigeria and South Africa may each be wincing at their draw after being paired together, along with Benin, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Lesotho. Nigeria and South Africa have a long-standing bitter rivalry and will not fancy facing each other.
There is also a mighty west African clash in Group I as Mali and Ghana meet. They must also play tricky Madagascar, Central African Republic, Comoros and Chad.
Tunisia have been to five of the last sevenWorld Cups and will fancy their chances again with an easy looking draw. They meet Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Malawi, Liberia and Sao Tome e Principe. There should be few alarms for them.
Algeria missed out on the 2022 finals in heartbreaking fashion with a last-gasp playoff loss to Cameroon, but will be confident of getting it right first time as they clash with Guinea, Uganda, Mozambique, Botswana and Somalia.
The first two match days in the groups will be played on November 13th-21st 2023 and the last two on October 6th-14th 2025. The African playoff stage is scheduled for November 10th-18th 2025.
Africa World Cup qualifying groups:
Group A: Egypt, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Djibouti
Group B: Senegal, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritania, Togo, Sudan, South Sudan
Group C: Nigeria, South Africa, Benin, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Lesotho
Group D: Cameroon, Cape Verde, Angola, Libya, Eswatini, Mauritius
Group E: Morocco, Zambia, Congo, Tanzania, Niger, Eritrea
Group F: Ivory Coast, Gabon, Kenya, The Gambia, Burundi, Seychelles
Group G: Algeria, Guinea, Uganda, Mozambique, Botswana, Somalia
Group H: Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Malawi, Liberia, Sao Tome e Principe
Group I: Mali, Ghana, Madagascar, Central African Republic, Comoros, Chad.
Credibility concerns surround Argentina’s potential success in the 2022 World Cup, as former Uruguayan international Sebastián Washington Abreu has raised questions about the penalties awarded in favor of the South American team.
Argentina’s tally of five penalties awarded during the tournament reportedly exceeds the number given in any World Cup edition since 1966, according to The Athletic.
Sebastián Washington Abreu has raised questions about the penalties awarded in favor of the South American team.
As per PSG Talk, Abreu has highlighted the discrepancy in the refereeing decisions, pointing out that fouls inside the penalty box were called in Argentina’s matches while similar incidents in other games were not treated with the same standard.
“They had different criteria with some penalties. If you have a little bit of common sense, taking off your fanaticism and your shirt, now the fact is done, and no one is going to take the World Cup from you.
“If you analyze some penalties, here they were charged and in other games, they were not used the same criteria.”
Lionel Messi guided Argentina to lift the 2022 World Cup for the first time since Diego Armando Maradona guided the South American giant to the 1986 title.
Abreu slams criminal treatment of Messi
Meanwhile, Sebastian Abreu has lambasted how Paris Saint-Germain fans have treated Lionel Messi after the Argentine received boos from the club’s supporters, Sportskeeda reports.
Lionel Messi looks certain to leave PSG this summer
Abreu noted that he would love Messi to end his career at Barcelona and has called for the seven-timeBallon d’Or winner to return to Camp Nou at the end of the season.
Messi has failed to fulfil PSG fans’ expectations since his move to France as the club has failed to progress beyond the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League.
Al Hilal set to hijack deal for Messi
Earlier, Sports Brief reported Lionel Messi will have to decide which is more important, money or staying in Europe, after Saudi Pro League team, Al-Hilal raised their offer to sign the Argentina superstar.
Messi travelled to Saudi with his family and it was rumoured that he went due to Al-Hilal’s interest in him
The 35-year-old forward and Paris Saint-Germain are set to part ways at the end of the season after two mixed seasons with the Ligue 1 giants, whom he joined in 2021.
Al-Hilal have increased their offer by an extra €100 mil after initially tabling a €400 mil two-year deal for the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner.
The 2022/23 Ghana Premier League will continue on New Year’s Eve through to Monday, January 02, 2023.
