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Tag: FIFA World Cup

  • Check out the top five most expensive World Cups in history

    In 23 days, the eagerly awaited FIFA World Cup will begin, with Qatar serving as the first country from the Arab world to host it.

    The Black Stars of Ghana will be one among the 32 nations fighting for the $42 million golden trophy among the 211 national associations.

    Football will be played in stadiums with complete air conditioning for the first time at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which will take place in eight stadiums.

    The 2022 World Cup will be the most expensive in the history of the competition, which began in 1930, due to the significant expenditure made by the Qatari government to prepare for the event.

    The 2022 FIFA World Cup according to multiple reports will cost the Qatari government the sum of $200billion which is about 14 times higher than the amount any country has invested while hossting the Mundial.

    Aside Qatar, we look at the top four other countries that invested billions of dollars to host the World Cup.

    Russia 2018 – $14.2 billion

    The host of the 21st edition of the FIFA World Cup spent $14.2 billion to prepare for the competition.

    Russia built some high-tech stadiums and imported turf from other countries to build their pitches for the competition.

    They used 12 stadiums to host the 64 games in the 2018 World Cup that was won by France.

    Brazil 2014 – $11.6 billion

    The record winners of the FIFA World Cup come third on our list for using $11.6 billion to host the competition which even resulted in various demonstrations in the country.

    Brazil used 12 stadiums (seven new and five renovated) in twelve cities to host the 2014 World Cup which saw the Black Stars exit from the group stages without a single point.

    Japan/Korea 2002: $7 billion

    Two Asian powerhouses, Japan and Korea combined to host the first World Cup in the 21st century and they didn’t disappoint the world.

    The stadiums in Daegu, Suwon, Yokohama, and Saitama all hosted 4 matches each, while the other 16 stadiums hosted 3 matches each.

    Though $7 billion was used to host the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Japan/Korea are 5th on the list because they combined resources to host the competition.

    Germany 2006: $4.3 billion

    Last on the list was the 2006 World Cup staged in Germany and won by the Italian national team.

    It was Germany’s second hosting of the competition, but they didn’t let that stop them from spending heavily as they invested $4.3 billion in the project.

    Germany also used 12 stadiums to host the World Cup just like Russia and Brazil while South Africa used 10 stadiums to host the 2010 edition.

  • Former Ghana midfielder Kingston believes in abilities of Ghana’s squad for 2022 World Cup

    Ex-Ghana winger Laryea Kingston is confident coach Ghana Otto Addo has a fine blend of experienced and young talents who have the potential to excel at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

    Black Stars make a return to the tournament after missing out on the 2018 edition in Russia.

    Ghana will take on Portugal in their first game in Group H on November 24 before playing South Korea and Uruguay on November 28 and December 2 respectively.

    “The team is full of quality players who have the potential to make a good account of themselves at the biggest stage of world football,” Kingston told Daily Graphic.

    “I have confidence in the technical team to deliver on their mandate and all I ask is for them to be clinical in their attack.”

    Black Stars will play Switzerland in an International friendly on November 17, before travelling to Qatar for the World Cup.

    The 2022 FIFA World Cup takes place between November 20 and December 18

    Only three sides from the continent have ever progressed to the quarter-finals; Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002, and Ghana in 2010.

    Source: Footballghana

  • Top Ghanaian commentator Benjamin Willie Graham gets FIFA appointment for 2022 FIFA World Cup

    Celebrated Ghanaian sportscaster, Benjamin Willie Graham has been given an appointment by FIFA ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

    The journalists who currently works with GBC has been appointed by FIFA to work as Team Announcer at match venues during the upcoming mundial.

    According to an official statement from the Ghana FA, The astute international football commentator will work with the FIFA Infotainment team, including Pitch-Side Presenters, MCs, and DJs to create an atmosphere in the stadiums during the World Cup.

    Currently, Benjamin Willie Graham works as a Marketing Manager at the Ghana Football Association.

    He is well-known not only in Ghana but across the African continent having commentated at various CAF tournaments as a commentator for SuperSports.

    He has also covered tournaments organsied by StarTimes, Fox Sports Africa, ESPN, Lagardere, and CAF as a lead football commentator in the Ghana Premier League, Africa Cup of Nations/World cup qualifiers, CHAN, WAFU, CAF Men and Women’s AFCON tournaments and other major sports events.

