Sports
Medeama to give Kotoko hard time
League leaders Asante Kotoko’s clash against fourth-placed Medeama at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium tomorrow, will headline a weekend of mouth-watering fixtures as the Ghana Premier League (GPL) enters its 14th week.
The ‘Porcupine Warriors’ will be seeking to entrench their grip at the league’s summit and a swift return to their four-game winning run that was halted by their 0-0 stalemate against Berekum Chelsea at Berekum in their last outing.
Leading the charge on 27 points and a fragile three points separating them from second-placed Aduana Stars, the homeside need a win to maintain a significance distance away from the chasing pack with only a two-point gap between Aduana and fifth-placed Bechem United.
Revenge would be firmly planted on the minds of the Porcupine Warriors after they imploded against the ‘Mauve and Yellows’ to suffer a 2-1 loss in their home encounter at the Len Clay Stadium against the visitors last season.
Despite losing influential midfielder Justice Blay to Kotoko this month after his contract ended with Medeama, they will rely on their impressive results on the road – winning two, drawing two and losing two out of six – to stun the homeside for the second time at their backyard in two seasons.
At Aiyinase today, league champions Hearts of Oak will continue their resurgence against Karela United at the CAM Park.
The Phobians have steadily improved and currently lie sixth after a rocky start and would be gunning for their first win at the CAM Park after drawing two and losing two in four meetings at the venue.
However, the ‘Passion and Pride’ boys wont be easy push-overs as they are yet to lose at their fortress, winning three and drawing three in six encounters.
In other games on Sunday, eight-placed Great Olympics face suprise package King Faisal, who lie third at the Accra Sports Stadium, high-flying Bechem United welcome wobbling WAFA to the Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park whilst Legon Cities play as guests of Gold Stars at the Dun’s Park.
Other games would witness bottom-placed Elmina Sharks attempt to bite 14th-placed Berekum Chelsea at the Nduom Stadium; Eleven Wonders confront Real Tamale United (RTU) at the Techiman Nana Ameyaw Park whilst in today’s other game, Accra Lions will collide with tottering Ashantigold.
On Monday, Dreams will play a crunch game against second-placed Aduana Stars.
BY NANA BENTSI ODURO
Asante Kotoko SC has announced with deep sadness the passing of its former Brands and Marketing Manager, Kweku Hammond.
In a statement released by the club, Kotoko described Hammond’s death as untimely and expressed heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and loved ones.
“Although his time with the club was brief, Kweku served with dedication, diligence, and unwavering commitment to Asante Kotoko,” the club stated. “His contributions and loyalty to the club will not be forgotten.”
Kweku Hammond served in the club’s Brands and Marketing department, where he played a role in promoting the Porcupine Warriors’ brand and engaging supporters.
The club assured that it will continue to honour his memory and legacy.
“May his soul rest in perfect peace,” the statement concluded.
Fans and members of the football fraternity have since joined the club in mourning, sharing tributes to Hammond for his professionalism and commitment during his time at club.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Captain of Ghana’s National U-15 Boys team, Abdul Aziz Issa, says the exposure gained at the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival 2026 in Azerbaijan will be vital for the development of the squad.
Ghana finished 7th out of 189 countries after an impressive campaign, winning eight of ten matches.
“I think we played well, the exposure was good for our development, and we can’t thank FIFA and the GFA enough for this amazing platform,” Issa said.
“I’m so very happy to be part of this FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival 2026 in Azerbaijan. I want to thank my colleagues for how far we have brought Ghana in this tournament.”
The captain believes the experience will prepare the group for future challenges at U-17 and U-20 level.
Ghana enjoyed an outstanding tournament, scoring 44 goals and establishing themselves among the top seven teams.
Their dominant group stage saw them score 27 goals while conceding just three. Salifu Fatawu’s side opened with a commanding 4-1 win over Uzbekistan, thrashed Myanmar 7-1, recorded emphatic 7-0 wins over Guam and the Bahamas, before rounding off the group with a 2-1 triumph over Kazakhstan.
Their pursuit of a higher finish suffered a setback in the knockout phase after elimination by Paraguay in a dramatic encounter.
The team bounced back to finish 7th, including a commanding 4-0 victory over Colombia in their final game, despite suffering a 7-1 defeat to Brazil in the Tier A Ranking Play-Offs.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
