Sports
Champions league clash: FC Samartex held at home by Raja Casablanca
Premier League champions FC Samartex 1996 were held at home by Moroccan giants Raja Casablanca in the first leg of the CAF Champions League second round clash at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday.
The thrilling encounter leaves FC Samartex 1996 needing a win in the return leg to advance to the group stages of the competition.
Raja Casablanca started strong, taking the lead in the 20th minute through a well-placed effort from Mohamed Azrida.
However, FC Samartex 1996 responded in the 37th minute when Francis Gyetua acrobatic kick was too strong for the Raja goalkeeper to handle, securing the equalizer.
Just before halftime, Michael Ephson put Samartex in front with a stunning strike, giving the Ghanaian club a 2-1 lead at the break.
Raja came back fighting in the second half, and their persistence paid off in the 63rd minute when Mohamed Boulacscout levelled the score with a clinical finish.
Despite efforts from both teams, neither side could find a winning goal, and the match ended 2-2.
Samartex now faces the daunting task of traveling to Morocco for the second leg, where they will need a victory to secure their place in the prestigious group stages of the CAF Champions League.
Midfielder Thomas Partey will miss Ghana’s first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Toronto after Canadian authorities refused him entry.
A FIFA statement to The Athletic confirmed the Arsenal star cannot travel from Ghana’s base camp in Boston, USA, for Wednesday’s, June 17, opener against Panama.
“FIFA can confirm that player Thomas Partey will be unable to travel from Ghana’s team base camp in Boston, USA, to Canada for their first match against Panama on Wednesday, 17 June, as his visa application has been refused by the Canadian government,” the statement read.
FIFA stressed it has no role in immigration decisions: “FIFA is not involved in the immigration processes of host countries, including the adjudication of visas. As with previous FIFA events, the host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and is admitted into the country.”
Canadian immigration rules state that “if you have committed or been convicted of a crime, you may not be allowed into Canada.” Partey has been charged with offenses in the UK but is awaiting trial and has not been convicted.
The Black Stars will now have to do without their midfield anchor for the crucial Group E opener against Panama.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Ghana have arrived in Providence, Rhode Island, for the final phase of preparations ahead of their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign. The team departed Virginia on Thursday afternoon and touched down at T.F. Green International Airport in Rhode Island at about 6:00 p.m.
Head Coach Carlos Queiroz and his squad will resume training on Friday as they fine-tune preparations for their opening Group L game against Panama.
The Black Stars wrapped up a week-long training camp in Washington following their international friendly against Wales in Cardiff.
The camp in Virginia included intensive sessions at the American University and D.C. United training ground and a farewell dinner with the Ghanaian community in Alexandria.
Ghana now enters the final stretch of preparation in Providence before heading to Toronto for the June 17 opener against Panama at Toronto Stadium.
The Black Stars will also face England in Boston on June 23 and Croatia in Philadelphia on June 27 to complete Group L.
Queiroz’s 26-man squad features captain Jordan Ayew, Thomas Partey, Iñaki Williams, Antoine Semenyo, and goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi, who is set for his second successive World Cup.
The team is expected to hold training sessions and series of Community engagement programs in Rhode Island in the coming days.
