Sports
Premier League: Hearts silence Young Apostles; Medeama suffer first defeat; GoldStars unbeaten start intact
Hearts of Oak produced a superb performance at Young Apostles, Medeama SC suffered their first defeat of the season while Gold Stars FC continued their unbeaten start to the season in match day 6 of the Premier League on Sunday October 13, 2024.
Here is a wrap of Sunday’s matches in the Ghanaian top-flight across five centres after FC Samartex 1996’s match against Nsoatreman FC was rained off.
Young Apostles FC 1-2 Hearts of Oak
Hearts of Oak recorded a 2-1 win at Young Apostles to return to winning ways in the Premier League at the Wenchi Sports Stadium on Sunday.
Hamza Issah scored the match-winning goal in the 86th minute to hand the Phobians their first away win of the season.
Emmanuel Amankwah put Hearts ahead in the 48th minute before Samuel Prempeh pulled parity for the home side in the 84th minute. But the leveler lasted just two minutes as Hamza Issah delivered a sublime finish to end the match.
Hearts have jumped into midtable while Young Apostles have dropped to the drop zone.
Bechem United 2-0 Medeama SC
Medeama SC suffered their first defeat of the season after losing 2-0 at Bechem United on Sunday.
The Mauve and Yellow went down after just five minutes with Dalvin Yeboah slotting home the opener before Emmanuel Abban added the second in the 43rd minute.
Medeama are now without a win in three consecutives matches as United move up to 9th in the table.
Nations FC 1-1 GoldStars FC
Gold Stars continued their unbeaten start to the season with a vital 1-1 draw at Nations FC on Sunday.
Faisal Chawetey opened the scoring for the home side at the Dr. Kwame Kyei Sports Complex, Abrankese, in the 34th minute before Kelvin Oppong equalised with nine minutes left on the clock.
Frimpong Manso’s side held on to pick a valuable point on the road and maintained their unbeaten start to the 2024-25 Premier League campaign.
Gold Stars are top of table with 12 points while Nations FC lie 5th after six matches in the Ghanaian elite division.
Aduana FC 2-0 Dreams FC
Aduana FC recorded their first win of the season after a comfortable 2-0 win over Dreams FC at home on Sunday.
Two second half goals propelled the Fire Club to their first win of the campaign. Dreams FC remain winless after six matches.
Emmanuel Marfo (47′) and Abubakar Adams (89′) scored to ensure Yaw Acheampong’s side record their first win of the campaign.
The win has lifted Aduana FC to 13th in the table, while Dreams are at a precarious 17th.
Basake Holy Stars 1-0 Karela United
Basake Holy Stars recorded their second win of the season with a narrow 1-0 victory over Karela United at home on Sunday.
Prince Opoku’s 77th minute strike separated the two teams at the Crosby Awuah Memorial Park.
Holy Stars are two points above Karela United in 12th position with seven points, while United lie 14th with five points.
Sports
Black Starlets arrives in Morocco on U-17 AFCON mission …FA boss charges team to make Ghana proud
The Black Starlets, the national U-17 male team, have safely arrived in Casablanca ahead of the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The team departed Accra on Wednesday, travelling with a 35-man contingent made up of 21 players and 14 officials, all focused on delivering a strong campaign on the continental stage.
They completed a smooth five-hour flight to Morocco, where final preparations will continue before the tournament kicks off.
The technical team is expected to fine-tune tactics and build cohesion among the squad as they gear up for the competition.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Mr Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, was present at the Accra International Airport to bid farewell to the team.
Speaking during a brief farewell at the Airport, the FA President urged the team to carry a ‘never say die’ spirit into the competition.
President Simeon-Okraku emphasised the importance of mental strength and unity, particularly in difficult moments during matches. His message was inspired by the team’s recent friendly encounters against Cote d’Ivoire, where they bounced back strongly after an initial defeat.
“I’m very happy that when you lost to Cote d’Ivoire in your first game during your friendly matches, you were able to bounce back—not only to dominate but to outscore them in the second game,” he said. “I read a lot of meaning into that, and I want all of you to keep that in your heads—that, it’s not over until it’s all over,” he added.
The FA president stressed that the ability to respond positively to setbacks would be crucial in a tournament as competitive as the AFCON.
He encouraged the players to stay united and support one another when the pressure intensifies on the continental stage.
“When the chips are down, that’s when we need to hold each other together,” Okraku added. “So go out there and make Ghana proud.”
Ghana will compete in Group D alongside Algeria, Senegal, and South Africa, with their opening match scheduled for Thursday, May 14.
Twenty-three (23) players have been called up for this month’s international friendly against Mexico.
The squad is composed of star players from the domestic league and European leagues who are closely monitored by Coach Carlos Queiroz, as well as U-23 players who will soon represent Ghana in the upcoming Olympic Games qualifiers.
Notable names include Majeed Ashimeru, Felix Afena-Gyan, Razak Simpson, and Birmingham City’s Ibrahim Osman.
Ashimeru returns to action after a long spell on the sidelines due to a muscle injury that limited his appearances at both club and national level.
Also in the team is Felix Afena-Gyan, whose last appearance for Ghana was in May last year when he featured against Trinidad and Tobago in the Unity Cup in London.
Barcelona B’s Abdul Aziz Issah, Ebenezer Annan of AS Saint-Étienne, Ibrahim Osman of Birmingham City, and Paul Reverson of Ajax FC have also been included in the squad.
Midfielder Salim Adams, one of the key players for Ghana Premier League leaders Medeama SC, leads the group of home-based players.
Others are Heart of Lions’ Ebenezer Abban, Ebenezer Adade of Dreams FC, and Nations FC captain Razak Simpson. Ghana will travel to Mexico for the international friendly on Friday, May 22, 2026.
