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Tag: Qatar 2022 World Cup

  • New penalty rules: Emi Martinez World cup penalty antics allegedly force new rules

    New penalty rules: Emi Martinez World cup penalty antics allegedly force new rules

    A new set of rules that will be in effect starting on July 1st will make it harder for goalkeepers to stop penalty kicks.

    Emi Martinez is thought to have forced the rules after the goalkeeper’s antics during the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

    Martinez’s ability to enrage opponents contributes to his ability to save penalty kicks.

    Aurelien Tchouameni and Kingsley Coman were unable to match his success in the World Cup final matchup against France.

    New penalty rules

    However, all this is set to change after the International Football Association Board (IFAB) passed on new rules to be effected later this year.

    According to the new guidelines, the goalkeeper will now not be allowed to behave in a manner that fails to show respect to the game, i.e, by distracting the opponent.

    The goalkeeper will be required to remain on his/her goal line and not touch the net, posts or crossbar before the penalty is taken.

    The custodians will also be barred from delaying the execution of the penalty.

    Should the goalkeeper save the penalty, he or she will also now be barred from displaying behaviours that don’t show respect which could include various celebrations.

    The new rules have elicited sharp reactions, with France’s new number 1 Mike Maignan offering a sarcastic response to the rules.

    “New IFAB rules for penalties in 2026: Goalkeepers must have their backs to the shot ❌ In case of stoppage, indirect free kick.”

    The rules are deemed unfair already

    This comes at a time when penalty kicks continue to be heavily lopsided on the side of goalkeepers. A goalkeeper is currently required to have one of his feet on the line before the penalty is taken.

    A penalty is usually retaken if the goalkeeper moved one of his feet from the line and saved the penalty.

    This rule doesn’t take into consideration the stutters the penalty takers take before eventually hitting the ball.

    With the penalty often a game of wits, it would be interesting to see how goalkeepers will now attempt to put off their opponents.

    The new rules come into play on July 1st.

    As reported earlier, Chelsea’s ace Kai Havertz saw his goal for Germany against Peru ruled out due to a rare football rule.

    Germany took on Peru in a friendly on Saturday, March 25 and the game had an interesting incident involving Havertz.

    The Chelsea man seems to have a poor relationship with penalties, as he recently also made headlines for a spot-kick against Borussia Dortmund.

  • Osman Bukari: Why I didn’t get Ronaldo’s jersey after Portugal game

    Ghanaian winger Osman Bukari has explained why he did not get Cristiano Ronaldo’s jersey after Ghana’s game against Portugal at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

    Osman Bukari: Why I didn’t get Ronaldo’s jersey after Portugal game

    Osman Bukari: Why I didn’t get Ronaldo’s jersey after Portugal game

    The Red Star Belgrade forward is a huge fan of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner and got to play against his idol in Qatar.

    Bukari, who was a second-half substitute in that game, scored against Portugal despite the Black Stars eventually losing 3-2.

    The 24-year-old went ahead to celebrate by hitting Ronaldo’s trademark ‘Suiiiiii’ after scoring against the Selecao.

    Osman Bukari

    Osman Bukari Pulse Ghana

    He, however, did not get Ronaldo’s jersey in the aftermath of the game and he has now explained why that did not happen.

    “It was the first time seeing Ronaldo physically. In fact, I was happy when I saw him because I have always watched him on TV,” he told Kumasi-based Sompa FM, as quoted by Footballghana.

    “During the warm-up, the first thing I thought of was to see Ronaldo but he came late, later on, I saw him warming up with the Portugal team.

    “Messi, Mbappe and Neymar are players that I have seen physically so I wanted to see Ronaldo at all costs.”

    Ronaldo gives Portugal the lead against Ghana from the penalty spot

    Ronaldo gives Portugal the lead against Ghana from the penalty spot AFP

    Bukari added: “I approached him and had some talks with him because I needed his jersey but unfortunately for me, I didn’t get it.

