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Maxwell Konadu takes charge of Black Meteors
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has appointed Maxwell Konadu as the Head Coach of Ghana’s National Male U23 team, the Black Meteors.
The appointment of the vastly experienced Konadu, who is currently Head Coach of Premier League side Nsoatreman FC, is key to the GFA’s strategy of taking players through a structured and consistently tracked developmental pathway and ultimately preparing them for high performance at the senior level.
It also aligns perfectly with the GFA’s overarching football philosophy of identifying, grooming and continuously improving talented players for the competitive age category teams as well as the senior national team, the Black Stars.
Maxwell Konadu brings exceptional experience to his new role having coached teams within Ghana’s developmental age groups, including U17 and U20.
The 2012 Ghana Premier League winner with Asante Kotoko has had two stints as Assistant Coach of the Black Stars, having worked under James Kwasi Appiah (2012) and Milovan Rajevac ( 2021).
Konadu’s new role is particularly exciting because of the close alignment of the Black Meteors to the senior national team, the Black Stars: The Black Meteors are the final age category team placed just under the Black Stars.
The former Legon Cities Coach, who has been working for several years within the Ghana coaching structure, is expected to oversee the further development of the creme de la creme of promising players that will come through the developmental pathway provided by the GFA through the various developmental national teams.
The former Ghana international, Maxwell Konadu is to play a key role in maintaining the flow of players who transition through the ranks to the senior level.
Maxwell Konadu, who played for Upper West Heroes, Asante Kotoko as well as Portuguese sides Unia Leiria and Beira-Mar, was part of the Gold medal winning squad at the 2011 All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique.
The experienced gaffer will be assisted in this pivotal role by former Asante Kotoko Coach and CAF License A holder, Abdul Gazale.
Ben Owu, a 1991 FIFA U17 World Cup winner, has been named as the Goalkeepers Trainer while Hearts of Oak legend, Amankwah Mireku, will be the Team Manager.
Other backroom staff named for the team include Eric Totime (Physiotherapist) and Henry Bart-Plange (Masseur) with Collins Osei Bonsu and Attah Debango serving as Equipment Officers. Eli Vorgbe will function as the team’s Video Analyst.
Maxwell Konadu and his backroom staff are expected to build a crack team to compete in international assignments and provide viable player options for selection to the Black Stars.
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