The topflight enters match week 10 with Legon Cities who recorded a resounding victory against Kotoku Royals, facing Karela United at the WAFA Park at Sogakope on Friday, December 30, before Hearts of Oak take on Bechem United on Saturday, December 31, 2022.
Defending champions Asante Kotoko have a date with league leaders Aduana Stars at the Nana Agyemang Badu I Park on Sunday, January 01, 2023 while Berekum Chelsea clash with Bibiani Gold Stars at the Golden City Park on Monday, January 02, 2023 to wrap up the Match Day 10 fixtures.
The league which went on a one month break for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 finals, bounced back on Monday, December 19, 2022.
Aduana Stars are top of the league table with 19 points, two points adrift Asante Kotoko who are in second place with 17 points. Hearts of Oak, Bibiani Gold Stars and Accra Lions follow in third, fourth and fifth positions respectively.
Daniel Afriyie Barnieh and Danlad Ibrahim have reported to the camp of the Black Galaxies at the Ghanaman Centre of Excellence in Prampram.
The pair were both members of the Black Stars team that competed at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 finals, when Ghana was eliminated at the group stage after falling to Uruguay in their final match of Group H.
Their presence will be boost to the team as they prepare for the Championship of African Nations (CHAN) Algeria 2023 in January.
Afriyie Barnieh and Danlad Ibrahim were instrumental in the team’s qualification to the CHAN tournament – Barnieh scored three goals while Danlad kept three clean sheets in the qualifying stage.
The Black Galaxies are housed in Group C alongside Madagascar, Sudan and Morocco.
The Galaxies will be seeking to restore Ghana’s glory in the competition having played in two finals in 2009 and 2014.
Ghana will be featuring in the tournament for the first time in eight years having missed out on the last three editions and will hope to go far in the tournament.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has confirmed that it will organize a one-day training workshop for Referee Assessors on Friday, December 16, 2022.
18 referees Assessors have been selected to undergo training on how to use the competition management system effectively and the key roles of a Referee Assessor.
The Competition Management System is a digital software that is used across the world to manage competitions.
The software is also used to create fixture lists, allocate venues, match officials and build squads simpler than ever.
All the domestic leagues were on a one month break due to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 finals currently ongoing on in the Arab country of Qatar.
The Ghana Premier League will resume on Monday, December 19 to Thursday, December, 22, 2022 across league centres.
The topflight went on break after eight round of matches that saw two-time champions Aduana Stars lead the table with 16 points, one point richer than Accra Lions who are in second place with 15 points.
Defending Champions Asante Kotoko are in third place with 14 points, same as Great Olympics who are in fourth while Hearts of Oak occupy the 5th spot with 13 points.
Dreams FC, Tamale City FC and Kotoku Royals occupy the 16th, 17th and 18th positions respectively.
The inexperienced 47-year-old, a former Ghana international who was born in Germany and played for the Black Stars in their first World Cup finals appearance in 2006, had been a surprise appointment, parachuted in between Ghana’s ignominious exit at the January Africa Cup of Nations finals and their World Cup qualifying play-off tie against Nigeria.
Addo has confirmed he is leaving his role after the country’s exit from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
And Chairman of the Black Stars management committee, Mark Addo says the football association has a plan for his successor.
‘’We knew that Coach (Otto Addo) will be leaving in six months, so we do have a succession plan’’ Mark Addo told the press at a briefing in Doha on Saturday.
‘’We just going through the process, it’s a process, you know the Ghana Football Association works with different stakeholders in this decision-making process’’.
‘’Like I said, first thing is to get our reports in quickly, have a meeting within our stakeholders, including the President, the Executive Council and Government and once that is done, we will make a decision on his successor. So yes, we have a plan.
Although Otto Addo’s only previous coaching experience was with the youth teams of Hamburg and Borussia Dortmund, he had former Newcastle United and Brighton manager Chris Hughton as his advisor as Ghana rode their luck to edge Nigeria for a place in Qatar.
Addo’s departure means Ghana must move quickly to get a new coach in place before they continue their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign in March.