    Source: Footballghana

  • Every player’s dream is to play in the World Cup – Ghana goalkeeper Richard Ofori

    Ghana goalkeeper Richard Ofori cannot wait to make his first appearance at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar as he believes it’s every player’s dream.

    Ofori, who returned from injury is currently preparing for Orlando Pirates clash against Kaizer Chiefs in the South African topflight league.

    The Black Stars are paired in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay. Ghana will begin the campaign against Portugal on Thursday, November 24 before taking on South Korea and Uruguay in the other Group matches.

    “The most important thing is that I need to perform to my best at the club so that when they call you are ready. If you are not performing at your club then you go there, you are mentally weak. The world cup stage is the biggest,” he said as quoted by Sports Brief.

    “Every player’s dream is to play in the world cup. At the moment, I’m thinking about what my club wants to achieve and to be successful. This is my motivation and objective.”

    Black Stars will play Switzerland in an International friendly on November 17, before travelling to Qatar for the World Cup.

    Source: Footballghana

  • Today marks exactly 30 days for 22nd edition of World Cup to kick off in Qatar

    FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is set to kick off in 30 days from today.

    The opening ceremony will take place on November 20 at the 60,000-seat Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, north of the capital of Doha.

    Following the opening ceremony, the first game of the tournament will be played between the host country and Ecuador.

    Eight state-of-the-art stadiums will stage 64 matches between November 20 and December 18 as Qatar welcomes the best football teams on the planet for the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and the Arab world.

    Approximately 1.2 million fans are expected to visit the country during the tournament.

    Organisers said that 2.89 million tickets have been sold so far. Besides the host country, the United States, Saudi Arabia, England, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, France, Brazil and Germany recorded the highest ticket demand for the tournament.

    The 2022 World Cup is the first in the tournament’s 92-year history to be played in November and December. The previous 21 editions were played between late May and the end of July.

     

    FIFA finalised a decision to play in the northern winter season in 2015 to avoid Qatar’s summer heat, despite opposition from most European football bodies that were unhappy about having to shut down their domestic leagues for several peak weeks.

    The tournament final will take place on December 18, Qatar’s National Day.

     

    Here are the groups:

    Group A

    • Netherlands
    • Senegal
    • Ecuador
    • Qatar

    Group B

    • England
    • USA
    • Iran
    • Wales

    Group C

    • Argentina
    • Mexico
    • Poland
    • Saudi Arabia

    Group D

    • France
    • Denmark
    • Tunisia
    • Australia

    Group E

    • Spain
    • Germany
    • Japan
    • Costa Rica

    Group F

    • Belgium
    • Croatia
    • Morocco
    • Canada

    Group G

    • Brazil
    • Switzerland
    • Serbia
    • Cameroon

    Group H

    • Portugal
    • Ghana
    • Uruguay
    • South Korea

  • Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo welcomes Europe-born players to the Black Stars

    Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo has welcomed new players to the team ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

    Six players switched nationalities to represent Ghana at international level in June. Brighton’s Tariq Lamptey, Inaki Williams of Athletic Club and German-born trio Stephan Ambrosius, Ransford Konigsdorffer and Patric Pfeiffer have all agreed to play for Ghana.

    Southampton star Mohammed Salisu also confirmed his decision to represent Ghana last month.

    Addressing the Ghana FA delegation led by Kurt Okraku at the office of the Presidency, Nana Akufo-Addo said, “We should have no grounds for complains, the important thing is that, all of us as a nation, that we give maximum support to our young people to go and give of their best and if they able to give off their best they will far because Ghanaian football is among the best in the World”

    “Of course, with the usual luck that you need in football, instead of the thing hitting the bar, it goes in. so we have to pray that the good Lord favours us on such occasions and if it does, I have a lot of confidence about the quality of the people that has been selected”

    “I’m happy that many of the diaspora players under your leadership are being brought in as much as possible those who have the heart for the country are being brought to come and play. I think you’ve done well and going on, go out to search for those interested to play for the country. Our bid is to create the condition for them to excel and that’s what we have to do”

    The Black Stars will begin preparations in the first week of November, but a full house is expected in the second week, when all leagues will draw to a halt.

