Sports
Premier League enters final week of season
As the Premier League enters the final week of the season, there is still plenty to play for at both ends of the table.
With two games remaining for all the clubs preparing to settle the campaign’s remaining issues, AFP Sport takes as closer look at the race to qualify for the Champions League and Europa League, as well as the fight to avoid relegation.
Chelsea and Leicester City are in possession of the coveted top four berths alongside champions Liverpool and Manchester City, who are guaranteed to finish second.
But both side’s grip on those spots in next season’s Champions League could easily be broken by in-form Manchester United in a nerve-jangling finale.
Third-placed Chelsea are one point ahead of both Leicester and United, who sit fifth and are behind the Foxes on goal difference.
On Sunday, Leicester lost 3-0 in a tricky trip to Tottenham, while on Wednesday United host West Ham and Chelsea travel to Liverpool.
After those games, the top four may have been shaken up significantly before the final round of matches on July 26.
Chelsea need four points from their last two games to guarantee qualification and play Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge on the last day.
Leicester and United meet in a decisive showdown at the King Power Stadium, which means if either of those teams win those last two games they are guaranteed to return to Europe’s elite club competition.
United are the form team after winning five of their seven league games since the restart, while Chelsea and Leicester have both shown recent signs of vulnerability.
The teams who finish fifth and sixth will qualify for next season’s Europa League, unless either of the sides in those positions win the Champions League or the Europa League – United and Wolves are contenders in the latter competition – when they restart next month.
Winning those tournaments is rewarded with Champions League qualification.
If the FA Cup winners finish in the top six, then seventh place in the Premier League would qualify for the Europa League.
Sixth-placed Wolves will qualify for the Europa League if they win their final two games against Crystal Palace and Chelsea.
Tottenham, one point behind Wolves, will be guaranteed to hold onto seventh place at least if they win their final two games against Leicester and Palace.
Sheffield United, who face Everton and Southampton, are one point behind Tottenham in eighth and need Jose Mourinho’s men or Wolves to slip up.
Norwich are already relegated, leaving two places to be filled by unwilling teams over the next week.
West Ham and Brighton are effectively safe after moving six points clear of the relegation zone, leaving Watford, Bournemouth and Aston Villa scrapping for survival.
Third-from-bottom Bournemouth are three points behind Watford and can move level on points if they beat Southampton at Dean Court on Sunday, with a three-goal margin of victory enough to take them above the Hornets on goal difference.
Watford take on Manchester City at Vicarage Road on Tuesday and shortly afterwards Villa host Arsenal.
If Watford beat City or take a point, then Bournemouth or Villa would be relegated if they fail to match the Hornets’ result.
On the last day, Villa head to West Ham, Bournemouth are at Everton and Watford travel to Arsenal.
After going six games without a win after the coronavirus hiatus, Villa have given themselves hope with four points from their last two matches, although conceding a late equaliser at Everton on Thursday was a major blow.
Bournemouth’s win against Leicester on July 12 was their first in 10 games, but a defeat at City kept them in the mire.
Watford had won their previous games before a 3-1 loss at West Ham on Friday dented their survival bid. – AFP
Otto Addo is taking a calm and focused approach to the World Cup after being drawn against England, Panama, and Croatia in Group L.
“I look forward to every game as special,” he told ghanafa.org.
“Very important for us that we don’t underrate any team. For sure, England is the favourite in that group,” he acknowledged. “But for me as a coach, to be honest, I’m looking at each and every game equally.”
Addo is particularly focused on getting a strong start against Panama. “I’m hoping that we have a good start against Panama, that will be very, very crucial,” he said. “It will make the other games a little bit more relaxed and easier for the players psychologically. We will use the window of March for test matches, and then see,” he said.
Despite being a young team, Addo is proud of his squad’s progress. “I think we did very well in the qualifiers ” he said. “We didn’t lose a single official game, like the qualifying games, we did very well. We just played one draw and the rest we won, so we had quite a good year in 2025, after a bad year in 2024’’.
“Even though we have a very young team, we really, really did well, had a good harmony in the team, good union,” he added.
Ghana will open their FIFA World Cup campaign against Panama in Toronto on June 17 before facing England and Croatia in the other Group L matches on June 23 and 27 respectively.
The unbeaten away run of Accra Hearts of Oak will be put to the test tomorrow when they visit the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium in Tamale to play as guests of Karela United. Described as one of the top-liners of the weekend games, the match will pitch one of the best home teams against the best away team, with their records on the line.
After playing a pulsating 2-2 draw with Kumasi Asante Kotoko last week, league leaders Medeama SC return to their fortress, the TnA Stadium, to welcome Berekum Chelsea FC in a clash of former league winners. Medeama have struggled in recent times to hold their own against the ‘Bibires’, losing their last four games both home and away.
However, according to Head Coach of Medeama, Tanko Ibrahim, that sequence of results will come to an end tomorrow as they look to crawl out of the claws of their opponents with victory. Eleven points separate the sides, with Berekum Chelsea lying a distant 14th position on the log. They have been a pale shadow of themselves this season, and it remains to be seen if Coach Samuel Boadu’s side can keep the bragging rights over the Yellow and Mauves in what has been described as one of their worse starts to a league season.
Today, second-placed Kpando Heart of Lions will trek to the Kwame Kyei Sports Complex in Abrankese to play as guests of struggling Nations FC. Having suffered a 1-0 away loss to Basake Holy Stars in their last game, Nations FC would look to pick all three points to better their current 12th position.
In other games, the Hohoe Sports Stadium will come alive as new boys Hohoe United FC welcome Kumasi Asante Kotoko. The Nii Adjei Kraku II Sports Complex in Tema will host the Vision FC versus Young Apostles FC game, the Tuba Astro Turf will host the Dreams FC versus Bechem United FC clash, while the Nsenkyire Sports Arena will host the Samartex FC versus Bibiani Gold Stars game. High-riding Aduana FC will sort things out with Basake Holy Stars at the Nana Agyeman Badu I Park in Dormaa.
By Raymond Ackumey
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