Ghana crashed out of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 tournament after finishing bottom of Group H with three points.
After winning one of their three games, Ghana was eliminated from the Group G tournament.
The Black Stars of Ghana needed at least a draw to advance to the round of 16 after falling to Portugal in their opening match and earning all three points against South Korea.
The team’s final game was against Uruguay, where they were defeated two goals to nil.
The GFA while expressing gratitude to the Ghanaian populace and other groups for their support apologised for the team’s failure to progress out of the group stage.
“The Ghana Football Association is extremely grateful to the government,
the Ghanaian people, the football family, Corporate Ghana, our esteemed sponsors and supporters for their unflinching, unwavering and unalloyed
support during the Black Stars FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 campaign,” part of GFA’s statement read.
“We regret our inability to progress to the knockout phase of the competition and offer our profound apologies to the government, the people of Ghana and all stakeholders across the globe,” the GFA said.
According to the GFA, it has gathered valuable lessons from the team’s qualification and participation in the global showpiece and will communicate further developments in due course.
“We believe that valuable lessons have been learnt from our qualification and participation in the tournament and aim to continue with the positives going into the future.”
“The Ghana Football Association would in due course inform all stakeholders about any further developments concerning the Black Stars,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, Head Coach of the Black Stars, Otto Addo, has announced his decision to resign from the position.
“Me & my family are happy in Germany. I said I would step down after the World Cup even if we’re world champions after the tournament. I’ve resigned from my role as Ghana coach,” Otto Addo told the press in his post-match interview.
The UK’s first openly gay sports minister said he was determined to make the gesture even though the world’s football governing body has warned players they could be booked for making political protests.
Stuart Andrew, the sports minister, has said he will wear the OneLove armband at the England v Wales World Cup match in Qatar tomorrow.
Mr Andrew, himself a member of the LGBTQ+ community, said he is “not going to shy away from who I am
The UK’s first openly gay sports minister said he was determined to make the gesture even though the world’s football governing body FIFA has warned players they could be booked for making political protests.
Asked whether he would wear the armband and risk upsetting the World Cup host, Mr Andrew told the Evening Standard: “I absolutely will be doing so.
“I’m not going to shy away from who I am.
“Our message very much is that no one should have to hide who they are.”
Mr Andrew, who is also an equalities minister, said that as a gay man he is in a “unique position” to send a message of solidarity to those LGBTQ+ fans who did not feel comfortable travelling to Qatar for the event.
He also criticised FIFA for putting players in an “impossible position” by barring them from showing their support by wearing the armband.
Some football teams – including England and Wales – were preparing to wear the armband during matches in a show of solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.
But FIFA warned players they could face sporting sanctions if they went ahead.
Football associations subsequently backed down.
The football body defended its decision to threaten to issue yellow cards to players wearing the armband by saying that its rules do not allow “political, religious or personal messages or slogans”.
FIFA offered team captains the chance to wear an armband that said “no discrimination” instead.
Discussing the players who wanted to wear the armbands but could not, the sports minister said: “It means a lot to me personally, means a lot to me as a minister and more broadly, means a lot to fans out there.
“It is pretty appalling that at the eleventh hour they were put in a positionwhere they were told there would be sanctions against them. That’s put them in an impossible position.”
He added: “This is an incredibly important tournament for international football… of course they want to progress as far as they can. For them to be silenced is deeply unfair.”
Image:Stuart Andrew has been sports minister since September
Speaking about FIFA, Mr Andrew continued: “Two weeks ago they wrote to everybody to say just concentrate on the football and don’t do the politics.
“Then they say you can’t wear the armband, but you can wear ours.
“Well I’m sorry, that is just not an acceptable position. It’s not sustainable. And I think there are serious questions for FIFA to answer.”
The Conservative MP for Pudsey in Leeds also disclosed that he considered boycotting the World Cup because of Qatar’s rules on same-sex relationships.
