Sports
Baubali, new face of pro boxing in Ghana
THE names of Braimah ‘Bukom Banku’ Kamoko and Ayitey Powers are considered legends of professional boxing in Ghana not just because of the laurels they won.
These were boxers that started their careers from the middle weights and ended as light heavyweights and would go down in history as fighters that spiced the sport with entertainment.
In their absence, a new kid “Ernest Akushey” has emerged, cracking the ribs of fans with his showboating before and after fights.
Significantly, Banku and Powers failed to reach the heights of other legends like Azumah Nelson, Ike Quartey, Joshua Clottey, Nana Yaw Konadu, Agbeko and others that jumped to stardom by winning world titles.
But Bukom Banku and Powers have a huge attraction and are even more popular than some of the world title winners, thanks to the entertainment and satirical moments they created around the sport.
Of the two, Powers has a poor fight record, losing more fights than what he won.
Bukom Banku became the WBO Africa light heavyweight champion for some time when he was signed by the Goldenmike Boxing Promotion.
The exit of the world champions created doubts in the minds of boxing lovers as to what the future holds but likes of Richard Commey and Isaac Dogboe emerged with successful world title bids.
Sadly, their reins didn’t last.
But the voids between those periods were always filled by these two boxing icons who always get the arena filled to capacity.
Be it individual clashes or the case of them facing each other, one thing would be guaranteed, that’s the arena would be filled to the brim.
What they lacked in laurels, they complement with the humorous events and activities before, during and after their fights. Their rendition of the English language would always attract the media for interviews.
Both are also musicians and always dazzle fans as special guests on the entertainment package that comes with the promotions.
A fight between Bukom Banku and Powers staged by Box Office Sports (BOS) grinded to a halt every activity in the capital. On both television and radio, issues about the fight dominated discussion programmes and on the fight night, fans filled the arena as early as 7pm. That is the kind of appeal they have on Ghana boxing.
In their retirement, they have tried to stay relevant, continuing with their episodes as Banku threatened to fight his own sons in the ring.
But while the Banku-Powers fever is die-down, Akushey appears to be in a position to sustain the comic moments, making the sport enjoy unprecedented trends in every corner.
The mention of his nickname Baubali will get the whole arena roar and get everyone fired up for an explosive evening.
In his last fight on Saturday against Jonathan Tetteh in a light heavyweight championship, he was kayoed on two occasions before ending it all in the seventh round.
In his post-fight comments, Baubali humbly admitted to losing to a better fighter but vowed to comeback for the title.
That comment attracted a huge applause from the fans who had followed him in both traditional and social media platforms.
Baubali videos have gone viral, showing fans which of his punches is capable of sending an opponent to the mortuary and which one could send one to Awudome (local cemetery in Accra).
He has other punches that makes an opponent sad and one that makes him laugh. These are what he brings to the table for Ghana boxing and he has been accepted.
By Andrew Nortey
Sports
‘Black Stars not there yet’
After seeing Mali undone by Alexander Djiku’s second half strike to give Ghana a 1-0 victory over Mali on Monday in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Accra, Otto Addo gave his thoughts in the post-match press conference.
Below are excerpts.
On the game against Mali
You could see that we have a young squad and players who haven’t been playing often for the national team so far; that made them nervous. I think we got a good game.
We increased the pressure early in the second half, and managed to score out of a set piece. And then it was pure fight afterwards, especially the period after the goal.
On decision-making in the final third
I think if you have played before, you know that sometimes there’s a little bounce from the ball or the position is close and you think too much, I told them actually, but as a footballer, it’s normal that you try to look for a perfect solution.
Semenyo’s performance
He did really well, you know, it’s difficult to compare games from the Premier League with games in Africa and Ghana. It’s very, very difficult and then all games have their own nature and surely you can say that he stands more out in the Premier League, but for me today he was excellent, he fought until he couldn’t run anymore.
On Gideon Mensah
Well, I think sometimes he’s a little bit too confident and we had, especially after the Chad game, had some talks and for everyone who has played football on a higher level.
If he does it in La Liga, it’s fine because in La Liga, if you lose the ball to your opponent, he will counter-press you. He needs to simplify his game sometimes. Didn’t look too complicated, but it’s difficult sometimes if you’re coming from a different environment to switch your thinking.
On Kwasi Sibo’s performance
First of all, big congrats for him. I think he really did well. It’s not easy to come from a different environment to fit into the squad, but yeah, he knows a lot of players already in the team and he connected well. He’s very, very confident and I think he did extremely well, especially when you see that this was his first match. .
On Ghanaians being overly expectant
No, I think the expectations are normal. We are Ghana. For me, if everybody is talking before the Chad game that we already won and we are already taking the three points, it’s dangerous because if this gets to the heads of the fans, it’s a problem for me.
I’m warning everybody who think we have already gone to the World Cup to take things easy. It’s not like that. We have to give the same effort as today to beat Central African Republic. If we don’t do this, it’s a big problem. We have a lot of work to do. A lot of work. It’s going to be very, very difficult.
On goal scoring
You know, the last window, we scored eight goals. I think it was ok, but we can’t expect it all the time. So I hope that the players who missed the chances would score the next time. But it’s all about learning, improving and adapting always to the circumstances.
And I think in each situation, they could have taken one, two, three steps more or more time to look for the partner to have a better overview to give the right pass.
Sports
Black Queens Set to Face England Lionesses in International Friendly
The Black Queens will face the Lionesses of England in a high-profile international friendly on December 2,2025 per agreement between the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the England Football Association.
After reaching the semi-finals at the 2024 WAFCON, the Black Queens are determined to build on that performance and establish themselves among the elite teams on the continent.
This match comes off as part of Ghana’s preparations for all international assignments, including the 2026 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
The fixture against England, one of the world’s top-ranked sides and reigning European champions, is expected to provide the Queens with a tough test that will sharpen the squad.
Head coach Kim Lars Björkegren will also seize the golden opportunity to measure the team’s progress, expose the players to world-class opposition, and correct areas that need improvement.
The Black Queens will head into the encounter motivated to put up a strong performance, not only to test their readiness but also to showcase the strides Ghana continues to make in women’s football on the international stage.
