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
Black Stars midfielder Kwasi Sibo says the team is determined to begin its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with victory against Panama despite the absence of key midfielder Thomas Partey.
Partey will miss Ghana’s Group L opener in Toronto after Canadian authorities denied him entry into the country.
A Canadian court on Tuesday also rejected an emergency appeal seeking to overturn the decision. Canadian authorities ruled that he was inadmissible under the country’s immigration laws.
Reports indicate that the decision was linked to ongoing criminal charges he faces in the United Kingdom, which he denies.
Canadian officials also cited issues relating to information provided in his visa application.
His absence is a major blow for Ghana, with the experienced midfielder widely regarded as one of the country’s strongest players in the middle of the park and a key figure in the Black Stars setup.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s World Cup clash, Sibo said the players are united behind their teammate and want to deliver a positive result for him.
“Our coach always says whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Our brother has been through a lot these days, and we are always with him. He is one of our biggest stars” he said.
The midfielder noted that Partey has been part of Ghana’s journey from the beginning of the World Cup campaign, making his absence particularly difficult for the squad.
“We have to make sure we win the game for him as a family and make him happy,” Sibo said.
He admitted that it would be painful to play Ghana’s first match on football’s biggest stage without the former Arsenal midfielder but insisted the players are motivated to make him proud.
“It hurts that we are playing our first game at this big stage and he’s not with us. We are giving him our word that at the end of the 90 minutes, he will be happy,” he added.
Ghana will face Panama in its opening Group L match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the Black Stars seek a strong start to a group that also includes England and Croatia.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, together with the Government and people of Ghana, has sent a strong message of support to the Black Stars ahead of their opening match against Panama in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Toronto, Canada.
In an official statement released by Presidency Communications on June 17, 2026, the President said the entire nation is behind the team as they begin their fifth World Cup appearance, describing it as a symbol of Ghana’s resilience and unity.
“Our gallant Black Stars, as you stand on the threshold of your first match against Panama in Toronto, the Government and the over thirty million people of Ghana stand firmly behind you,” the statement said.
It added that the players are carrying the hopes and dreams of Ghanaians everywhere, from Chorkor to Bole and across the entire country.
The statement also called on Ghanaians living in Canada and across North America to fully support the team in the stadium, describing them as the “12th Man.”
It encouraged them to fill the stands with national colours and support the players throughout the tournament.
At home, the Government said arrangements had been made to ensure nationwide television coverage of the tournament so that all citizens can follow the matches live.
According to the statement, this move is to ensure that every Ghanaian, regardless of location, can watch and support the Black Stars.
The message urged the players to compete not only for the national flag but also for young Ghanaians who dream of following in their footsteps.
“The world is watching, and we are confident that the Black Star will shine brighter than ever before on this global stage,” the statement added.
Ghana will begin its World Cup campaign against Panama as part of Group L in Toronto.
By: Jacob Aggrey