    “I went to him after the game thinking I will get it but Ronaldo told me one of our players (Black Stars) who requested for his jersey through another Portugal player had taken it so he pleaded.”

    Bukari has been capped nine times by Ghana, with two international goals to his name.

  • World Cup 2022: Morocco can win the World Cup title – Alessandro Del Piero

    Alessandro Del Piero, a former forward for Italy, thinks Morocco has what it takes to win the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

    The Atlas Lions defeated Portugal 1-0 at Al Thumama Stadium thanks to striker Youssef En-Nesyri, who sprang highest to beat goalkeeper Diogo Costa to the ball. This victory made the Atlas Lions the first African nation to advance to the round of eight.

    Morocco will face holders France in the semifinals at Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday.

     

    “Morocco wrote history. They have presented a wonderful tournament so far. They have a good coach and many distinguished player.

    “By reaching this role, they are a team that is, of course, a candidate to win the World Cup title,” Del Piero said.

    Morocco have kept four clean sheets in five matches, only denied 100 per cent record by an own goal conceded against Canada in the group stage.

    A win over France will see Morocco become the first-ever African country to reach the final of the World Cup.

  • World Cup 2022:Portugal defender accuses the Argentine referee of being to responsible for Morocco’s loss

    Portuguese defender Pepe thinks Argentine referee Facundo Tello was a major factor in his team’s elimination from the Qatar 2022 World Cup after a 1-0 loss to Morocco.

    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.

    Pepe questioned Tello’s performance and suggested Lionel Messi’s criticism of the referee during Argentina’s penalty shootout victory over the Netherlands on Friday had played a part.

    “We dominated the game 100 percent of the time,” Pepe said.

    “I think what the referee did today; this is an Argentinian referee.

    After what Messi said yesterday it seems there’s something very weird. We couldn’t play in the second half because the referee kept stopping the game.

    “I’m very angry, very angry because the referee didn’t let us play.”

    Walid Regragui’s men will face holders France in the semifinals at Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday.

  • Mohammed Kudus is the best player at the World Cup-Kevin Prince Boateng

    Kevin Prince Boateng, a former midfielder for Barcelona, thinks Ghana’s Mohammed Kudus is the finest player at the Qatar 2022 World Cup right now.

    The Ajax Amsterdam midfielder was the talk of the town after his electrifying performance in the competition’s initial matches, scoring twice and dishing out an assist.

    Kudus won the Budweiser Player of the match award against South Korea as he scored two goals to help Ghana to a 3-2 win against the Asian giants at the Education City stadium.


    “Kudus is currently the World Cup player. It’s incredible what he can do with the ball.”

    “For him, it’s only a matter of time before he moves on to a world-class club after his experience at Ajax.

    “In general, I really like Ghana, they believe in the coach and Otto Addo believes in them,” Prince Boateng told Sport1

    Despite his impressive display, he couldn’t prevent Ghana from losing 2-0 to Uruguay in their final group game last Friday.

    The Black Stars needed to avoid a defeat to stand a chance of progressing to the knockout stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup but failed to seal a positive result.

  • World Cup 2022 :Black Stars have a chance to create a winning team – Didi Dramani

    Assistant Coach of the Black Stars Mas-Ud Didi Dramani has described Ghana’s participation in the 2022 FIFA World Cup as a platform for learning and building a strong winning team.

    Despite one win and two losses, the four-time African champions exited the group phase with three points.

    Speaking aftermath of Ghana’s exit from the ongoing FIFA World Cup last Friday, Coach Dramani noted that the highlight of the latest adventure was the experience gained by the entire team.

    “The headline is the experience gained as a unit – the players, technical staff, and the management – and this should be the foundation for the future to be successful,” the former Asante Kotoko coach told Daily Graphic.

     

    “I will say the 2022 World Cup has been a platform for learning in the process of creating success and building a strong winning team.