    Ghana is scheduled to play one pre-World Cup match, against Switzerland, on November 17.

    The West African powerhouse will kick off on November 24 with a crucial match against Group H favourites Portugal.

    The Black Stars will then play South Korea on November 28 and Uruguay in their final group match on December 2.

  • Forget about women and focus on World Cup success – Elvis Afriyie Ankrah

    Former Ghana Sports Minister Elvis Afriyie Ankrah has called on Black Stars players to focus about the success of the national team instead of women at the 2022 World Cup.

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

    Ghana will open their World Cup account against Portugal before taking Uruguay and South Korea respectively.

    Speaking to Ghana News Agency, Afriyie Ankrah was of the opinion wives and girlfriends can be a distraction for the Black Stars players.

    However, he has urged the players to avoid taking along their partners to the tournament in order to have their eyes on glory.

    “The team must be focused and dedicated for the World Cup period,” “This is a tournament for just a few weeks. The players should leave their wives and girlfriends for those few weeks. They should focus on bringing glory to Ghana and themselves.

    “It is a privilege to don the national colours, and players should not think they are doing us a favour by representing Ghana.”

    The Black Stars qualified for the World Cup after beating Nigeria in a two-legged playoff on away goals.

    Coach Otto Addo has yet to name his preliminary squad for the tournament. They are set to play a friendly match against Switzerland, which will be the final match before the team departs for Qatar.

    The Black Stars have qualified for three FIFA World Cup tournaments; 2006, 2010, 2014 and now 2022.

    In 2006, they were the only African side to advance to the second round of the World Cup in Germany and were the sixth nation in a row from Africa to progress beyond the group stages of the World Cup.

    Their best World Cup performance was reaching the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup hosted in South Africa.

  • Ghana defender Jonathan Mensah celebrates 13 years after FIFA U-20 World Cup triumph

    Ghana international Jonathan Mensah has celebrated 13 years of the Black Satellites FIFA World Cup glory in Egypt.

    The defender who currently plies his trade for American side Columbus Crew played a huge role when Ghana defeated Brazil on penalties to lift the trophy on the African continent.

    The Ghana’s U-20 national team became the first African country to win the FIFA World Cup title at the U-20 level, 13 years ago in Egypt against Brazil.

    Ten-man Ghana beat Brazil 4-3 on penalties after there were no goals in 120 minutes of action to become the first African team to win the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Cairo, Egypt on Friday night.

    “13 years ago, we were crowned champions of the U-20 youth World Cup. God has been more than good to all of us” the Columbus Crew captain posted on Facebook sighted by Footballghana.com.

    Several players from that team have gone on to represent Ghana at the senior level.

    Notable amongst them are Daniel Agyei, Emmanuel Agyemang Boadu, Jonathan Mensah, Samuel Inkoom and Dominic Adiyiah.

    Source: Footballghana

  • 2022 World Cup: Ghana might not qualify from group stage – Nii Odartey Lamptey

    Former Ghana international, Nii Odartey Lamptey, says he doubts the Black Stars will progress beyond the group stage of the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

    The West African country have made a return to the Mundial after failing to play in the last edition hosted in Russia in 2018.

    After a two-legged tie, the Black Stars secure qualification at the expense of Nigeria.

    Speaking in a yet-to-be-televised interview on Prime Take, Odartey said Uruguay and Portugal have improved since the Black Stars last played them at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups respectively.

    “When I saw the group [Ghana was drawn in], personally I wasn’t happy,” the 1991 FIFA Youth Best Player said.

    “I would have preferred to be in a group that we have never played with them at the World Cup level before,” he added.

    Odartey who revealed in the conversation he retired from the national team in 1996 due to player politics noted that playing familiar foes at the Mundial could be problematic for the 2010 World Cup quarterfinalist which has not improved to be at a level to compete against the best in the world.

    “The reason is, football has grown in these countries. I look at Portugal now and they have improved massively since we last played them so playing them again for the second time at the World Cup will be a problem for us, likewise Uruguay.”

    When quizzed has not improved, he said “we haven’t grown but I think we have materials that suggest we can grow.

    “The technical team is an excellent group: Otto [Addo], Boateng [George], Chris [Hughton], Didi [Dramani], very good blend, but the problem is a young squad which has never played a competition like this before.

