Hot!
Our standards have fallen!
A nation’s football strength and sturdiness is evidenced by its international performance – especially, at the club level.
At present, our club football is in comatose!
That, for 15 years, no Ghanaian club have won any continental fleece should be enough to portray the state of frustration and near hopelessness local fans find themselves.
Hearts clinched the CAF Champions League in 2000 – 21 years ago, topping up with a CAF Confederation Cup feat four years later. Great achievement, but that is all there is to it.
For Asante Kotoko, their last continental feat was in 1983 when they annexed the African Clubs Championship trophy (now CAF Champions League) by beating Al Ahly of Egypt.
Ever since, both Hearts and Kotoko have failed to re-enact their past glory after a panoply of disappointing attempts.
As far back as December 14, 1997, Obuasi Goldfields (now AshantiGold SC) found themselves in the CAF Champions League finale, losing narrowly to Morocco’s Raja Casablanca 5–4 on penalties at the Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca – the two legs having failed to produce a winner (1-1).
Three years later came the Hearts’ accomplishment.
But truth is that the Ghanaian game has slumped drastically over the years – a saturnine situation that compelled the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to slash the nation’s continental slot, and maybe, given the opportunity, CAF might even take back the solitary window accorded us.
The slump may have hit its apogee last week, probably showcasing why Ghanaian clubs should take a back seat for a while, do a very deep introspection and self-absorption before endeavouring to embark on another dead-duck adventure.
As you may have been aware, Hearts were flushed out of their African campaign in the most outrageous manner.
After taking a 2-0 lead in the play-off stage of the CAF Confederation Cup, Hearts dashed for the return leg encounter full of beans, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, against Algeria’s JS Saoura – only to be hammered 4-0 after a rather shambolic performance, to bow out 4-2 on aggregate.
A month earlier or so, Hearts were whitewashed 6-1 in the preliminary stage of the Champions League by WAC of Morocco, after winning the opening fixture in Accra 1-0.
Conceding 10 goals in two away games against North African oppositions is as discomforting as ego-battering.
For a side that once dominated Africa and proceeded into the campaign as Ghanaian champions, last Sunday’s exit was pure mortification.
It must be reiterated that the performance of our clubs in Africa has for some time now been nothing to write home about. It is, perhaps, the snowballing effect of low investment and poor player quality.
Most of our premier clubs, today, have no corporate sponsorship and with pitiable attendance at games (even during pre-Covid 19 era), clubs are compelled to sell off their marquee players to their foreign counterparts for survival.
So, how do such clubs hope to compete on the same platform with their counterparts at the continental stage? Not possible! You cannot be ready for any serious competition, if you behave in this manner.
Our clubs ought to accept the fact that the game has changed completely. It is now more capital intensive than before. The planning and organisation of the game, too, is more demanding than used to be the case. Interestingly, we expect to reap a different result after doing same thing over time. It does not work like that.
Certainly, our local game is in some sort of crisis and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and its stakeholders may have to meet and find an efficacious panacea to reviving its fortunes.
By John Vigah
The Vice President, Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has called for stronger action to promote gender equity and create more opportunities for women in the workplace.
She made the call in a Facebook post after joining staff at the Presidency of Ghana to mark International Women’s Day.
The celebration was held under the theme “From Commitment to Action: Promoting Equity for Every Woman in the Workplace” and focused on recognising the achievements of women while reflecting on the work needed to ensure equal opportunities.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang extended warm wishes to women across Ghana and noted that women have always played key roles in the country’s communities and economic activities.
According to her, women in the past served as healers, traders and queen mothers who contributed to leadership and governance in traditional societies.
She explained that Ghana’s cultural history shows that women have long provided knowledge, leadership and innovation to help develop communities.
The Vice President however noted that current disparities require society to examine systems and structures that may have limited opportunities for women.
She stressed that advancing gender equity will require deliberate actions and the mentoring of young women to prepare them for leadership roles.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang recognised women whose work takes place in markets, streets and small trading spaces across the country.
According to her, these women form the backbone of local economies and continue to demonstrate resilience despite the difficult conditions they face.
She commended women working at the Presidency for their dedication and leadership and reaffirmed the need to promote respect, fairness and opportunity for every woman.
The Vice President further called on both men and women to work together to break barriers and ensure that women can fully contribute to Ghana’s development.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