    “The technical leadership was very well structured with clear directions from the two games against Nigeria in the playoff till date,” he stated.

    He said that based on the promise shown by Ghana’s young team, which had only two players who had tasted the World cup before – the Ayew brothers – it was incumbent on the nation to believe in the process initiated by the technical team to help reach the desired goal.

    “It is important for us to keep the trust in believing in the process with a strong alignment of the whole project.

    “Getting everyone on board these processes is very key to thinking and practicing established structures of the team,” he explained.

    Coach Dramani mentioned medical, and human performance, building a strong player database, style of play, learning with reflection, and establishing a team culture or the transitional process as the key areas which needed to be looked at going forward.

    He revealed that though the performance of the team was satisfactory to the technical staff in many respects on a short-term basis, there were still many areas to improve upon in the process of building a winning team.

    “That is why it’s important to emphasize the attribution of learning rather than focusing too much on performance in just short-term events,” he stressed.

    Contrary to the expectation of Ghanaians before the Qatar 2022 World Cup, the Black Stars which was the youngest team at the tournament, held the whole world spellbound with some breathtaking displays which saw them losing 2-3 to Portugal while beating South Korea 3-2 and exiting at the group stage following a disappointing 0-2 defeat to their old foes, Uruguay.

  • ‘Thank you Dede Ayew’, tweets ‘praise’ Stars captain for missed penalty as Brazil mauls South Korea

    Every misfortune is a blessing in disguise is what social media users appear to trumpet Monday night as Brazil sent South Korea to the cleaners in their one-sixteenth game at the ongoing Qatar 2022 World Cup.

    By half-time, Brazil had banged in four goals to nil, and on Twitter, fans appeared to say Ghana’s Black Stars, who would have been playing Brazil had the team made it out of the group stage, would have been at the receiving end. They were therefore grateful that the team was out of the tournament.

    Why they thanked Dede Ayew

    In Ghana’s final group game against Uruguay, the Black Stars needed a win to qualify to the one-sixteenth stage, and early on in the game, earned a penalty.

    Captain, Dede Ayew elected to effect the spot kick. He missed the penalty, with Ghana going on to concede two goals later on. The game ended 2:0 in favour of Uruguay, who themselves failed to make it into the next round and ceded the spot to the South Koreans.

  • ‘No World Cup victory’ – Akufo-Addo’s 2014 tweet resurfaces after Black Stars exit

    Following the Black Stars’ elimination from the Qatar 2022 World Cup, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has seen one such social media post.

    On December 2, 2022, the Otto Addo-led team lost a crucial game to Uruguay, 2–0, and as a result, both teams were eliminated from the tournament, with Portugal and South Korea moving on.

    People are making fun of a president’s tweet from 2014 that has surfaced again in light of recent events in the nation.

    It reads: “No water, no electricity, no petrol, no jobs, no mercy, no World Cup cictory! #Ghana”

    The president had urged the team to take revenge on the Uruguayans after a 2010 incident where Luis Suarez, their captain in yesterday’s game thwarted Ghana’s prospect of making history by becoming the first African side to qualify for the semi-finals of the World Cup.

    Akufo-Addo has yet to comment on the outcome of the match.

    In 2014 when his tweet was made, the then Asamoah Gyan-led Black Stars made a disastrous outing in Brazil when they failed to win a single match yet ‘cooked’ a global spectacle that saw dollars being flown to pay their appearance fees for fears of a boycott.

    Ghana ended bottom of Group H with Portugal topping whiles South Korea finsihed second ahead of Uruguay on goal difference – both teams finished with four points apiece.

    The Black Stars recorded three points from three games – losing to Portugal and Uruguay and beating South Korea. They scored five goals and conceded seven.

    Coach Otto Addo has resigned his position in the post-match press conference.

    Match Report: Uruguay vs. Ghana

    The Black Stars of Ghana had one task going into their final Group H fixture at the 2022 World Cup.

