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Hughton’s clock ticking (Part 1)

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Chris Hughton

Chris Hughton

 It is becoming increasingly difficult to be involved in conversations over the per­formance of Ghana’s Black Stars without playing the blame game.

In fact, being and re­maining a fan of the national senior team has become a Herculean task which weight is beginning to weigh on the shoulders of fans.

Those that can no longer bear the pain and constant disappointment have called it quit, preferring to stay in neutral corners and ask of results of their matches.

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A lot of fans have taken that difficult decision to stop supporting the Black Stars for many reasons – bordering on player selection, the team’s administrators, the technical team, avoiding heartbreaks and many other reasons.

It is a painful decision because it feels like whatev­er grievances they express just hang around the neck; it gets nowhere near the corridors of power as far as the game’s administration was concerned, let alone to be considered.

The aches and suffering notwithstanding, there re­main a few faithful to the Black Stars course.

Theirs have been that one day the expected changes they crave for or wish to see would happen. For this group of people, their consolation appears to be a frequent diagnosis of the Black Stars ‘ailment’ match after match and suggest ways of address­ing them.

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A senior col­league at work,

 Alhaji Salifu Abdul-Rahaman, is one of such loyal fans of the Black Stars I know. He’ll wear his Black Stars replica jersey on any day or time to show his support for the team while we wonder what keeps him going.

If the team plays on a Saturday, one can bet to see him in his replica jersey the following day to work. We refer to the Black Stars as ‘Alhaji’s team.’

What is left for such loyal fans is the recur­rent post-match analysis that ends up in blame games, that is, identifying problems that contributed to the team’s woeful display and blame players and coaches for that.

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He shared with me an in­teresting observation on one of the social media platforms where a fan expressed indig­nation at Baba Rahman for being at fault for the first of the four goals the USA scored against Ghana in the latest international friendly match played in the wee hours of Wednesday.

Amusingly, Baba Rahman was nowhere near the team that suffered the back-to-back defeats of the Black Stars by the USA and Mexico, two games Ghana registered just a single shot on target.

Obviously, this may be a fan that had missed the lineup but assumed most of the blunders at the back of the team could be associated with the defender.

He is not the only player or victim to have suffered from such imaginative assess­ment. Andre Ayew has been one and even his brother Jordan.

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When they are featured and results do not go in the team’s favour, then they be­come the scapegoats.

When the team performs, then fans understand the need to have experience players in the team.

The coaches are also not spared or isolated from the blame for the choices of players selected for partic­ular games like it happened after the USA match when a fan described the players as mediocre.

This has been the trend for some time now anytime the Black Stars are involved in a game; and it does not look like ending now, at least until the GFA and the Black Stars get their acts right.

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By Andrew Nortey

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Justin Kodua Frimpong files nomination to seek re-election as NPP General Secretary

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General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has filed his nomination to contest the position of General Secretary again as the party begins its rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2028 general elections.

He was accompanied by party stalwarts and supporters who were in high spirits, expressing confidence that he is the right person to hold the position.

Speaking after filing his nomination, Mr Kodua Frimpong assured the rank and file of the party that he would not disappoint them.

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“I can assure you that the faith the rank and file of the party have had in me, I will never disappoint them,” he said.

He also pledged to run a clean campaign devoid of personal attacks.

“I can assure you that our internal campaign will be devoid of personal attacks,” he told his fellow contestants and the rank and file of the party as he seeks to retain his position.

His tenure has seen the party through the 2024 general elections, where the NPP lost power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after eight years in government.

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The party is currently in a rebuilding phase, with internal elections scheduled to elect new national executives to lead its reorganization towards the 2028 polls.

The General Secretary position is considered one of the most influential in the party’s administrative structure, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party secretariat and implementation of party decisions.

By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme

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UGMC disputes Michael Blackson’s claims over late mother’s treatment

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The University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) has disputed claims made on social media by comedian Michael Blackson concerning the treatment given to his late mother, saying a review found that the allegations did not accurately reflect what happened during her stay at the hospital.

In a statement issued in Accra on August 5, 2026, the management of UGMC expressed condolences to Mr. Blackson and his family over the death of his 83-year-old mother, who died at the facility on July 16, 2026.

The hospital said it had taken the concerns raised by Mr. Blackson seriously and conducted a thorough review in line with its clinical and administrative procedures.

According to the statement, the facts presented by Mr. Blackson on social media contained “numerous inaccuracies” and did not accurately reflect the medical care provided to his mother.

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UGMC explained that she was referred to the facility from another hospital and received treatment there from May 27 to July 16, 2026, a period of about eight weeks.

The hospital stated that it would not release details of her diagnosis, treatment, medical records or other aspects of her care because it had a duty to protect patient confidentiality, even after death.

It said the decision was intended to respect the dignity of the deceased and the privacy of her family.

UGMC further stated that all clinical decisions at the facility are made by qualified healthcare professionals based on medical judgment, established standards of care and the best interests of the patient.

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The statement added that such decisions are made in consultation with authorised family representatives where necessary and that billing and financial procedures are governed by institutional policies and are separate from clinical decision-making.

The hospital noted that it values feedback from patients and their families and considers both positive and negative comments important for improving the quality of care.

Mr. Blackson had earlier used social media to criticise the care his mother received at UGMC, prompting the hospital’s response.

By: Jacob Aggrey

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