Sports
Hudson-Odoi and Nketiah will add nothing to Black Stars – Derek Boateng
Former Ghana midfielder Derek Boateng has argued that inviting Callum Hudson-Odoi and Eddie Nketiah to the Black Stars will not benefit the team and could rather create problems within the squad.
Boateng shared his views during a discussion with Sporty fm on the ongoing debate about whether players who did not feature in Ghana’s qualifiers should be invited to the national team.
He stated that he did not think it was fair for players who failed to commit during qualification matches to be called up later, especially when others had worked hard throughout the campaign.
According to him, such decisions could hurt team unity and morale, stressing that football at the national level depended heavily on fairness and collective effort.
Boateng recalled an incident from his time with the national team to support his argument.
He explained that when the team travelled for an African qualifier, former Black Stars player Kevin-Prince Boateng was invited but failed to show up.
However, when the team later prepared to play a friendly match in England, the player appeared at the hotel and wanted to join the squad.
He noted that the technical team and players at the time insisted that Kevin-Prince Boateng leave the camp, explaining that it was unacceptable for a player to skip important qualifiers and then show up only for high-profile matches.
Boateng stressed that the same principle should apply now, insisting that Hudson-Odoi and Nketiah should not be invited because it would be unfair to players who featured in the qualifiers.
When asked whether the two England-based players would add anything positive to the team if invited, the former midfielder was emphatic that they would not.
He warned that bringing them in could create tension and division within the squad, as players who worked hard to qualify might feel sidelined and lose motivation.
Boateng explained that football was about teamwork and trust, and introducing players who did not take part in the qualification process could lead to resentment among teammates.
He, however, clarified that he did not entirely blame Hudson-Odoi and Nketiah for not playing for Ghana earlier, noting that there was a lack of proper engagement and support for them at the beginning of their international careers.
Despite this, Boateng maintained that the interest of the team should come first, adding that inviting the two players now would do more harm than good for the Black Stars.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ashantigold SC has terminated the contracts of three members of its technical team with immediate effect.
The affected officials are head coach and technical director Abdul Karim Zito, assistant coach Ernest Okyere, and goalkeepers’ trainer Robert Dabo.
The decision was announced in a statement signed by the club’s Chief Executive Officer, Edward Kwasi Akuoko.
According to the statement, the decision was taken following a consultative meeting by the Interim Management Committee on Monday, October 26, 2026.
The club says a caretaker coach has been appointed to steer the affairs of the team until a substantive coach/technical director is appointed.
Management expressed gratitude to the affected officials for their contribution and service to the team and wished them well in their future endeavours.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
England captain Harry Kane says it was extra special to be presented with the Ballon d’Or by one of his childhood idols.
Kane made the comment after receiving the prestigious award from former Brazilian striker Ronaldo Nazario.
“Ronaldo was one of my idols growing up,” Kane said.
The Bayern Munich striker described the moment as surreal, being honoured by a player he looked up to as a young footballer.
Kane was announced as the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner on Monday, October 26, at the London Palladium, marking the 70th anniversary of the award and the first time the ceremony was held outside France.
The 33-year-old beat stiff competition from second-placed Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal to win his first ever Ballon d’Or.
He becomes the first Englishman to win the coveted individual award in 25 years since Michael Owen in 2001, and only the fifth Englishman ever after Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Owen.
He is also the first Bayern Munich player to win the award since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981.
Kane won the award after a remarkable season in which he scored 61 goals in 51 club matches, the most a Bayern player has ever scored in one campaign.
Including England matches, it was 73 goals plus eight assists in 65 matches. His 73 goals is the second-highest single-season total ever behind Lionel Messi’s 82 in 2011-12.
Despite the goal haul, Kane did not win the Champions League or World Cup, with Bayern losing 6-5 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-finals and England losing 2-1 to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final before finishing third.
The award was presented by Brazilian great Ronaldo Nazario, a two-time Ballon d’Or winner himself, adding what was described as a special dimension to Kane’s historic achievement.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
