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Abednego’s show of valour and grit
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• Zlatan Abednego – Showed extraordinary character
Nobody gave him a dog’s chance to return to the pitch. He was virtually written off – and condemned into the abyss.
But he never gave up. He banished the demons and fought the odds with ruthless intensity. Today, he is the Goal King of the 2022/2023 betPawa Ghana Premier League (GPL) season.
He goes by the name Abednego Tetteh and known in football circles as ‘Zlatan.’ His Swedish mentor Zlatan Ibrahimović is legendary for his acrobatic strikes and volleys, powerful long-range shots, and excellent technique and ball control. He is regarded as one of the greatest strikers of all time and is one of the most decorated footballers in the world.
Perhaps, that is where Abednego tapped his inspiration from when the chips were down and nearly everybody gave up on him.
After a stint with Al Hilal of Sudan three seasons ago, Abednego returned home to take a sober reflection of his career – after which he decided to join Hearts of Oak for the 2020/2021 season. It was a good move, but even though Hearts clinched the Premiership title, Zlatan had little playing time. He, therefore, decided to leave last season to join King Faisal.
Things did not work out well as he envisaged, as the former Bechem United goal-monger only managed to score just a goal in a number of games. He was disillusioned, but temporarily.
Following another unsuccessful spell with Alhaji Grusah’s King Faisal, Abednego stumbled out again to review his career. He was down. He was dispirited. He was rattled and was wondering what holds in future for him. Importantly, he never gave up. He believed he could still find his scoring boots once again.
Up next was an unexpected move to Bibiani Gold Stars. Zlatan was determined to prove the cynics wrong. He was all-too confident of the supreme energy bottled up in his strong, resilient body.
However, as usual, many thought he was going to follow the same pattern. The general expectation was that there would not be any rains of goals in his ‘goal-famished’ boots. Others say he was finished!
But instead of allowing the past challenges to weigh him down, Abednego found inspiration from the slump and instead worked his socks off in Michael Osei’s Bibiani side. Day-in-day-out, he treaded steadily as he chased the pack of top goal scorers. Many saw him as pretender. He cared less – and moved on unstoppably. That is the character of a true striker who refused to be suppressed!
Today, Abednego ‘Zlatan’ Tetteh is Ghana’s Goal King with 18 goals, upstaging the likes of Bechem United’s Wontah Hafiz Konkoni (15), Tamale City’s Sampson Eduku (14) and Asante Kotoko’s Steven Desse Mukwala (11) – all of whom had stolen an imposing lead.
Though the move to Gold Stars – considered a less pressuring environment, it took the irrepressible character of the striker to surmount the challenges ahead of him and to put a bitter, disquieting past behind him.
Tetteh becomes the sixth player in the history of the Ghana Premiership to win the golden shoe with 18 goals. The records say, Emmanuel Quarshie (Sekondi Hasaacas) swaggered away the GPL golden shoe with 18 goals in 1980 – a feat which was jointly achieved in the 2002 season by Bernard Don Bortey and Charles Asampong Taylor (all of Hearts of Oak).
In the 2005 season, Prince Tagoe (Hearts of Oak) also was adjudged top scorer of the league season after scoring 18 goals at the end of the season. The feat was encored 10 years later in the 2020-2021 season when Diawusie Taylor (Karela United) finished the season as top scorer also with 18 goals.
It is quite surprising that the lad who placed second on the Goal-king chart – Konkoni, was accorded the priority ahead of Abnego – the league top scorer, when a late invitation was made for a place in the Black Stars. Some of these decisions confound the mind.
Advice to Zlatan is to continue working hard, put this stunning feat behind him and dream big into the spangling future! He still has more under his sleeve to unveil.
By John Vigah
The University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) has disputed claims made on social media by comedian Michael Blackson concerning the treatment given to his late mother, saying a review found that the allegations did not accurately reflect what happened during her stay at the hospital.
In a statement issued in Accra on August 5, 2026, the management of UGMC expressed condolences to Mr. Blackson and his family over the death of his 83-year-old mother, who died at the facility on July 16, 2026.
The hospital said it had taken the concerns raised by Mr. Blackson seriously and conducted a thorough review in line with its clinical and administrative procedures.
According to the statement, the facts presented by Mr. Blackson on social media contained “numerous inaccuracies” and did not accurately reflect the medical care provided to his mother.
UGMC explained that she was referred to the facility from another hospital and received treatment there from May 27 to July 16, 2026, a period of about eight weeks.
The hospital stated that it would not release details of her diagnosis, treatment, medical records or other aspects of her care because it had a duty to protect patient confidentiality, even after death.
It said the decision was intended to respect the dignity of the deceased and the privacy of her family.
UGMC further stated that all clinical decisions at the facility are made by qualified healthcare professionals based on medical judgment, established standards of care and the best interests of the patient.
The statement added that such decisions are made in consultation with authorised family representatives where necessary and that billing and financial procedures are governed by institutional policies and are separate from clinical decision-making.
The hospital noted that it values feedback from patients and their families and considers both positive and negative comments important for improving the quality of care.
Mr. Blackson had earlier used social media to criticise the care his mother received at UGMC, prompting the hospital’s response.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has directed all aspirants campaigning in the Greater Accra Region to suspend their campaign activities on August 5 and 6 and instead mobilise supporters for the party’s planned “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration.
The directive was issued by the party’s National Steering Committee in a statement signed by the NPP General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, on Tuesday.
According to the statement, the decision forms part of efforts to ensure a strong turnout for the demonstration, which is scheduled for Thursday, August 6, 2026.
The party said the protest would begin at 5:00 a.m., with participants expected to gather at the Supreme Court in Accra.
It further directed Regional, Constituency and Polling Station Executives in Greater Accra to work closely to mobilise members and supporters for the event.
“The National Steering Committee is calling on all aspirants currently campaigning across the Greater Accra Region to temporarily suspend their campaign activities on the 5th and 6th of August and join in mobilising support for the upcoming demonstration,” the statement noted.
The NPP appealed to party members and supporters to remain peaceful, disciplined and orderly throughout the protest.
The demonstration forms part of the party’s response to concerns it has raised over issues relating to Ghana’s democratic governance and the justice system.
The NPP leadership expressed confidence that party members would cooperate fully to ensure a successful and peaceful event.
By: Jacob Aggrey