    “Maybe, ten of them have been to the [African] Cup of Nations before, but how many of them have played together in a tournament?

    “So, playing very experienced countries, both Uruguay and Portugal, for me it’s a problem. I pray that we cross the group on the stage.

    “We have the quality to progress beyond the group stage but my only question mark is the teams that we are facing,” he added.

    Ghana has been housed in a group with Portugal, and Uruguay — two familiar opponents as the Black Stars last played them 2014 and 2010 World Cups, losing both, 2-1 against Portugal and via penalty shootout to Uruguay.

    South Korea is the other group member for the tournament that starts on November 20.

    Source: Footballghana

  • Homegrown coaches lead Africa’s 2022 World Cup campaign

    The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will be historic for the African continent as all five representatives for the quadrennial extravaganza will be handled by local coaches.

    Although it is a source of pride, it is also the first time that all African teams have called on local tacticians to lead their respective campaigns, with coaches Otto Addo, Aliou Cisse, Rigobert Song, Walid Regragui and Jalel Kadri having a fine opportunity to make a stronger case for homegrown solutions.

    • Walid Regragui, Morocco

    Morocco will be led by Walid Regragui who joins a stellar cast of other African coaches to lead their countries. This is a massive step for the growth of African coaches, who have now gathered the courage to take over at the highest level.

    The 47-year-old trainer, a former Morocco international who amassed 45 caps for the national team, took over from Vahid Halilhodžić who had helped the team to secure qualification for Qatar. He took over the Atlas Lions after a successful season in the Moroccan top flight where he led Wydad Athletic Club (WAC) to the CAF Champions League title and the local championship. He however faces a bigger challenge in Qatar as the Moroccans have been pooled in Group F with Croatia, Belgium and Canada.

    Born in Corbeil-Essonne in the Southern suburbs of France, Morocco coach Regragui started his career playing for several French clubs, including Toulouse, Ajaccio, Dijon and Grenoble. He earned his caps for the Moroccan national team as well.

    After retiring from football, 46-year-old Regragui began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the Moroccan national team in 2012-2013 under Rachid Taoussi. He went on to become the head coach of FUS Rabat until 2020 when he moved to Qatar to coach top tier side Al Duhail.

    • Aliou Cissé, Senegal

    African champions, Senegal, have been led by a local coach since 2015 when Aliou Cissé was handed the mantle. The decision paid off eight years later when the former national team captain led the Teranga Lions to their first-ever Africa Cup of Nations title and was also named the African Coach of the Year at the CAF Awards in July this year.

    Now, the veteran coach leads the Teranga Lions to the World Cup for the second straight time, having led the team to qualify for the 2018 showpiece in Russia. Senegal earned qualification after turning round a first leg loss to Egypt’s Pharaohs, winning 3-1 on post-match penalties following a 1-1 aggregate draw.

    • Rigobert Song, Cameroun

    Rigobert Song is not new to the FIFA World Cup. He played for Cameroun in the 1994 tournament in USA and at the next two tournaments in 1998 and 2002 and returned in 2010 as the most experienced player in the tournament and made just 27 minutes appearance against the Netherlands after which he called time on his international career.

    For many years as the mainstay of the Indomitable Lions as the captain, 46-year-old Song returns to football’s biggest stage in a leadership position but from the touchline, a position he had held since his appointment on February 28, 2022. Song goes down in history as the second Camerounian coach (after the late Léonard Nseke who took the team to USA ’94) to have helped the Indomitable Lions qualify for the global showpiece.

    Song’s team qualified for Qatar after overturning a 1-0 first leg defeat at the hands of Algeria to win 2-1 in the corresponding fixture in Algiers and qualified on the away goals rule. The valuable World Cup ticket proved to be the result the veteran needed to silence the doubters who had already queried the decision to hire him as national coach.

    • Jalel Kadri, Tunisia

    Local boy Jalel Kadri helped Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles to the FIFA World Cup for the sixth time in their history. Appointed national team coach following their elimination from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroun, Kadri embarked on a quick rebuilding mission and helped his country rise from that disappointment to qualify for the World Cup. The Tunisians waded off the young side of Mali to qualify with a slim 1-0 aggregate score.

