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Indeed, the time is now, Black Stars
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‘’The time we have all been waiting for is here. Months of thinking about the AFCON, weeks of preparing and days of travelling, have finally brought us to the time all of us have been waiting for. It is that time that we have to forget about all the things that have happened in the past, come together with that singular ambition of making history for yourselves and for Ghana.
‘’It is that time that all of us have to stand up and be counted. It is our time to bring the country together. It is our time to use football to revive the spirit of our youth. It is our time to use football to bring hope and happiness to our country.’’
The above quote from the Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Kurt Okraku perfectly captures the atmosphere created by the 34th edition of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament scheduled for Cote d’Ivoire and set to kick off today.
At exactly 8pm, the Black Stars will commence their campaign for a fifth AFCON trophy to break a 42-year trophy drought with a group opener against Cape Verde.
This campaign is coming at a time when Black Stars fans appear crest-fallen with pride and ego dropping to its lowest ebb. There are a few out there, however, with some level of confidence and enthusiasm in the team that has regularly produced poor results in recent times in qualifiers.
That is the reason why the lucky 27 players selected by Coach Chris Hughton needed no reminders like what the FA President put out to know the responsibilities on their shoulders.
The 27-member team included Richard Ofori, Joseph Wollacott, Lawrence Ati-Zigi, Alidu Seidu, Denis Odoi, Kingsley Schindler, Gideon Mensah, Abdul Fatawu Hamid, Nicholas Opoku and Salisu Mohammed.
The others are Osman Bukari, Joseph Painstil, Ernest Nuamah, Jordan Ayew, Antoine Semenyo, Inaki Williams, Jonathan Sowah and Daniel Amartey.
The rest include Alexander Djiku, Baba Iddrisu, Elisha Owusu, Abdul Samed Salis, Richmond Lamptey, Majeed Ashimeru, Mohammed Kudus, Andre Ayew, Ransford Yeboah Koningsdoffer with Chris Hughton as the Head Coach.
These players know better than all and have a better understanding of what it means to be handed places in national teams. It comes with pride and enhances the player’s status.
However, it also comes with a huge responsibility to put everything aside in defence of the country’s flag at the biggest continental football platform.
The FA President therefore minced no words when he reminded the team of the times in which they found themselves. Indeed, this is the time to deliver what a particular generation of Ghanaian football fans have not experienced in their lifetime.
At the same dinner to bid farewell to the team, the President of the land, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo also urged them to strive to win the ultimate because the entire nation was behind them.
On the surface, it appears majority of Ghanaians have given up on the team but that situation could change based on what they show at the showpiece.
This is surely not bigger than the team full of youngsters that have struggled to keep Ghana at the top as one of the powerhouses of African football.
Paired in a group with Cape Verde, Egypt and Mozambique, Ghana is surely one of the countries expected to progress from Group B of the competition.
But they are likely to meet stiffer opposition after the group stage when other forces like Senegal, Algeria, Morocco, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria and others all lurk around the trophy.
Asking the Black Stars to bring home the trophy appears a mere formality to demonstrate one’s faith in the team but realistically, it seem a huge impossibility but that underdog status is what they would be expected to thrive on to upset the apple-cart. Go for the trophy, Stars!
By Andrew Nortey
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.
“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.
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
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.
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.
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