    Win at all costs, worse case draw against Uruguay and secure passage into the Round-of-16 stage of the competition.

    The match was, however, settled with three major incidents in the first half. A penalty miss by Black Stars skipper Andre Dede Ayew, when the score was goalless.

    Then Giorgian de Arrascaeta’s two goals for Uruguay which came in quick sucession, consigned the Black Stars to a second World Cup defeat against the South Americans who broke hearts of Africans in 2010.

    Their 2 – 0 victory over the Black Stars was, however, not enough to get them through to the next round of the tournament as South Korea beat Portugal 2-1.

    With Uruguay in dire need of a third goal to progress to the next round of the World Cup, Suarez was reduced to tears as efforts to score another goal proved futile.

    Portugal and South Korea advanced from Group H as Uruguay and Ghana exited the tournament after finished 3rd and 4th respectively.

  • World Cup: Disappointing start for Cameroon as they lose first match to Switzerland

    The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon have lost their first match against Switzerland in the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Karl Toko Ekambi and his team mates fell short to a lone goal in their Group G opener interestingly from a Cameroonian born Swiss player Breel Embolo.

    The 25 year old Swiss international, born in Yaoundé scored the only goal of the game in the second half. Embolo would not celebrate the goal even as excited team mates gathered around him. He instead raised his hand and pointed in the direction of Swiss fans and then to Cameroonian fans at the opposite corner of Al Janoub stadium.

    Cameroon with an impressive display in the first, would feel hard done by the result. The central African side were the better side in the first half having dominated possesion but the attacking line of Mbeumo Choupo Toko had to face an outstanding Swiss keeper.

    This result does not make the business of the Indomitable Lions easier as they will still have to face two tough opponents : Serbia in the next game and the eternal favorites Brazil and its 5 stars.

    For Switzerland, their win against Cameroon was a hard fought victory extending once again their record of not losing a World Cup opening game in their past five appearances on football’s biggest stage.

     

    Source: African News

     

  • The four African presidents currently in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup

    The world has gathered for the world’s biggest festival in Qatar, the FIFA World Cup 2022 which is witnessing 32 teams from across the world battle it out for the heavyweight undisputed title as the world cup winner.

    Like every other four years, the spotlight is on the players, the technical staff, officiating departments, referees, and assistants, not forgetting the various fans who also play a very integral role in the tournament.

    In all of this, presidential diplomacy plays a major role.

    According to reports, over 20 heads of state were present at the opening event on Sunday (November 20) at Al Bayt stadium where the opening match between host Qatar and Ecuador took place with the host looking to 2-0, Ghanaweb.com reported.

    This article narrows down on the number of African presidents that are currently present in Qatar to witness the global event.

    Ghana’s president Nana Akufo Addo is the latest African president to have arrived in Qatar ahead of the Black Stars’ opening game with Portugal.

    According to reports, presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Mack Sall of Senegal were officially invited by the Qatari government to take part in the opening event.

    Macky Sall was reported to have stayed to witness the Monday, November 21 game between Senegal and Netherlands which the African champions lost after two late goals.

    President George Weah had announced his trip to Qatar to spend some nine days. He was at the stadium to watch the game between the United States and Wales. For him, his interest was to watch his American son play at the tournament.

    The world cup is still in its initial stages, and it is likely more African presidents and officials will turn up to witness the event.

     

    Source: Africa News

     

     

     

     

     

  • Here is how much Morgan Freeman is worth now

    American actor Morgan Freeman hit global headlines when he headlined the opening ceremony of the Qatar 2022 World Cup on Sunday. The veteran Hollywood actor has carved a niche for himself as one of the most talented actors to ever grace the screen.

    The octogenarian, whose deep, unique voice is one of the main attributes that make him stand out, has also amassed a huge fan base and a huge fortune. According to Celebrity Net Worth, he currently has a net worth of $250 million dollars but could have been much more. Here’s why.

