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Of Ghana’s Black Stars and Code of Conduct

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Ayew - Signing the Code of Conduct

Ayew – Signing the Code of Conduct

Ghana’s Black Stars rolled off their Qatar 2022 World Cup campaign on Thursday against Portugal with an upshot that would unquestionably have many experts of the game talking.

It is the team’s fourth appearance at the Mundial.

The Stars are hoping to carve a gorgeous piece of football in the Arab land, and possibly retrace their halcyon moments which saw them book a quarter-final berth at the 2010 edition in South Africa.

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As of the time of filing this piece, the Stars were lacing their boots for their second game against South Korea at the 45,350-capacity Education City Stadium, located in Al Rayyan.

South Korea’s Taegeuk Warriors have qualified for 10 consecutive World Cups, beginning with the 1986 competition. While normally exiting during the group stage, this team could easily reach the knockout stages as their Portuguese manager Paulo Bento, wields a strong roster of veteran players and younger European-based talent that will handle the twinkling lights of Qatar.

Qualification was a relative promenade. South Korea eased through Group H of the Asian Football Confederation’s second round with a 5-0-1 record, surrendering a single goal. The succeeding round was similarly perfunctory: a second-place finish in Group A with a 7-1-2 record, two points behind Iran. The challenging friendly slate over the past year should pay dividends at the final competition.

Ghana, on the other hand, struggled in qualification – only edging out Nigeria’s Super Eagles on the away-goal rule. But the Andre Ayew-led Ghana side have demonstrated in their 2-0 final brush-up win against Switzerland that they could only be underestimated at anybody’s peril.

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The discipline, passion, poise, drive and the determination was fully showcased on the field and it is the expectation of Ghanaians that they sustain that virtue throughout their stay in the tournament.

In a bid to maintain this degree of discipline and avert the sins of Brazil 2014 where the Stars exited shamefully in the opening round – amid the scuffles that engulfed the camp, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) last week badgered on all the players, technical and management team to sign a Code of Conduct ahead of the game against Portugal two days ago. 

The Code, according to the GFA, enjoins them to be ethically upright, respectful and honest, to have a high level of Integrity, and to uphold the good name of the Black Stars, GFA and Ghana during their stay in Qatar for the global tournament.

It also defines the norms, rules, duties and responsibilities, or proper practices of each member as well as the collective behaviour of the team.

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Indeed, Ghana’s run in Brazil was rocked by pervasive reports of indiscipline from officials and players – giving the Ghanaian contingent a dreadful, despicable image.

From their body language and demeanour, it does not look like repeating itself this time around – even before the contingent were made to sign the code.

For now, we can only continue to wish the team well, whilst we hope for the best from the players ahead of the games against South Korea on November 28 and Uruguay on December 2.

By John Vigah

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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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