“This has been a decision I’ve thought long and hard about because it is a very deeply personal decision,” he said.
“I have done a lot of work before this tournament started. I met with the Qatari ambassador and had a very frank conversation about what does ‘everyone is welcome’ actually mean.
“I have a responsibility to go there and see for myself that is actually what has been delivered on the ground. And if it isn’t in any way then to challenge that.”
He added: “There is a spotlight on Qatar now and that is a spotlight that we should not let go out as soon as the tournament is over.
“I really hope that FIFA will have a long hard look at the criteria that are needed for host nations to host such tournaments because clearly, I would have thought their ambition would be for everybody to want to enjoy the games and make them the most successful ever.”
Argentina’svast support gathered in their thousands at Qatar’s Energy City adjacent to the vast Lusail Stadium with only one man on their minds as they faced World Cup jeopardy.
Lionel Messi has carried the hopes of this football-mad nation for most of his career but there was an added layer of tension as Argentina confronted old rivals Mexico in an ear-splitting atmosphere on the stage that will host the final.
Argentina knew defeat would effectively end their World Cup after two games following the embarrassment of the loss to Saudi Arabia in the opener. Messi knew this would mean the major honour that has eluded his grasp in a glittering career would be forever out of reach.
Messi was, once again, shouldering the burden of Argentina’s expectations – and once again he delivered by pulling out a piece of trademark magic when they needed it most to change the course of an attritional game, and perhaps even change the course of his team’s World Cup in the process.
The clock showed 64 minutes. Each passing second turned up the pressure valve on Argentina and, in turn, on Messi. He knows any Argentina failure on this stage, justified or not, can be painted as Messi’s failure.
He had been on the margins but took centre stage to devastating effect as Mexico fell victim to the magical left foot that has broken the hearts of so many opponents.
One touch delicately killed the pass from Angel di Maria. The second touch arrowed a low finish into the bottom corner past the outstretched left arm of Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.
Amid an explosion of noise from Argentina’s fans, Messi ran towards them with arms outstretched in that familiar celebratory pose. He looked highly emotional with the relief and release, engulfed by team-mates who knew the man they rely on most had delivered again.
When the crowd of players dispersed, Messi stood in front of the light blue and white-clad supporters pumping his arms in exultation. He knew what it meant to them. They knew what it meant to him. Mutual ecstasy.
The greatest players deliver when it matters so it should be no surprise Messi produced again.
Until that moment, it had not been an easy night for Messi against Mexico, who clearly relished the idea of putting the skids under an Argentina side heavily tipped to lift the World Cup in this same Lusail Stadium on 18 December.
Messi had been marginalised by Mexico. He could not exert any influence in a first-half morass of stoppages and infringements, the 35-year-old often at walking pace looking for a patch of space where he could escape close Mexican attentions.
It was when a football match eventually broke out in the second half that Messi flourished with the characteristic darting runs, the quick passes and, of course, the stroke of genius that broke the deadlock.
Argentina relaxed thanks to Messi, this team’s security blanket, and Enzo Fernandez added a glorious second with a curling right-foot shot after 87 minutes.
It sent their fans in the 88,966 attendance, the highest at the World Cup since the 1994 final in Pasadena, home happy – well at least those who did go home because many stayed on in one stand for almost an hour after the final whistle paying homage to their heroes, and one hero in particular.
Messi had brought life to Argentina’s World Cup. They still need victory against Poland, with their own national icon in striker Robert Lewandowski, to be certain of going through but real belief has surged through their ranks thanks to one stroke of Messi’s left foot.
He knew just what was riding on this game.
“We can’t give up now,” said Messi. “We have all the finals to play – we can’t make mistakes. We knew we had to win, that another World Cup was starting for us, and we knew how to do it.”
Messi certainly knew how to do it.
He knows this will be his last World Cup, the one elite stage on which he has yet to collect the prize. Messi suffered the heartbreak of defeat by Germany in Rio’s Maracana in the 2014 final. This was the closest he has come to laying hands on the World Cup.
