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We are ready – Laryea Kingston speaks ahead of WAFU Zone B U17 Championship
Black Starlets Head Coach Laryea Kingston is full of confidence ahead of his side’s opening game with Ivory Coast in the WAFU Zone B U17 Championship.
The former national hero is optimistic his boys are ready to face their Ivorian counterparts in the championship.
Laryea believes the team has prepared very well for the tournament and is sure his boys will deliver on today.
Speaking ahead of the game, Laryea applauded the Ghana Football Association for the support offered to his team in preparing for the tournament.
“We are ready,” he said.
“Preparations have been very good and from our last training, the boys are looking very good for the game,” he added.
Laryea, however, admitted that there is pressure on him and his players to deliver since Ghana has not been able to qualify for the U20 AFCON since 2017.
According to him, “Yes, we’re under pressure to perform because in the last two editions, we have not been able to qualify. I know Ghanaians expect us to qualify and that puts some pressure on us.”
“There is pressure on us but where we’ve taken the boys to and the preparations we have had, thanks to the FA, we’re ready,” Coach Laryea Kingston concluded.
The Black Starlets are in Group A with Ivory Coast and Benin.
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