    The 50-year-old coach becomes the third local tactician after Abdelmajid Chetali (1978) and Nabil Maâloul (1998) to help Tunisia qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

    • Otto Addo, Ghana

    Ghana’s Otto Addo displayed a brave coaching mettle to aid the Black Stars to the FIFA World Cup after victory over the highly fancied Nigeria in March, this year.

    The former national star, who played for Ghana at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, was named head coach of the Black Stars shortly after their elimination from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, taking over from Serbian Milovan Rajevac, whom he previously served as assistant coach.

    A 1-1 draw in Abuja following a 0-0 stalemate in Kumasi earned Ghana a ticket to the World Cup against all odds, with Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, appealing to the country’s FA to retain Addo to lead Ghana’s World Cup campaign.

    Otto Addo guided Ghana to qualify for the World Cup against all odds after edging out Nigeria on the away goal’s rule after a 1-1 aggregate score.

    The 46-year-old tactician, who is also an assistant coach at German Bundesliga side, Borussia Dortmund, managed to put up a perfect tactical plan to outshine a hugely talented Nigerian squad and now has everything to prove when he leads the Ghanaian side in Qatar.

    The presence of the five African coaches at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar represents a giant step towards the development of African football.

    This is enough proof that local expertise can also work well when and if given a chance. This will be an opportunity for the whole world to discover the ability of African tacticians and also a nod of approval to the training programme for African coaches at the Pro Licence of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

    The programme, launched for the first time in 2018, aims to obtain the highest certification of the CAF coach education system, the qualification of top level coaches in the world. –cafonline.com

    Source: Footballghana

  • 2022 World Cup: Williams brothers set to split family loyalties

    Ghana and Spain have never played at the senior level and have a slim chance of meeting at the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Spain unless the uncertainties in football ensure the two teams cross each other’s path in Qatar.

    Not many football pundits fancy the Black Stars to advance beyond the group stage while the 2010 World Cup winners are among the favorites to win the competition. Even in the slightest chance that the two countries meet along the way, Ghana could split another family again in the same manner that football divided the Boateng family during the 2010 and 2014 tournaments in South Africa and Brazil, respectively.

    The decision of Athletic Bilbao forwards Iñaki Williams and Nico Williams to commit their international future to two countries means their destinies are set apart. And if Nico makes it into Luis Enrique’s World Cup squad –– Iñaki looks like an automatic choice for Ghana’s head coach Otto Addo –– it means the family will be with divided hearts rooting for two different countries to lift the FIFA World Cup trophy.

    Inaki vs Brazil

    Iñaki Williams made his Ghana debut in an international friendly against Brazil on September 23

    On the day Iñaki made his second appearance for Ghana –– a 1-0 victory over Nicaragua in an international friendly at the Estadio Francisco Artes Carrasco in the Spanish city of Lorca last month –– kid brother Nico made his senior Spain debut on the other side of the Iberian Peninsula and across the border in Portugal.

    Born in the Spanish city of Bilbao to Ghanaian parents, 28-year-old Iñaki played for Spain’s youth teams and made his maiden and only appearance for ‘La Roja’ in an international friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Six years later, having earlier turned down approaches to play for Ghana, Iñaki decided to commit his international future to the Black Stars with a good chance of playing at the 2022 World Cup.

    Iñaki previously said that joining the Black Stars would appear as if he was taking someone else’s place in the team, someone for whom it would mean everything. Today he is older and wiser to accept that he has a brighter chance of playing in the World Cup for his parent country of birth than for Spain.

    “I had to make a decision,” Iñaki tells ESPN. “It was a hard decision to make. I had many, many, many doubts and this might close other doors but this is football. It’s part of life.”

    Nico, on the other hand, chose to represent Spain, rising from the youth teams to make it into Luis Enrique’s squad for the just concluded UEFA Nations League group stages where he made two appearances, including providing an assist for Álvaro Morata to score against Portugal –– enough to stake a claim for á place in the World Cup squad.

    Boateng brothers

    Sibling rivalry: Kevin-Prince Boateng played against his brother Jerome (left) twice at the World Cup

    If they meet in Spain, it would be an emotional rivalry similar to what happened to the Boateng brothers –– Kevin-Prince and Jerome –– who found themselves at different ends of the pitch when Ghana played against Germany in group clashes at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and again four years later in Brazil, with Kevin-Prince playing for Ghana and his junior brother Jerome at the heart a strong German defense.