Messi’s career has brought four Champions Leagues, the Ballon d’Or seven times and 10 La Liga titles at Barcelona. His time at Paris St-Germain is still regarded as something of a footnote but even there he has won a Ligue 1 crown.
The World Cup is the missing link and this is Messi’s last chance to claim it.
Argentina did not entirely convince, have yet to show the form that has them ranked number three in the world, and the prospect of a painful exit still remains when they face dangerous opponents in Poland.
For now, however, Argentina’s World Cup show is back on the road because where there is Lionel Messi, there is hope.
New World TV has announced the release of its first Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022 theme song dubbed “On y est” (“we made it”), featuring Ghanaian rap heavyweight, M.anifest.
The song, which heralds the announcement of the Togo-based media network’s new sports channel, “New World Sport 1,” is dedicated to the fans of the African teams participating at this year’s edition of the senior men’s international competition.
It also features top regional artists, including Shingai (Zimbabwe), Bass Thioung (Senegal), and Samuel Makanzi (Rwanda/Congo DRC), who perform the song in their respective regional languages.
Produced by international French football and ex-PSG striker star Guillaume Hoarau and Mathéo Techer, the release of the song came paired with an official video shot in a myriad of locations in Africa and directed by Guillaume Borrelli.
According to Nimonka Kolani, Managing Director of New World Sport, the new song “shows once again our commitment to make this Premium tournament a celebration in the continent, reach the Diaspora and beyond.
“We wanted to bring various profile of artists, and languages together in one song project in order to invite everyone – wherever the location – to support the African nations representing the African continent,” said Guillaume Hoarau.
New World TV’s sports channel ‘New World Sport 1’ will be available in 18 countries to a potential audience of 50 million subscribers, through distribution agreements signed with the biggest Telecom groups in Africa (Orange, Airtel, Moov, MTN, Africell, and Blueline) and has acquired the exclusive license to distribute the FIFA World Cup 2022TM competition to 41 Sub Saharan African territories
After Ghana’s 3-2 defeat to Portugal in the opening game of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 finals, captain Andre Ayew of Ghana is urging restraint.
The forward who scored the equalizer shortly after Cristiano Ronaldo’s opening goal for Swansea City believes the players must improve their performance in upcoming games.
In a post-game press conference, Ayew stated, “Our game plan was really working well, and we were solid.” “The punishment seems a little too severe. However, I am very certain in what I observed today.
“We always manage to overcome adversity. We must maintain our composure, return home, unwind, and perform better. We must work to score more goals while giving up less, he continued.
After Uruguay and South Korea’s 0-0 tie earlier on Thursday, the loss places Ghana at the bottom of Group H.
The Black Stars will now concentrate on their match against South Korea on Monday before taking on Uruguay at Education City Stadium on December 2.
Alcohol will not be sold to fans at the World Cup’s eight stadiums in Qatar after Fifa changed its policy two days before the start of the tournament.
Alcohol was set to be served “in select areas within stadiums”, despite its sale being strictly controlled in the Muslim country.
Those in corporate areas of stadiums at the tournament will still be able to purchase alcohol.
The World Cup starts on Sunday when Qatar play Ecuador.
Budweiser, a major sponsor of Fifa, is owned by beer maker AB InBev and had exclusive rights to sell beer at the World Cup.
“Following discussions between host country authorities and Fifa, a decision has been made to focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the Fifa fan festival, other fan destinations and licensed venues, removing sales points of beer from Qatar’s Fifa World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters,” said a statement from world football’s governing body.
“There is no impact to the sale of Bud Zero which will remain available at all Qatar’s World Cup stadiums.
“Host country authorities and Fifa will continue to ensure that the stadiums and surrounding areas provide an enjoyable, respectful and pleasant experience for all fans.
“The tournament organisers appreciate AB InBev’s understanding and continuous support to our joint commitment to cater for everyone during the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022.”