    Early life

    Freeman was born on June 1, 1937, in Memphis, Tennesee, to Mayme Edna and Morgan Porterfield Freeman. He was the youngest of five children. He was raised by his maternal grandmother in Charleston, Mississippi after his parents relocated to Chicago to find work. However, he later joined his mother in Chicago following the demise of his grandmother, the same period his parents separated.

    Schooling

    Freeman attended Street High School and graduated in 1955. He was subsequently enlisted into the United States Air Force. After his time in the military, he moved to Los Angeles where he started acting lessons at the Pasadena Playhouse.

    Acting career

    His acting career started in the mid-1960s when he appeared in an off-Broadway production of a play titled The Niggerlovers and Pearl Bailey in an all-African-American Broadway production of Hello, Dolly!

     

    His debut film appearance was in Who Says I Can’t Ride a Rainbow! in 1971. Since then, he has been featured in a number of high-profile movies, including Street Smart, Seven, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Deep Impact, and Unforgiven. However, it was his role in The Shawshank Redemption that catapulted him into A-list fame.

    Awards

    His acting career has seen him win several awards. In 1980, he received the Obie Award for his starring role in Coriolanus. He also won an award for his lead role in Driving Miss Daisy. He got an Oscar Nomination for Best Supporting Actor in the movie the 1987 film Street Smart as Fast Black. He won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work in Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby at the 77th Academy Awards.

    Personal life

    Morgan Freeman has been in and out of marriages. He first married Jeanette Adair Bradshaw and divorced in 1979. He later married Myrna Colley-Lee in 1984, and they divorced in September 2010.

    Freeman has four children from his past marriages. His stepdaughter from his first marriage was murdered in 2015 in New York City at the age of 33.

    Celebrity net worth reports that his net worth could have been more than $250 million had Freeman not been forced to pay his ex-wife a $100 – $200 million divorce settlement in 2010.

     

  • World Cup 2022: Africa can make an impact – Samuel Eto

    Cameroonian Football Federation President, Samuel Eto‘o believes African nations will make an impact at the 2022 World Cup.

    Africa’s best performance at the Mundial is playing in the quarterfinal with any country yet to win the prestigious trophy.

    Ghana, Senegal, Morocco, Cameroon, and Tunisia will represent Africa at the 22nd edition of the Mundial.

    However, the legendary Cameroonian striker believes that an African nation is ready to win the World Cup.

    The former Barcelona and Inter Milan forward hinted that Cameroon can win the ultimate.

    “Africa has always had the potential to achieve a successful World Cup, but we haven’t always shown our best face up to now,” he told ESPN.

    “During the years, African teams have acquired more and more experience, and I think they’re ready not only to participate in a World Cup but also to win it.

    “Cameroun will win the World Cup final against Morocco,” he added.

    The World Cup will start from 20th November to 18th December 2022.

  • 2022 World Cup: I think we will do well – Laryea Kingston rates Black Stars chances

    Laryea Kingston, a former winger for Ghana, thinks the Black Stars would do admirably at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

    The four-time African champions, who missed the most recent tournament in Russia in 2018, have returned to the World Cup.

    In response to their recent underwhelming performance, the Black Stars have faced criticism.

    However, Laryea believes the technical team led by Otto Addo will be able to lead the side to perform.

    “I am however very optimistic about a good outing at the World Cup,” he told GNA Sports. “We have a solid technical team because they work in an elite environment, so they know what is at stake.

     

    “Most of the technical team members have been to the World Cup, so they know what is at stake. I know Ghanaians are not too confident, but they should think back at what happened in the 2006 World Cup. We were out during the group stages at the 2006 AFCON, but when we went to the World Cup, we saw what Ghana did.

    “So, for me, I think we will go there and do well,” he said.

    Ghana has been housed in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay.

