Hot!
Stars, no distractions!
Many Ghanaians have been sitting on tenterhooks, following a vicious protest filed to FIFA by the South Africa Football Association (SAFA) against Ghana as regards its Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifying loss to the Black Stars.
The South Africans, evidently sour losers to the Stars, had claimed match-manipulation amongst others, hugely culminated in the 1-0 defeat; also fingering Senegalese Referee MaquetteNdiaye as part of the plot.
Well, as of putting this piece together, FIFA – the world football controlling body, was yet to make a pronouncement on the matter. That is a bit strange. Wonder why this case should take more than two weeks to adjudicate. Maybe, the delay was necessary because of SA’s allegations of match-manipulation which has to be proven beyond every reasonable doubt FIFA.
Whichever way, it would be one of the greatest wonders in world football should FIFA order a replay of the game – the relief SAFA is desperately seeking – unless it can clinically provide evidence of matching manipulation.
Having been bowled out from both next year’s African Nations Cup and the Qatar World Cup, it is obvious South Africa are in extreme pain that can only be assuaged by a FIFA replay dispensation of the Cape Coast game.
It would not happen!
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) must not be sweating over the SAFA protest but rather start planning about the next AFCON which four-time champions Ghana has not won for four decades – 40 good years!
It is a huge ignominy and sheer embarrassment – even to African football that the Stars are yet to annex the continental Holy Grail, all this while.
That must be the prime focus of the GFA now, to break that Stygian disquieting ‘silence’ that has left many experts of continental football utterly confounded.
What this means is that Ghana would have to send a formidably winsome team to the biennial football festival in Cameroon and give the campaign a big crack in its bid to put that missing smile on the faces of Ghanaians.
Once we are able to present a solid contingent in Cameroon, we are also sure of putting forth an equally tremendous outfit capable of taking care of our World Cup play-off in March 2022.
Our Black Stars may not be playing spectacularly well at the moment but have strongly proven that they can rise to the occasion when the stakes are high.
What the players need now is to show a lot more sense of commitment and purpose without which they do not stand a chance of achieving their targets.
Of course, they also need an unflinchingly consummate backing from Ghanaians, especially when the going becomes uncompromisingly tough.
No distractions! Focus!
PlainTalk with John Vigah
Four tricycle operators, popularly known as ‘Pragya’, have been prosecuted and fined GH¢600 each equivalent to 50 penalty units by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Sanitation Court for obstructing public roads at the Agbogbloshie Market.
The offenders, who were arrested by Public Health Officers of the AMA during a routine enforcement exercise, pleaded guilty to the offence and were subsequently convicted by the court.
The four operators were among the 21 offenders recently arrested at the Agbogbloshie Market for various sanitation and public order violations, including selling on open drains, obstructing walkways, and trading at unauthorised locations.
Speaking after the court proceedings, the Head of Public Health at the AMA, Madam Florence Kuukyi, said the court was lenient with the offenders since it was their first appearance, hence the fine, and warned that subsequent offenders would face stiffer penalties, including imprisonment.
The Ghana Police Service has arrested a man believed to be behind a series of robberies and killings of taxi drivers in the Greater Accra Region.
According to a statement from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the suspect, Peter Akakpo, also known as “Dompe,” was arrested on October 13, 2025, at Kasoa-Domeabra.
Police say he is an ex-convict and is believed to have worked with another suspect, Vincent Gbetorglo, who was arrested earlier on June 30, 2025.
The arrests follow investigations into the deaths of two taxi drivers at Sakaman Blue Lagoon on May 9 and June 15, 2025. Police say the suspects contacted the victims before the attacks.
The Anti-Armed Robbery Unit of the CID led the investigation, using intelligence and surveillance to track down the suspects.
Police say efforts are being made to recover the vehicles of the murdered drivers.
The CID assured the public that investigations are still ongoing and promised to provide updates as new information emerges.
By: Jacob Aggrey