Budweiser posted a message on Twitter on Friday saying, “Well, this is awkward” before the post was later deleted.
An AB InBev spokesperson said that they could not proceed with “some of the planned stadium activations” because of “circumstances beyond our control”.
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) criticised the timing of the decision to ban the sale of beer for most fans.
“Some fans like a beer at a game and some don’t, but the real issue is the last minute U-turn which speaks to a wider problem – the total lack of communication and clarity from the organising committee towards supporters,” said an FSA spokesperson.
“If they can change their minds on this at a moment’s notice, with no explanation, supporters will have understandable concerns about whether they will fulfil other promises relating to accommodation, transport or cultural issues.”
In August, Fifa changed the start date of the World Cup so that the first game of the competition would be Qatar facing Ecuador.
The game was scheduled to be played on 21 November as the third game, with Senegal against the Netherlands set to be the opening match earlier that day.
The team will stay in the capital of the United Arab Emirates for four days where they will play an International friendly against Switzerland at the Baniyas club stadium on Thursday, November 17, 2022.
Twenty-three players have reported to camp with the rest expected to arrive Tuesday afternoon.
They include Andre Ayew, Jordan Ayew, Danlad Ibrahim, Lawrence Ati-Zigi, Nurudeen Abdul Manaf, Mohammed Salisu, Daniel Amartey, Denis Odoi, Baba Abdul Rahman, Gideon Mensah, Alidu Seidu, Salis Abdul Samed, Elisha Owusu, Kamal Sowah, Antoine Semenyo, Tariq Lamptey, Osman Bukari, Thomas Partey, Inaki Williams, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, Daniel Barnieh Afriyie, Mohammed Kudus, and Daniel Kofi Kyereh.
Joseph Aidoo, Alexander Djiku and Kamal Deen Sulemana are expected to team up with the rest of the squad on Tuesday.
The Black Stars will train on Tuesday evening in preparation for the friendly against Switzerland on Thursday, November 17, 2022, at the Baniyas club stadium.
Ghana will compete with Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay in the Group stage of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 which kicks off on Sunday, November 20, 2022.
Asante Kotoko goalkeeper Ibrahim Danlad has arrived in Black Stars camp ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The 19-year-old, who will replace injured Jojo Wollacott ahead of the final squad announcement today left Ghana on Sunday evening and touched down in the Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Danlad, who is yet to make his debut for the Black Stars despite recent call-ups was included in the provisional 55-man squad for the global showpiece.
The highly-rated goalkeeper has gone through every rank of the national team, from the U-17 to the U-23s and the Black Galaxies. His impressive performances for the Galaxies saw the team progress to the final round of the 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
With Richard Ofori and Joe Wollacott currently injured and likely to miss the tournament, Danlad will be expected to play a key role for the team serving as No.2.
Black Stars will open camp in Dubai on Monday to begin preparations for the tournament, having missed out on the 2018 edition in Russia.
Black Stars have been drawn in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay.
Ghana will take on Portugal in their first game on November 24 before playing South Korea and Uruguay on November 28 and December 2 respectively.
Black Stars will play Switzerland in an International friendly on November 17, before travelling to Qatar for the World Cup.
Ghana secured a 4th FIFA World Cup tournament having participated in 2006, 2010, and 2014 in Germany, South Africa, and Brazil after drawing 1-1 against Nigeria in the return leg of the final play-offs at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja to seal qualification on the away goals rule.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup takes place between November 20 and December 18, 2022 in Qatar.
Only three sides from the continent have ever progressed to the quarter-finals; Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002, and Ghana in 2010.
DStv Ghana has cautioned against public viewing of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
MultiChoice Ghana, operators of DStv and GOtv has set out rules to regulate the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which has been mandated by SuperSport International Holdings Pty Limited.
A press statement copied to the GNA Sports explained that all exhibitors of public viewing events in relation to any matches of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, are advised to comply with the FIFA Regulations on public broadcasting.