    The Williams siblings seem to be relishing that encounter in Qatar.

    Nico believes he and his senior brother made their decisions to play for different countries thoughtfully.

    “It was a natural decision, each one took their path and thoughtfully made their decision,” he said.

    “I am very happy that my brother is in Ghana, I wish him things to go well, that he can have a great World Cup and achieve the highest goals.”

    Nico Spain

    Nico Williams has committed his international future to Sapin, his country of birth

    The excitement of another sibling rivalry is not lost on Spain manager Enrique, whose primary focus is on his Group E encounters with Costa Rica, Japan, and Germany.

    He said including Nico in his team was not an attempt to prevent him from following his brother’s footsteps, following speculation of a possible nationality switch since their recent visit to Ghana on vacation last June.

    “I’m not doing this to stop him from going with Ghana; he’s young and a very interesting player,” he told The Guardian.

    “He’s playing more often with Athletic now. He’s progressing wonderfully. I like him enormously. We’ve had him in the junior squad and have been following him for a long time.

    “I reckon the family will be delighted: imagine the party if they both go to the World Cup. And they reach the final, well, that would be the absolute business. It will be tough for Nico and Iñaki’s parents to decide who they want to win,” Enrique added.

    For now, the two brothers will continue to share the pitch for Athletic Bilbao –– they both scored goals for the first time in the same match, in a 3-2 victory over Rayo Vallecano last month –– but when the La Liga go on break early next month the two brothers will head in different directions and are likely to leave their family split at the heart.

    Source: Graphic Sports

  • Youngster Jeremy Doku suffers fresh injury in France

    The frustrations of talented Belgian-Ghanaian attacker, Jeremy Doku is set to continue for a while.

    Since late last season, the former RSC Anderlecht man has suffered several injury setbacks which have now become frustrating for him.

    Although he was recently fit and enjoyed some playing time last month, he has been unfortunate following another injury.

    Last weekend, the forward was absent when his Stade Rennais FC side cruised past FC Nantes 3-0 in the French Ligue 1.

    According to his manager Bruno Génésio who opened up to the press, he said Jeremy Doku is out injured again.

    According to him, the numerous injuries are having a toll on the player which is not a good thing.

    “Mentally it’s very difficult for him. He’s still on treatment and recovering. He’s gotten into a vicious circle,” coach Bruno Génésio said while adding, “He gets injured, comes back, gets played time, then gets injured again and has to start from 0.”

    Ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Jeremy Doku hopes his latest injury will not be very serious to ensure he recovers in time to fight for a place in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

    Ssource: Footballghana

  • I never played at the World Cup but I will coach there one day – Laryea Kingston

    Former Ghana international, Laryea Kingston has opened up on his dream to coach to the highest level in football.

    According to him, although he never had the chance to play at the FIFA World Cup, he is confident he will coach a side at the global tournament one day.

    “I know I did not go to the World Cup as a player but I believe deep in my heart that I will be at the World Cup as a coach one day,” Laryea Kingston told Radio Gold Talk Sports in an interview.

    The now trained tactician continued, “I have educated myself well. I have my style and I believe if I preach my style to my squad Ghanaians will see something different.”

    During his playing days, Laryea Kingston played in several World Cup qualifiers but was excluded from the final squad for the tournament in 2006 and 2010.

    Source: Football Ghana

  • Ukraine joins Spain & Portugal 2030 World Cup bid

     

    Ukraine has joined Spain and Portugal’s bid to host the 2030 Fifa World Cup.

    Representatives of the Spanish, Portuguese and Ukrainian football associations confirmed their plans at Uefa’s headquarters on Wednesday.

    Ukraine was invaded by Russia in February and the war has continued since then with thousands of troops and civilians killed and major cities suffering significant destruction.

    Spain and Portugal originally announced a joint bid in June 2021.

    “Our bid is not an Iberian bid any more, it’s a European bid,” Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish federation (RFEF), said.

    “I’m convinced that now our bid is much better than before. Football is universal and if it is capable of changing the life of people in so many ways it should also be used for doing good.”

    The three-way partnership has “unconditional support” from Uefa, European football’s governing body, according to a statement by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF).

