Sports
Premier League: Nsoatreman pip Kotoko; Gold Stars drop points; Young Apostles pull shock win; Dreams, Vision bag wins
Asante Kotoko lost 1-0 at Nsoatreman FC but remained top of the Premier League table after match day 19.
Gabriel Bonnah scored the decisive goal in 81st minute to hand his side the survival boosting win at the Nana Kronmansah Park in Nsoatre.
Kotoko remain on top of the table with 34 points after 19 matches while Nsoatreman have jumped to 13th in the table.
Gold Stars FC missed the chance to go top of the Premier League after a drab stalemate against FC Samartex 1996 at home on Sunday February 2, 2025.
The Western derby failed to produce goals as the two top teams shared the spoils in an entertaining match at the Duns Park in Bibiani.
The Miners remain on points with leaders Asante Kotoko on 34 while the defending champions are locked in mid-table.
Nurudeen Abdulai scored the only goal of the match for Medeama SC in a match-winning 1-0 success over Legon Cities on Sunday.
Nurudeen, who is now being deployed as defensive midfielder, grabbed the match winner in the 70th minute to separate the two teams at the TnA Stadium in Tarkwa.
Medeama maintain their 7th position in the table while Cities remain in the bottom three.
Vision FC rallied from behind to beat basement boys Accra Lions 2-1 at home on Sunday February 2, 2025.
Yao Sokpoli opened the scoring for the visitors as early as the 8th minute before Emmanuel Akansase pulled parity in the 79th minute.
As the match appeared to be heading to a draw, Isaac Opoku Agyemang scored the match-winner through the spot kick at the Nii Adjei Kraku II Sports Complex in Tema New Town.
Vision find themselves in 11th position while Accra Lions remain firmly rooted at the bottom.
Young Apostles pulled the chestnut out of the blazing fire with a 2-1 win at Nations FC on Sunday.
The visitors scored twice courtesy Emmanuel Kontor and Ramzy Abubakar before defender Razak Simpson pulled a goal back for the home side.
Nations, serving a one-match home suspension, suffered the defeat at the Len Clay Stadium in Obuasi.
The win has lifted Apostles to 12th while Nations remain in third place.
Aduana FC recorded a narrow 1-0 win over Bechem United to triumph in the Bono derby on Sunday.
Kelvin Obeng’s 8th minute strike separated the two teams at the Nana Agyemang Badu I Park.
Aduana lie 13th while Bechem United remain in 6th position.
Dreams FC continued their survival push with a 2-1 win over Basake Holy Stars at home on Sunday.
Abdul Razak Salifu opened the scoring for the home side before Emmanuel Kwame pulled parity for the visitors at the Tuba Astro turf.
Experienced striker Joseph Esso scored the match-winning goal to hand Dreams the vital win in their survival ambition.
Dreams, three points above the drop zone, lie 14th in the table while the Premier League new boys find themselves in 10th position.
Karela United recorded a 2-1 win over Berekum Chelsea at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium on Sunday.
Alhassan Adamu grabbed a sensational brace (12th and 48th) minutes before Kwasi Fosu pulled a goal back for the visitors.
Despite the win, United remain in the bottom three while Chelsea find themselves in 8th position in the table.
Ashantigold SC has terminated the contracts of three members of its technical team with immediate effect.
The affected officials are head coach and technical director Abdul Karim Zito, assistant coach Ernest Okyere, and goalkeepers’ trainer Robert Dabo.
The decision was announced in a statement signed by the club’s Chief Executive Officer, Edward Kwasi Akuoko.
According to the statement, the decision was taken following a consultative meeting by the Interim Management Committee on Monday, October 26, 2026.
The club says a caretaker coach has been appointed to steer the affairs of the team until a substantive coach/technical director is appointed.
Management expressed gratitude to the affected officials for their contribution and service to the team and wished them well in their future endeavours.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
England captain Harry Kane says it was extra special to be presented with the Ballon d’Or by one of his childhood idols.
Kane made the comment after receiving the prestigious award from former Brazilian striker Ronaldo Nazario.
“Ronaldo was one of my idols growing up,” Kane said.
The Bayern Munich striker described the moment as surreal, being honoured by a player he looked up to as a young footballer.
Kane was announced as the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner on Monday, October 26, at the London Palladium, marking the 70th anniversary of the award and the first time the ceremony was held outside France.
The 33-year-old beat stiff competition from second-placed Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal to win his first ever Ballon d’Or.
He becomes the first Englishman to win the coveted individual award in 25 years since Michael Owen in 2001, and only the fifth Englishman ever after Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Owen.
He is also the first Bayern Munich player to win the award since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981.
Kane won the award after a remarkable season in which he scored 61 goals in 51 club matches, the most a Bayern player has ever scored in one campaign.
Including England matches, it was 73 goals plus eight assists in 65 matches. His 73 goals is the second-highest single-season total ever behind Lionel Messi’s 82 in 2011-12.
Despite the goal haul, Kane did not win the Champions League or World Cup, with Bayern losing 6-5 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-finals and England losing 2-1 to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final before finishing third.
The award was presented by Brazilian great Ronaldo Nazario, a two-time Ballon d’Or winner himself, adding what was described as a special dimension to Kane’s historic achievement.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