The rules states that; an exhibitor must pay to obtain a license or permission from MultiChoice Ghana to mount a stage for public viewing events.
According to FIFA regulations, an event is considered a “Public Viewing Event” if at such event broadcast coverage of the competition is made available for the general public without authorization.
Such public places includes bars, cinemas, restaurants, stadiums, open spaces, offices, construction sites, oil rigs, buses, theatre’s, trains, armed services establishments, educational establishments and hospitals.
It said subscribers of DStv and GOtv must view matches in private dwellings to avoid any arrest or prosecution by the police.
The statement advised event organizers and owners of hotels, bars, pubs, restaurants, guest houses, to contact MultiChoice Ghana to seek authorization for Public Viewing of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
“The general public is assured that our piracy team is working effectively with the police to arrest and prosecute individuals and organizations who flout rules and regulations governing Public Viewing of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022,”it said.
Active DStv and GOtv subscribers can enjoy all 64 matches, including High Definition (HD) coverage on various channels with expert analysis, only on SuperSport.
DStv and GOtv has exclusive rights to all 64 matches from 20th November to 18th December 2022.
Qatar on Wednesday announced that the number of government workers attending offices would be slashed and school hours reduced in a bid to ease congestion before and during the World Cup.
With more than one million visitors expected during the November 20 to December 18 tournament, the government is anxious to keep traffic off the streets around the eight stadiums.
Authorities are most worried about the first two weeks of the event when the peak number of foreign fans will be following the 32 participating nations.
An official spokesperson said after a cabinet meeting that only 20 per cent of government staff would be expected in offices from November 1 until December 19, and staff would only work four hours a day.
From November 1 to November 17, school hours will be reduced, opening only from 7:00 am to midday, and students will then be on holiday from November 18 until December 22.
The main Corniche highway along Doha’s seafront will be closed to all cars from November 1.
A key fan zone is being built alongside the route.
Two of Africa’s representatives at the 2022 World Cup, Ghana and Tunisia, will play five-time world champions Brazil in friendlies next month.
The two countries have lined up the warm-up matches against the South Americans to help them prepare for the tournament to be played in Qatar in November.
The Black Stars will face the Brazilians on 23 September before the Carthage Eagles clash with the South Americans four days later.
The venue of the two matches has not been decided but the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) revealed on Friday that it will be in Europe.
“Brazil will face Ghana and Tunisia on the 23rd and 27th of September. Teams are also qualified for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022,” a CBF statement read.
“The cities and times of the friendly matches will be announced in the future.”
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) also confirmed the agreement to play Brazil insisting it will give coach Otto Addo the chance to assess his players for travelling to Qatar.
“The match will give Coach Otto Addo the platform to continue the assessment of his players in the build up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 finals,” the GFA said in a statement.
The match has been made possible thanks to the decision of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to postpone September’s TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers to allow the five African sides going to the World Cup to prepare well.
Ghana have been drawn in Group H at the World Cup to face Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea.
Tunisia was drawn in Group D alongside France, Denmark and Australia.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has congratulated all 32 nations on their qualification for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
President Infantino was on hand in Doha this week for the two intercontinental playoffs and the completion of qualifiers for Qatar 2022.
The 32-strong field was finalized on Tuesday with Costa Rica defeating New Zealand at the Al Rayyan stadium.
Twenty-four hours earlier Australia outlasted Peru with a penalty shoot-out victory at the same venue.
“So now we know the 32 countries who qualified for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022,†said the FIFA President.
“Congratulations to all of you and of course welcome to the fans of the 32 countries, but fans from all over the world to Doha in November and December of this year in a few months to celebrate football, to live together with the greatest show on earth and the best World Cup ever.â€
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will kick off on 21 November, with four matches. Senegal and The Netherlands have the honor of playing in the opening game. Later the same day, England will take on IR Iran, hosts Qatar will face Ecuador, and USA’s match against Wales will conclude Day 1.
The 64th and final match will be played at Lusail Stadium, on 18 December.