    “The example of tenacity and resilience set by the Ukrainian people is inspiring,” the FPF said. “This proposal aims to contribute through the power of football to the recovery of a country undergoing reconstruction.”

    FPF president Fernando Soares Gomes da Silva said: “We are convinced that by 2030 we will have peace in Europe and that Ukraine will be able to host it in the best way possible.”

    The Spain, Portugal and Ukraine bid will compete against a joint South American proposal from Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Chile, as well as a collaboration between Egypt, Greece and Saudi Arabia.

    The RFEF said the addition of Ukraine to the bid would not lead to any changes to the planned 11 venues in Spain and three in Portugal.

      Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before – follow your team and sign up for notifications in the BBC Sport app to make sure you never miss a moment

    Source: bbc.com

  • Ticket prices for 2022 FIFA World Cup announced

    The prices of ticket at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar has been revealed with Ghana one of five African nations who will represent the continent at the global showpiece.

    So far, there have been two random lottery drawings of ticket requests and a first-come, first-served sale period.

    Two more sale periods remain on a first come first served basis.

    There are four categories of tickets, Category 1 being the most expensive and Category 4 being the cheapest and reserved for Qatari residents only.

    Here are the single ticket price ranges for each round:

    opening match: $54.85 and $301.68

    group games: $10.97 and $219.40

    16. round of: $19.20 and $274.26

    quarter final: $82.28 and $425.10

    semi final: $137.13 and $954.41

    match for third place: $82.28 and $425,10

    The most lucrative ticket in the tournament will be for the final to be held at Lusail Stadium on 18 December.

    A Category 4 ticket to the final costs $205.69, while the cheapest ticket for a Qatari non-resident costs $603.36. Category 1 tickets are $1,604.39 each. For comparison, ticket prices for the 2018 World Cup final ranged from $455 to $1,100.

    This will be Ghana’s fourth appearance at the World Cup. They made their tournament debut back in 2006 and famously reached the quarter-final stage in 2010.

  • Ghana drop six places in latest FIFA World Cup power rankings

    Ghana has dropped six places in the latest FIFA World Cup power rankings produced by American media outlet, CBS Soccer.

    The West African powerhouse is placed 22nd position out of 32 teams ahead of the start of the biggest soccer mundial in Qatar next month.

    The much-anticipated tournament has been scheduled for November and December with 32 countries set to battle it out for the covetous trophy in the Asian country.

    Ghana lost 3-0 to Brazil bit recovered to beat Nicaragua 1-0 in the pre-World Cup friendlies last month.

    The defeat and narrow win during the international break put the four-time AFCON winners in tier three, a pot for teams that have a 50/50 chance progressing to the round of 16.

    South American giants, Brazil and Argentina are in tier 1, the two teams likely to win the tournament in Qatar.

    The tier two has countries that can challenge for the championship which includes the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Uruguay, Germany, England and Croatia and are ranked from 3rd to 10th.

    The tier three has only three teams and they identified as nations expected to make it out of their group. Senegal, Belgium and Portugal are the teams in tier three.

    Tier four, the countries in the mix, where Ghana’s finds itself also has, Serbia, Japan, Switzerland, Morocco, Ecuador, South Korea, Mexico, Wales, Ghana, Iran, USA, Poland and Tunisia.

    The final lot is the group with nations expected not to make it past the group stage and it includes Australia, Canada, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

    Source: Footballghana

  • Ghanaians troll Nigerians after Partey scored World Cup playoff-esque goal against Tottenham

    Some Ghanaians mocked Nigerians on social media, specifically Twitter, following Thomas Partey‘s stunning goals against Tottenham in the North London derby.

    Thomas Partey scored a spectacular curler from outside the box, similar to a goal he scored against Nigeria to qualify Ghana for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

    Ghanaians then trolled their West African rivals, claiming the goal gives Nigerians flashbacks.

     

    Others added that Partey chose to score the goal on Nigeria’s independence day, adding salt to their wounds.

    Partey commanded the midfield for the Gunners in their 3-1 victory over Tottenham in the derby.

    Partey, who suffered a knee injury but recovered in time to play 73 minutes, received a standing ovation from the fans after an outstanding performance by the Black Stars’ deputy captain.

