Sports
Gt. Oly to cut Kotoko’s lead further
Second-placed Accra Great Olympics will be eager to rev up their title ambitions slicing league leaders, Asante Kotoko’s lead to six points by securing a win against Accra Lions at the Accra Sports Stadium in their Ghana Premier league (GPL) Week 19 fixture tomorrow.
With Kotoko and Hearts absent from league duties this weekend after the two traditional giants battled it out yesterday in the Presidents’ Cup, Olympics can momentarily seize the occasion to cut Kotoko’s 40 points haul by increasing their tally to 34 points.
This also puts a distance between Olympics and third and fourth-placed sides, Bechem United and Aduana Stars respectively, both on 30 points and desperate to displace Olympics.
The ‘Wonder Club’ showed a lot of character and fighting spirit to hustle a late 2-1 winner against visiting Real Tamale United (RTU), signifying their status as an eminent contender for the title race.
But playing as the visitors on this occasion against Lions who sit on the edge of the relegation drop zone, Coach Annor Walker and his boys must expect a spirited fight from the young team, who have shown not to lack in talent but in finishing and experience and bear a strong resolve to avenge their 3-1 defeat suffered at the hands of Olympics in the first round.
In a game that will significantly impact the chase for top-four places, fourth-placed Aduana Stars will be seeking a revenge mission against fifth-placed King Faisal as the two sides clash at the Baba Yara Stadium.
King Faisal knocked Aduana Stars 3-1 at Dormaa, shattering their long-held record as an invincible ground for visiting teams and with Aduana’s 30 points just a point better than Faisal’s 29 points, they will be motivated to exact their revenge to put a significant distance between them and the Kumasi-based club.
Given the onerous nature of Aduana’s task as Faisal have lost just once at the Baba Yara, much will be expected of ‘Ogya boys’ marksman, Bright Adjei, who has hit fine fettle – bagging 11 goals – just two goals shy of Kotoko’s Cameroonian marksman, Franck Etouga, to provide the clinical moments Aduana needs to emerge victorious.
In other Sunday fixtures, 14th-placed Bibiani Gold Stars will welcome sixth-placed Medeama to the Dun’s Park; eight-placed Karela United host tottering Ashantigold at the CAM Park, whilst Eleven Wonders will draw inspiration from their 4-1 walloping of Ashgold at Obuasi as they confront Berekum Chelsea in a derby clash at the Ohene Ameyaw Park.
High-scoring Dreams will account for bottom-side Elmina Sharks at the Dawu Theatre of Dreams, while the early fixture today will witness RTU’s attempt to quickly shrug off their last-gasp loss to Olympics when they lock horns with Legon Cities at the Tamale Sports Stadium.
BY NANA BENTSI ODURO
Asante Kotoko SC has announced with deep sadness the passing of its former Brands and Marketing Manager, Kweku Hammond.
In a statement released by the club, Kotoko described Hammond’s death as untimely and expressed heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and loved ones.
“Although his time with the club was brief, Kweku served with dedication, diligence, and unwavering commitment to Asante Kotoko,” the club stated. “His contributions and loyalty to the club will not be forgotten.”
Kweku Hammond served in the club’s Brands and Marketing department, where he played a role in promoting the Porcupine Warriors’ brand and engaging supporters.
The club assured that it will continue to honour his memory and legacy.
“May his soul rest in perfect peace,” the statement concluded.
Fans and members of the football fraternity have since joined the club in mourning, sharing tributes to Hammond for his professionalism and commitment during his time at club.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
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
