Sports
Stars to tame Zimbabwe
Serbian Coach Milovan Rajevac will be seeking a bright start to life as Black Stars coach when he begins his second spell in charge with a must-win FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifier against Zimbabwe today at the Cape Coast Stadium.
Coach ‘Milo’ was re-engaged by Ghana last month to revive the Stars slipping World Cup dream, more than a decade after quitting the job in 2010, having guided the team to a quarter-final berth at the Mundial in South Africa that year.
The Stars in recent outings have been abysmal but a jerky 1-0 win over Ethiopia and a subsequent 1-0 defeat to South Africa in Johannesburg in their first two opening games raised a furore that led the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to hand former Stars captain CK Akonnor the sack.
Milo, whose return has stirred mixed feelings among the football community with a section displeased about how he ditched the Stars in 2010, would be aiming for a positive start to life against the ‘Warriors’ to bolster the Stars waning confidence.
The Stars lie second in Group G with three points, behind South Africa’s four points and therefore need a big win to revive their campaign whiles also setting a winning tone for a reverse fixture of the Group G affair in Harare, three days later.
Milo, however, be wary of the fact that the Stars are yet to defeat the Warriors in three meetings, having lost two and drawn one. But fortunately, he has an assembly of his top players who he would be seeking to build his team around.
Captain Dede Ayew and brother Crystal Palace’s Jordan Ayew, Thomas Partey of Arsenal, Kudus Mohammed of Ajax Amsterdam, Leicester City’s Daniel Amartey and Reading defensive duo, Baba Rahman and Boakye Yiadom are all available for selection.
Luckily, he also has a burgeoning pool of talent in Rennes youngster, Kamaldeen Suleymana, Russia-based Joel Fameyeh, Yaw Yeboah, Anderlecht’s Majeed Ashimeru and returnee strikers Caleb Ekuban of Genoa and Malatyaspor of Turkey’s Benjamin Tetteh who would be eyeing performances that would cement their place.
Just like their Ghanaian counterparts, the Warriors have shaken their technical team with the interim appointment of former international, Norman Mapeza, to replace Croatian Zdravko Logarusic after placing bottom of the group with one point from their two opening fixtures.
Mapeza, presented with a difficult task would, however lead his charges comprising key figures captain Knowledge Musona, Aston Villa’s Marvellous Nakamba, Jordan Zemura of Bournemouth and Brendan Galloway to continue their good run against the Black Stars.
BY NANA BENTSI ODURO
A step closer to glory awaits six Ghana Premier League (GPL) club sides and two Division One clubs as they battle for spots at the semi-finals stage of the 2025-26 MTN FA Cup this weekend at the Cape Coast Stadium and the Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park in Bechem.
Dreams FC, the 2022-2023 champions, will clash with Heart of Lions in the quarter-finals at the Cape Coast Stadium tomorrow at pm.
Heart of Lions are going through a difficult spell in the league, having lost ground on their title aspirations that started brightly.
Dreams FC thrashed Lions 3-0 in the reverse fixture of the GPL game in January after losing 1-0 in the first round tie, and tomorrow’s game comes in to settle the scores between the two sides this season.
Although struggling, Lions lie two places above Dreams’ 12th position on the league log and will look to take that inspiration into the game.
The day’s other game will see two-time champions Medeama SC battle Access Bank Division One League (DOL) Zone Three side Attram De Visser at the same venue at 7pm.
The GPL leaders Medeama SC are in the chase for a double this season and will chase a win to appease their fans.
After defeating Asante Kotoko 4-2 on penalties in the Round of 16, Aduana FC will seek to account for Access Bank DOL Zone One B campaigners, Techiman Liberty Youth, today.
Aduana FC are in the hunt for a double this season as they are currently third on the GPL table, trailing leaders Medeama SC with five points.
Having been decisive in matches against Nsuatre FC, Victory Club Warriors and Real Tamale United to get this far, the best in the annals of the club’s history, coach Ezekiel Nii Yeboah of Liberty Youth would be out to cause an upset.
At the Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park in Bechem tomorrow, another interesting pairing is set to play out as the all-Premier League affair between Nations FC and Berekum Chelsea takes centre stage.
By Raymond Ackumey
The Black Starlets will intensify preparations for the upcoming 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations with a double-header of friendly matches against FC Samartex 1996 at the Nsenkyire Sports Arena, Samraboi.
The national U-17 side will first take on the youth team of Samartex on Saturday at4pm, as the technical team continues to assess player combinations and sharpen match readiness ahead of the continental tournament.
The following day, Sunday, March 15, the Starlets will return to the same venue to face the senior side of Samartex in another crucial preparatory fixture, also scheduled for 4pm.
These matches form part of a series of build-up games designed to test the squad’s depth, tactical discipline and competitive edge as they prepare for the AFCON challenge.
The Starlets have already played several friendly matches during their training programme, including encounters against True Democracy FC, Port City FC, Attram De Visser Academy, Semper Fi FC and Golden Kick FC.
The upcoming double-header is expected to provide another valuable opportunity for the technical team to fine-tune strategies and evaluate players as Ghana’s young talents continue their preparations for the 2026 U-17 AFCON.