     

     

     

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Legendary Dan Owusu offers advise to Black Stars coach Otto Addo ahead of World Cup

    Legendary Ghana forward Dan Owusu has advised Black Stars coach Otto Addo to desist from late substitution ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

    Ghana, who are returning to the global showpiece after missing out in Russia 2018 engaged in two international friendlies against Brazil and Nicaragua during the break.

    The West African powerhouse lost 3-0 to Brazil and recovered to beat Nicaragua 1-0 on Tuesday in Spain through a strike from Abdul Fatawu Issahaku.

    In an interview with Koforidua-based Bryt FM, the three-time Ghana Premier League goal king winner expressed displeasure about late substitution of the Black Stars coach and has therefore called on Otto Addo to desist from it.

    “It’s too late to talk about replacing Otto Addo because we have limited time to the World Cup.  His timing for substitution is bad, so I will advise him to desist from it. Waiting to make substitutions few minutes to full time can be deadly. As a coach you need to know the time to make substitutions because it’s very essential” he said.

    Ghana has been paired in Group H against Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea at the World Cup.

  • I didn’t get Black Stars call-up because of my hairstyle – Footballer reveals

    Former Black Starlets midfielder Sebastian Barnes has disclosed that he did not get a Black Stars Call up because many leaders in Ghanaian football at the time believed he was disrespectful.

    Speaking on SVTV Sports with Oscar Nuwati, the 1991 U-17 World Cup winner revealed that he was tagged disrespectful because of his haircut and ear piercing. According to him, former Black Stars coach Otto Pfister told him the leaders always had unpleasant things to say about him.

    “Every footballer would regret not playing for the national team. If you are not strong, you won’t be able to move on. Otto Pfister called me before Senegal 1992, and he said that the leaders always had something to say when my name came up.

    I was the first to get that haircut and ear piercing while at Bayer Leverkusen. So whenever I came to Ghana, they said I was disrespectful because of the haircut. They don’t even want to call you even if you are talented. That is why I never got a call-up,” he revealed.

    Speaking on the current Black Stars coach, Otto Addo, Sebastian noted that “we all know our style of play. Even when we qualified it, it was not the style of play that Ghanaians know. Let’s leave it for the coach to see how impressive we are after the first match at the World Cup.”

    According to Barnes, the Black Stars can only win a trophy if the GFA go back to the jersey with the national colours. He believes that it is the only way the players would play wholeheartedly.

    “Back then, we were happy by wearing the jersey with the red, gold, and green alone. And we know that we have to die for the country. They wear white now, so what kind of feeling is the player going with? They must bring back the jersey for the boys to know that they have to die for the colours they are wearing,” Barnes added.

    The 1993 Black Starlets captain is a coach for a U-17 club in Germany. Sebastian began coaching in 2010. He mentioned that he is ready to coach any national teams or major clubs in Ghana.

    Source: SVTV Africa

     

  • Be worthy ambassadors of Ghana in Qatar – John Mahama to Ghanaian supporters

    Former President Mahama has charged Ghanaian football fans who will be privileged to attend the 2022 FIFA world cup in Qatar in November to comport themselves creditably and as worthy ambassadors of the country.

    To this end, he requested the management of Kenpong to conscientise the supporters to be law-abiding, well-mannered & well behaved during the Qatar World Cup. The former president made the remark during a courtesy call on him by the staff and Management of Kenpong travel and tours limited in his office.

    The delegation from Kenpong was led by Mr Kennedy Agyepong, the chief executive officer of the company. In his opening remarks, Mr Kennedy Agyepong informed the former president that Kenpong travel travel and tours had been selected by the Ministry of youth and sports to organize Ghanaian Supporters to the 2022 FIFA world in Qatar.

    The purpose of the visit was to seek his blessings support and wise counsel for the World Cup project.

    President Mahama recollected that in 2014 Kenpong was one of the companies that successfully organized Ghanaian supporters to the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He was hopeful that with the experience and proven record under its belt, Kenpong would deliver a world-class organization for Ghanaian supporters to the Qatar World Cup in November. He advised Kenpong to continue to apply the same standards of diligence, hard work and professionalism that the company was known for.

    In conclusion. Mr Agyepong thanked the fmr president for the opportunity to meet him and his kind advice. He wished him good health and long life.

    Source:ghanaweb.com