Sports
CAF Champions League prelims… Hearts eager to tame WAC
One of the fiercest football battles will be waged on Sunday when Ghana Premier League giants, Hearts of Oak, engage Morocco powerhouse, Wydad Athletic Club (WAC) in the first leg second round preliminary tie at the Accra Sports Stadium.
After thrashing lower-tier side Dzida 6-1 in a test game, the Phobians will be aiming to give the Moroccans a taste of their cake before making a trip to Casablanca a week later for the return fixture.
The 2000 CAF Champions League showed CI Kamsar the exit door after edging pass the Guinea opponents in one-off game weeks ago to book a battle with the 21-time Moroccan champions.
Should the Rainbow lads cross this daunting hurdle against the former African champions, they will feature in the group stages of the most prestigious club competition on the continent for the first time since 2006.
The last time Hearts played against a Moroccan club, they failed to advance to the next stage of the competition after Raja Casablanca managed a draw in Accra and narrowly beat Hearts 1-0 in Casablanca for the second leg.
However, some pundits of the game argue the recent long-standing absence of the Phobians and the consistence performance of Wydad on the continent will be too difficult a hurdle to cross with WAC already recording a 100 per cent output in the league after five games.
Currently on top of the league, the Moroccans will be counting on prowess of star man Zouheir El Moutaraji to cause havoc to the backline of Hearts.
The young Moroccan forward has scored two in five games and will be eager to continue his sublime form, come Sunday.
Coach Samuel Boadu and his charges are poised to leave no stone unturned as they aim to make the group stages.
Forward Kofi Kordzi, Daniel Afriyie and Isaac Mensah could headline the attack. The return of midfielder Abdul Aziz Nurudeen will be huge boost as midfielder Emmanuel Nettey has been reported a doubt for the tough clash.
By Linus Siaw Nartey
Captain of Ghana’s National U-15 Boys team, Abdul Aziz Issa, says the exposure gained at the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival 2026 in Azerbaijan will be vital for the development of the squad.
Ghana finished 7th out of 189 countries after an impressive campaign, winning eight of ten matches.
“I think we played well, the exposure was good for our development, and we can’t thank FIFA and the GFA enough for this amazing platform,” Issa said.
“I’m so very happy to be part of this FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival 2026 in Azerbaijan. I want to thank my colleagues for how far we have brought Ghana in this tournament.”
The captain believes the experience will prepare the group for future challenges at U-17 and U-20 level.
Ghana enjoyed an outstanding tournament, scoring 44 goals and establishing themselves among the top seven teams.
Their dominant group stage saw them score 27 goals while conceding just three. Salifu Fatawu’s side opened with a commanding 4-1 win over Uzbekistan, thrashed Myanmar 7-1, recorded emphatic 7-0 wins over Guam and the Bahamas, before rounding off the group with a 2-1 triumph over Kazakhstan.
Their pursuit of a higher finish suffered a setback in the knockout phase after elimination by Paraguay in a dramatic encounter.
The team bounced back to finish 7th, including a commanding 4-0 victory over Colombia in their final game, despite suffering a 7-1 defeat to Brazil in the Tier A Ranking Play-Offs.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Spanish Police have opened an investigation into the death of CD Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel following his on-field collision with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono.
The 30-year-old forward died on Tuesday, November 3, at age 30, after suffering a cardiorespiratory arrest during a LaLiga 2 match at the Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López on Monday. f350
According to police sources cited by EFE, the case is under judicial supervision. The incident occurred in stoppage time when Owono rushed out of his penalty area to challenge for a long ball near midfield and collided heavily with De Miguel, striking him in the chest. The goalkeeper was shown a straight red card.
De Miguel was taken to Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria where he remained in intensive care until his death on Tuesday morning. CD Tenerife confirmed the passing in a statement: “Racked with pain… we communicate the tragic passing… of Jesús de Miguel Alameda”.
The National Police’s Homicide Group in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is leading the inquiry. Judicial authorities in the Canary Islands clarified that such an investigation is automatically opened whenever a death occurs from non-natural causes and does not by itself establish criminal responsibility.
While reports indicate police are examining possible involuntary manslaughter under Article 142 of Spain’s Penal Code, chief prosecutor José Luis Sánchez-Jáuregui believes it is highly unlikely that criminal proceedings will be brought because the collision occurred during normal play.
Authorities will review the referee’s match report, match footage, medical reports and the findings of the sports disciplinary committee to determine whether the challenge constituted dangerous play.
For now, no judicial ruling has established criminal responsibility on the part of the Andorra goalkeeper and the investigation remains open as Spanish football mourns De Miguel.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
