Hot!
The Dream Tournament: European scouts impressed
The second edition of the Dream tournament was a huge success, with top European scouts who travelled to Ghana for the event being very impressed with the talents they saw.
The two-day event drew top scout Sebastian Arnesen, agent Marcel Veerman, Manchester City and Troyes scout Christophe Jeannot, and Rapid Vienna head scout Matthias Ringler.
It also attracted Spain’s Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Jose Guitiérrez, the High Commissioner of the Republic of Malta to Ghana, H.E. Jean Claude Galea Mallia, as well as Katharina Link, Managing Director Pulse Ghana and West Africa, Beatrice Mensah-Tayui, Chief Executive of Cybele Energy, and Nathan Kwabena Adisi, popularly known as Bola Ray, who is a top Ghanaian radio and television personality and entrepreneur.
The tournament was organised by young Ghanaian football agent Daniel Boifio Jr, head of DBJ Empire in collaboration with Empire Sports Agency, with the goal of scouting the best talents for European exposure, and several players were selected.
The competition began on Monday, October 17, 2022, with six teams participating: West African Football Academy (WAFA), Attram De Visser Soccer Academy, Sporting Club Accra, ESA Select Side, Krystal Palace Academy, and Academie Planete Foot Du Togo.
After the preliminary round, WAFA, Sporting Club, Krystal Palace, and Academie Planete Foot Du Togo emerged as the top four, with WAFA and Sporting qualifying for the final and the other two settling for third place.
WAFA won the trophy with a 1-0 victory, Sporting finished second, and Krystal Palace finished third with a 5-4 penalty shootout victory over Togo.
The tournament was played at a high level, with the players desperate to impress the well-connected scouts, and several of them did. The chosen players will leave the country for trials in Europe before the end of the year.
The next edition is scheduled to take in February next year.
Source: starrfm.com.gh
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
