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Can Hearts survive in Casablanca?
A huge task awaits Hearts of Oak tomorrow in Casablanca, Morocco, when they square off with Wydad Athletic Club (WAC) in the second leg of the preliminary round of the CAF Champions League.
Wounded WAC would be looking forward to overturn the 1-0 defeat suffered in the hands of Hearts last Sunday to qualify to the next round of the competition.
With the winner of the encounter making it to the group stage (money zone) while the loser would be relegated to the Confederations Cup, the North African giants would give their guests a good run for their money.
Hearts, however, would go into the game beaming with confidence after their 1-0 advantage and the level of quality displayed by Coach Samuel Boadu’s side in their first leg fixture is an added fillip.
Isaac Mensah scored the only goal in the exciting first leg encounter to give his side a huge advantage ahead of tomorrow’s game.
Though there were indications that the game would be played behind closed doors as part of COVID-19 preventive measures, the Ghanaian champions would be expected to remain confident and protect their advantage to scale through to the next stage of the competition.
The likes of Daniel Afriyie Barnieh, Isaac Mensah (first leg goal scorer), Emmanuel Nettey, Kofi Kodzi and young sensation Salim Adams would be expected to make a tick for Hearts in Morocco.
After missing out on continental football since 2015, Hearts would leave no stone unturned in an attempt to remain in this year’s Champions league and possibly replicate their outstanding feat of 2000; arguably the most successful year in the club’s history.
Hearts won the FA Cup and the premier league in 2000 and went ahead to win the CAF Champions League.
With the FA Cup and premier league already in the bag, Hearts looked motivated to go in for the ultimate Champions League.
The home side would also be hoping to make their home advantage count in order to upset the Phobians.
The likes of Yahia Attiat-Allah, Ayman El Hassouni and Muaid Ellafi had a good game in Accra would be a thorn in the defence of Hearts.
It promises to be a keenly contested encounter with both teams desperate to qualify to the group stages of the CAF Champions League, scheduled for February next year.
By Michael Abayateye
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
