Sports
She’s my extra arm – Björkegren hails Black Queens Captain Portia Boakye
Black Queens head coach Kim Lars Björkegren has showered praise on his captain, describing her as his extra arm on and off the pitch after Ghana’s qualification to the quarterfinals of the TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The Swedish coach says the captain’s leadership has been crucial to the team’s progress in the tournament, both for her communication with the players and her example on the field.
“She means so much. She’s like the extra arm for me, really helpful. Sometimes I don’t need to say too much. She can do it for me. And that’s the kind of captain that you want,” Björkegren said.
Björkegren reserved special praise for her work rate and mentality during games, insisting her fighting spirit has become infectious within the Black Queens squad.
“But also, I mean, the most important is how she’s leading on the pitch with her fighting spirit. I mean, she’s brutal. I mean, she really puts her body there. And she’s a real fighter.”
The coach added that the captain commands the respect of the entire dressing room, which was evident when she was named Player of the Match in one of Ghana’s group games.
“And the way she’s playing, of course, everybody needs to respect her and everybody does. And as you said, you can see when she is the player of the match that everybody is so happy for her because it’s so well deserved,” he concluded.
Ghana is through to the quarterfinals of the WAFCON and is now one win away from securing qualification to the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Asante Kotoko SC has announced with deep sadness the passing of its former Brands and Marketing Manager, Kweku Hammond.
In a statement released by the club, Kotoko described Hammond’s death as untimely and expressed heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and loved ones.
“Although his time with the club was brief, Kweku served with dedication, diligence, and unwavering commitment to Asante Kotoko,” the club stated. “His contributions and loyalty to the club will not be forgotten.”
Kweku Hammond served in the club’s Brands and Marketing department, where he played a role in promoting the Porcupine Warriors’ brand and engaging supporters.
The club assured that it will continue to honour his memory and legacy.
“May his soul rest in perfect peace,” the statement concluded.
Fans and members of the football fraternity have since joined the club in mourning, sharing tributes to Hammond for his professionalism and commitment during his time at club.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Captain of Ghana’s National U-15 Boys team, Abdul Aziz Issa, says the exposure gained at the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival 2026 in Azerbaijan will be vital for the development of the squad.
Ghana finished 7th out of 189 countries after an impressive campaign, winning eight of ten matches.
“I think we played well, the exposure was good for our development, and we can’t thank FIFA and the GFA enough for this amazing platform,” Issa said.
“I’m so very happy to be part of this FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival 2026 in Azerbaijan. I want to thank my colleagues for how far we have brought Ghana in this tournament.”
The captain believes the experience will prepare the group for future challenges at U-17 and U-20 level.
Ghana enjoyed an outstanding tournament, scoring 44 goals and establishing themselves among the top seven teams.
Their dominant group stage saw them score 27 goals while conceding just three. Salifu Fatawu’s side opened with a commanding 4-1 win over Uzbekistan, thrashed Myanmar 7-1, recorded emphatic 7-0 wins over Guam and the Bahamas, before rounding off the group with a 2-1 triumph over Kazakhstan.
Their pursuit of a higher finish suffered a setback in the knockout phase after elimination by Paraguay in a dramatic encounter.
The team bounced back to finish 7th, including a commanding 4-0 victory over Colombia in their final game, despite suffering a 7-1 defeat to Brazil in the Tier A Ranking Play-Offs.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