    The Black Stars will take on Switzerland in a friendly game on November 17 before flying to Doha on November 19.

  • World Cup 2022: Black Stars can cause surprises – Andre Ayew

    The Black Stars, according to Ghanaian captain Andre Ayew, might be a pleasant surprise at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

    The Ghana National team are participating in the global championship for the first time after being excluded from Russia 2018, where France won.

    The AL Sadd star thinks Ghana, despite being the lowest-ranked (61st) of the 32 nations going into the World Cup, can pull off shocks if they have a healthy roster free of injuries.

    “I believe in the players that we have, I believe in the squad we have, especially if everyone will be there and there are no injuries and we have a full squad. I think we can create surprises, but it’s only on that grass that will speak. But we have to accept and respect the fact that we are not favourites,” said Andre Ayew, team captain.

     

    Ghana has been housed in Group H at the mundial against Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea.

    The Black Stars will open their World Cup account against Portugal on November 24 before taking on Uruguay and South Korea respectively.

    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.

  • Qatar 2022: Each Black Stars player to be paid US$100,000 appearance fee?

    “What we have indicated to them is that we are not going to increase what they had in Brazil. So, whatever they had in Brazil stays because of the current economic circumstances,” this is a comment attributed to Sports Minister, Mustapha Ussif.

    The Minister was speaking in an interview about the preparations of the team for the upcoming Qatar 2022 World Cup.

    2014 demand for US$100,000 appearance fee

    A March 13, 2014 story by the Daily Graphic reported that the Blacks Stars had demanded that they are paid $100,000 (GH₵254,250) per player in appearance fee at the Brazil 2014 World Cup, citing an Allsports.com.gh report.

    The fee is a 25% raise on the $75,000 paid in the 2010 World Cup and was made as part of the team’s petition to its management committee during discussions in Montenegro last week, the report stated.

    In 2006, the team’s first appearance at the Mundial, they earned $50,000 by way of appearance fees.

    In the same petition, the Black Stars told the Ghana Football Association (GFA) that they wanted their winning bonuses to be paid in dollars instead of the cedis the government has proposed.

    Subsequent events led to the players mounting a revolt that forced the government to fly US$3 million in cash to Brazil to settle their fees.

    Government to reveal the budget for 2022 World Cup after team exits – Sports Minister

    Mustapha Ussif also disclosed that the government has budgeted for Ghana’s campaign but that he cannot disclose the details to Ghanaians.

    According to the Sports Minister, they have the budget for the entire tournament, and where the Black Stars will reach will determine the amount of money they will spend in Qatar.

    The Minister stated that Ghanaians will only know about the budget for the 2022 FIFA World Cup when the Black Stars’ campaign ends.

    “We have budgeted for the entire tournament and where we are going to reach will determine how much we will going to spend.”

    “So until we finish the tournament, we can’t tell you (Ghanaians) how much we are going to spend but we have a budget estimated for the entire tournament,” Mustapha Ussif said as quoted by JoySports.

    The Black Stars will begin their 2022 FIFA World Cup with an opening game against Portugal on Thursday, November 24 at the 974 Stadium in Doha, Qatar.

     

    Source:

  • Ghana assistant coach George Boateng lands punditry job for 2022 World Cup

    Black Stars assistant coach, George Boateng has landed a big punditry job for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup.

    The former Aston Villa U-23 gaffer is expected to serve as a pundit for beIN SPORTS at the mundial following confirmation from the Qatari Sports broadcasting giants.

    But it is unknown how the Ghanaian gaffer will combine his assistant coaching role at the Black Stars with the punditry job during the World Cup.

    He will join Kaka, Arsene Wenger, David Villa, Gary Neville, John Terry, Lothar Matthaus and other former footballers to cover the World Cup in the Asian country.

    George Boateng is one of the assistant coaches of the national team.

    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.

    Meanwhile, the Black Stars will take on Switzerland in a friendly before the start of the World Cup.