Hot!
Hearts, Kotoko clash over bragging rights
Kumasi Asante Kotoko will be hoping to exact revenge on arch-rivals Accra Hearts of Oak when the two sides renew their edgy confrontations tomorrow at the Accra Sports Stadium in Ghana football’s ‘Super Clash’, as they honour an outstanding matchday seven fixture of the Ghana Premier League (GPL).
Last season’s title-defining clash on matchday 31 ended with a sublime Daniel Afriyie Barnieh lone-goal eventually handing the league trophy to the Phobians, ending their 12-year chase for the most coveted prize on the domestic football scene.
At the opposite side, it turned out to be an ego-crushing loss for the ‘Porcupine Warriors’ who never got their acts together as their season crumbled afterwards settling for second position on the league log.
This feat etched Hearts coach, Samuel Boadi as a cult figure and a gaffer marked for great exploits at the club as he added the Football Association (FA) Cup to Hearts’ collection last season.
Fast forward to the end of a new season and the tables have turned drastically; Kotoko are flourishing under new trainer, Dr Prosper Nartey Ogum. They lead the chasing pack at the end of the first round with 36 points, six points adrift closest contenders Bechem United who have amassed 30 points.
Meanwhile, Hearts are languishing at eighth position on the log with 24 points and their chances of defending their status quo as champions slipping away as the weeks roll-on.
Coach Boadu now feels the tide turning against him, the love dissipating, especially when his side cracked against Regional foes, Great Olympics recently, in their derby clash, submiting to a 1-0 loss to the ‘Wonder Club’ thus suffering their first home loss of the season and a winless run against Olympics in three outings.
Against this backdrop, coach Boadu is cognisant that a win, no matter its shape or form in this epic clash, will buy him some goodwill and maybe the required trigger needed to transform his side’s season fortunes.
But to achieve this, he needs his best guys to show up. Cringing at the absence of nimble-footed winger Ibrahim Sulley, he has captain Fatawu Mohammed, forward Daniel Afriyie Barnieh, creative force Awako Gladson, striker Kofi Kordzi, Salim Adams, Kojo Obeng Jnr, Isaac Mensah and Black Stars goalie, Richard Attah to count on to deliver a five-star performance whilst veteran Sulley Muntari is expected to provide the necessary inspiration needed for such a high-stake encounter.
Just like Boadu, much would be in play for Kotoko gaffer, Dr Ogum, who would be eager to deepen his affection among the Kotoko faithful –
wary that a win against Hearts would be a masterstroke in attaining that.
It would also be to prove that his side’s 3-2 defeat to King Faisal in the regional derby earlier in the season at the Baba Yara was just a mild setback and that he was up to the task of delivering the needed results against the ‘big boys.’
Despite the absence of injured influencial players, playmaker Brazilian Fabio Gama, young prodigy Isaac Oppong and Ieft-back Ibrahim Imoro out due to suspension, the talent at Dr Ogum’s disposal is still shockingly hard to pick from.
From the league top scorer Franck Etouga and his Cameroonian campatriot George’s Mfegue who boast a combined 15 goals, to midfielders Richard Lamptey, Sheriff Mohammed, Mudasiru Salifu, Justice Blay, Richard Boadu, to the defensive unit of captain Ismail Ganiu and Yusif Mubarik, Coach Ogum has the ensemble of a star-studded cast that can deliver a top performance to make their revenge mission a reality.
BY NANA BENTSI ODURO
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has announced its return to the platforms of Media General following what it describes as successful reconciliation talks between the two sides.
The party’s General Secretary, Justin Frimpong Koduah, made the announcement during an interview on one of the company’s programmes, TV3.
His appearance marks the end of a standoff that kept the NPP away from the media house for about a year.
Mr. Frimpong Koduah explained that after the elections, the party decided to stay away from the station until further notice.
He said during that period, there were several discussions between the party and the management of Media General to resolve their differences.
According to him, the party’s Director of Communications was instructed to issue an official statement confirming that the NPP had “smoked the peace pipe” with Media General and would return to its platforms.
“As General Secretary and chief spokesperson of the party, I needed to appear on the show for the rank and file of our party to know that indeed the NPP is back to Media General,” he said.
He added that party members should not be alarmed when they see NPP communicators appearing on the station’s programmes.
He stressed that the decision to return is official and based on a gentleman’s agreement reached by both parties.
Mr. Frimpong Koduah noted that both the political party and the media house need each other to function effectively in a democracy.
He expressed hope that going forward, there would be mutual respect and a level playing field in their relationship.
He urged the media house to engage the right party officials when seeking the NPP’s position on national issues.
According to him, some individuals in the past claimed to speak for the party but did not represent its official position.
In a related development, management of Media General issued a statement welcoming the NPP’s decision to return.
The statement said the company has consistently upheld high standards of journalism ethics, fearless reporting and impartial coverage.
The company assured the public of its continued commitment to truth and fairness.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Government Communicator , Dr Sammy Ayeh, has defended the decision to recall Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mohammed Baba Jamal, amid public debate over alleged vote buying issues linked to the Ayawaso contest.
Dr Ayeh dismissed suggestions that the recall should be compared to the case of Hajia Amina Adam, who has been mentioned by some commentators as a government appointee.
He argued that the comparison does not hold because the two roles are not the same.
He questioned claims that Hajia Amina Adam serves on three boards, stating that only the Hajj Board has been publicly identified.
He indicated that there was no clear evidence to support assertions that she holds multiple board positions.
According to Dr Ayeh, Baba Jamal’s former position as High Commissioner carried a different level of responsibility.
He explained that a high commissioner represents the President and Ghana’s image abroad, which he described as distinct from board membership.
He maintained that the recall should therefore not be interpreted as unfair or inconsistent treatment.
In his view, the nature of Baba Jamal’s diplomatic role justified separate consideration.
By: Jacob Aggrey
