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Shout of approval for Wollacott
Goalkeeping is one of the most crucial departments of football.
It is said that a team can play without any position in football, but cannot play without a goalkeeper.
Decades back, it was said that players with zero outfield ability – those lacking in technical finesse, athleticism (pace, power, endurance), football intelligence and competitiveness were those who were thrown in to guard the post.
That assertion has been rubbished long ago as there is now a burgeoning respect for goalkeepers’ abilities and unflinching willingness to throw their body on the line for the team.
Without them, you are doomed as a team.
Even when all hope seems lost and the opposition has breached defensive lines, seemingly set to put the game out of reach, a quality goalkeeper can pull off miracles and keep his side in it – saving the team’s blushes. So, it is not just about a goalkeeper but a quality one at that.
Number without count, we have seen how Manchester United’s dependable goalkeeper David de Gea has made himself big to save the ‘Red Devils’ from very tricky situations.
Sadly, Ghana’s senior national team (Black Stars) has not been lucky enough to have anybody in the ilk of the legend Richard ‘Olele’ Kingston since he hung his gloves.
Olele retired in 2017 at the age of 39, having last featured for Ghana during the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers – after making 90 appearances for the Stars.
Today, the famed shot-stopper is the goalkeeper’s trainer for the Black Stars and would be excited molding someone to properly take over from him.
Truth is that the Stars have not really had a very top-notch goal-tender since Kingston’s exit as the team has played the ‘lottery’ with the likes of Razak Brimah, Adam Kwarasey, Fatawu Dauda, Richard Ofori, George ‘Kigali’ Owu and Lawrence Ati-Zigi, among others – in no particular order – getting between the sticks.
The latest to make the ‘numero un’ cut is Joseph Luke Wollacott, who mans the post for English fourth-tier side Swindon Town.
Indeed, tongues went wagging when returnee Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac, boldly handed him the first-choice spot ahead of Hearts of Oak’s venerated goalkeeper Richard Attah in Ghana’s double-header against Zimbabwe in a Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifier.
The concern of fans was that Wollacott, who was carving his debut, lacked the requisite experience to man the post efficiently. Genuine concerns, though.
However, the Ghanaian goal-tender scored full marks in the afternoon’s 3-1 opening game win against Zimbabwe at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium, producing a point-blank save four minutes after the hour mark. In the return fixture in Harare, though Wollacott was a bit nervy, he later got into his groove – his general performance quite impressive – though his confidence needs to be bolstered.
With more games, he will be better, is the general observation.
The 25-year-old England-based goalkeeper has so far received rave reviews from Coach Rajevac, the Ghanaian football fans and the media for his technical qualities and calm demeanour in post.
“First of all, it was good scouting and after arriving he proved himself at the training sessions. He really did a great job and deserves his chance.
“Today, he was at the top of his game and I’m satisfied with his performances and I don’t want to praise goalkeepers too much but he really did a good job,” Rajevac lauded his trusted shot-stopper, who was said to have been recommended by Kingston himself.
With two games remaining to decide the Group G winner, the Stars have nine points from four games, trailing leaders South Africa by just a point.
Many, though, believe Wollacott has not yet been truly tested to see how sharp his reflexes are. But former Ghana goalkeeping great Abukari Damba, see something grand in him after the Cape Coast affair.
“He was absolutely great; it was his first time playing in an environment he was not used to. He played with new and different players. His adjustment and adaptation was great, thumbs up to him. There is a great future for him so far as the Black Stars are concerned.”
Whilst we encourage Wollacott to remain mentally focused and strong-minded, he must also endeavour to master the art of being a team player.
Goalkeepers who want to play at the highest level must understand that it takes more than just blocking shots and kicking long balls to target strikers.
We believe he would come good and very reliable too, with time. Good luck to him.
by John Vigah
Ghana Tourism Authority is leading Ghana’s participation at ITB Berlin, which opened in Berlin with a vibrant national pavilion highlighting Ghana’s rich cultural heritage, tourism destinations and investment opportunities.
March 5 has been designated as Ghana Day, a special platform to promote Ghana’s languages, cuisine, Kente, festivals and business prospects to the global tourism community. The stand has already drawn strong interest with traditional arts and crafts displays, immersive multimedia presentations and popular Ghanaian snacks.
Seven private-sector players are exhibiting alongside government officials as part of efforts to deepen trade partnerships, expand market access, and attract investment across the hospitality, heritage tourism, ecotourism, and creative arts sectors.
Ahead of the official opening, the Ghana delegation also engaged young Ghanaian investors in Germany in collaboration with V Afrika-Verein and the Ghana Embassy, strengthening diaspora investment linkages and highlighting opportunities within the tourism value chain.
Ghana’s coordinated presence at ITB Berlin 2026 reinforces its strategy to position the country as the Gateway to Africa and a competitive destination for leisure travel and global investment.
The Member of Parliament for Nsawam Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh Dompreh, has expressed concern over delays in the release of the District Assemblies Common Fund, warning that the situation is stalling development across the country.
On his facebook page, he described as a matter of urgent national importance, the Minority Chief Whip pointed to what he sees as a growing crisis of unpaid contractors, abandoned projects, and halted infrastructure works in many districts.
He noted that several communities are grappling with half completed schools, unfinished health facilities, abandoned markets, deteriorating roads, and stalled sanitation projects.
According to him, many contractors who have executed projects for district assemblies have not been paid, forcing some construction firms to demobilise from sites while workers lose their jobs.
He stressed that the District Assemblies Common Fund is not a discretionary allocation but a constitutional requirement under Article 252 of the 1992 Constitution, intended to support development at the local level.
In his view, years of delayed releases and accumulated arrears have weakened district development financing and disrupted projects meant to improve living conditions in communities.
He further argued that some payments made in recent years were largely the settlement of old debts rather than funding for new or ongoing projects, a situation he believes has affected contractor confidence and local economic activity.
He described the issue as more than a budgetary challenge, characterising it as a development emergency and a governance concern.
He therefore urged the appropriate authorities to pay outstanding DACF arrears, settle contractors who have completed their work, and ensure that transfers to districts are automatic and predictable.
He maintained that decentralisation can only succeed when district assemblies receive adequate and timely funding to carry out development projects.
He emphasised that stalled projects directly affect ordinary citizens, since they rely on such infrastructure for education, healthcare, transportation, sanitation, and economic activities.
He called for renewed attention to grassroots development, insisting that national progress should not be concentrated only in major cities but extended to all communities.
By: Jacob Aggrey
