Sports
Aurum Global rolls out matchday booklet ahead of Ghana-Mali clash
Aurum Global Enterprises, in collaboration with the National Sports Authority (NSA), has launched the “Ghana Matchday Booklet,” a new initiative designed to improve public access to sports information in both print and digital formats.
Initially focusing on the Black Stars next 2026 World Cup qualifier against The Eagles of Mali on Monday September 8 at the Accra Sports Stadium, the Ghana Matchday Booklet will eventually cover all 52 sporting federations under the NSA.
The aim is to create a central resource for vital information on game day activities, fixtures, events, and promotional opportunities, ultimately strengthening the international profile of Ghanaian sports.
The launch event head at the Accra Sports Stadium last Friday was attended by the Director General of the NSA, Mr Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, Member of Parliament for Takoradi, Mr Okyere Darko-Mensah, heads of NSA-affiliated sporting federations, and other dignitaries.
Dr Steven Blessing Ackah, Executive Director of Aurum Global Partners, explained that the booklet was inspired by a desire to better showcase Ghanaian sports to the world, highlighting not only football but all 52 federations under the NSA and urged the federations to come on board.
He recalled Aurum Global’s previous initiative in 2022, presenting Black Stars midfielder Mohammed Kudus with a 24-karat gold commemorative coin, which gained national and international recognition.
“That showed us the importance of celebrating our athletes and documenting their achievements,” Dr. Ackah said.
“With this booklet, we want to create a platform where all sports in Ghana, not just football, can gain visibility and attract investment.”
NSA Director General, Mr Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, stated that the booklet represents a step toward building stronger partnerships for sports development and has the potential to benefit all 52 federations under his outfit.
“This is not just a football brochure or calendar; it’s for every federation, from athletics to boxing, hockey, swimming, rugby, and more,” he said.
“Aurum Global brings global expertise, having worked within prestigious events like the Monaco Grand Prix. We want to tap into that experience to maximize exposure and attract sponsors for Ghanaian sports.”
On his part Mr Darko-Mensah hailed the initiative as a “game-changer,” emphasising that talent alone is not enough to develop sports in Ghana.
According to him, sports must be viewed as a business, and this initiative fills a critical gap by supporting teams and associations with organizational and strategic backing.
By Raymond Ackumey
Accra Hearts of Oak will aim to assume the top spot of the Ghana Premier League (GPL) when they travel to Tema to face Vision FC at the Nii Adjei Kraku Sports Complex today.
Perched at the second spot and trailing leaders Medeama with three points, the Phobians would need to snatch the maximum points and a superior goal aggregate to have a taste of the top spot, at least for a day.
It will be a game full of fireworks considering Hearts’ impressive performance on the road against Vision’s strength at home.
The Matchday 6 games would also witness a Saturday clash between Heart of Lions and Berekum Chelsea FC at the Kpando Stadium.
Asante Kotoko’s home clash against Young Apostles will headline tomorrow’s games as they aim to bounce back after the previous week’s defeat in Swedru.
At the Nsenkyire Sports Arena, FC Samartex will test Medeama SC’s character when they clash in what could affect their respective positions on the table after the round seven matches.
After the giant-killing feat over Asante Kotoko, Swedru All Blacks will lock horns with Karela United at the Swedru Stadium just as Basake Holy Stars engage Bechem United at the AAK II Sports Arena,
Fireworks is anticipated at the Debibi Presby Park in the Bono region where Debibi United FC look poised to face Gold Stars.
At the Nana Agyemang Badu I Park, Aduana FC will welcome FC Ashantigold in a clash that will see fans applaud afternoon.
By Andrew Nortey
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Over two decades ago, I made a statement that if I was given the sole responsibility to come out with the league fixtures for the season, I could give some advantage to some clubs and make winning the league difficult for other clubs. People laughed it off.
To them, it didn’t make sense because in a league in which all clubs play each other twice, things will ‘balance out,’ and the best club will win. I disagree, and I will explain.
In recent times, it seems Kumasi Asante Kotoko has more difficult first five games in the league than arch rivals Accra Hearts of Oak. Debatable?
This is exactly one of the ways to make it difficult for a club to win the league (if a club is marginally better than the others). How can making the first matches in the league difficult for a club lead to a disadvantage for the club?
A. The club starts on a poor note and may struggle to catch up
Imagine a club playing its first five matches against its most difficult opponents. If the club draws all five matches, it will end up with five points. A rival club that plays its easiest matches in the first five games could end up with 15 points.
It will not be easy for the club with five points to catch up with the club with 15 points because other factors will come in.
B. Psychological ‘boost’ for the winning club and possible stress/’depression’ for the seemingly struggling club
The team that is winning gets a boost. They appear to be better. Their players get confident. Their strikers may be leading on the Goal King chart. Their goalkeeper(s) will be having more clean sheets – finishing matches without conceding goals.
This will be opposite for the team that played more difficult matches. The supporters may be demanding more from the players, putting them under more pressure.
Some of the players may ‘crack’ under the pressure. New players are especially more difficult to settle down. They may end up on the bench for subsequent matches and may struggle to recover and come back into the first team.
C. The coach may be sacked or may resign/leave under pressure
The coach of the club that plays more difficult matches will come under pressure. The coach is likely going to be judged by the points accrued and the position of the club on the league table, not by the quality of opposition faced.
The pressure will come from the bosses and the supporters. The coach may end up being sacked or resigning/leaving under pressure.
D. Players more likely to get injured in tough matches
The club that plays more difficult matches is likely to record more injuries of its players early in the season. Some players may miss the whole season through injuries.
On the other hand, the club that plays easier matches earlier in the season will have the luxury to substitute and rest players when they are comfortably leading in matches.
Players may not have to exert themselves so much, reducing the risk of injuries.
E. Supporters abandon the team that is not winning and may not go to the stadium to give home support
If a club is not winning, its supporters may not pay money to go to the stadium to watch matches. In fact, they may not even go to the stadium if they are asked to go and watch matches for free.
This will not only have financial consequences for the club, an almost empty stadium takes away the home advantage from the ‘intimidation’ of supporters.
The above are all reasons why the first games in the league can give an advantage or a disadvantage to clubs.
Once this it accepted, it means there must be fairness in coming up with the league fixtures if we want the best club(s) to emerge as winners who can represent the country and not disgrace the country internationally.
A transparent way of coming up with the league fixtures is needed (like how balloting is done for knockout competitions).
This way, clubs and individuals cannot complain that someone or some people decided to favour some clubs through the league fixtures.
By Dr. (Med) Kofi Effah
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