Sports
Tony Baffoe refutes claims about Black Stars captaincy
Ex-Black Stars and FC Mainz 05 defender, Anthony Baffoe has refuted claims by former teammate Anthony Yeboah that he refused to hand over the captain’s armband despite pleas from the latter’s management ahead of the 1992 AFCON final against Côte d’Ivoire.
Following the suspension of Abedi Pele, Tony Baffoe was handed the captain’s armband ahead of Tony Yeboah who was the deputy to the Maestro.
According to Anthony Yeboah, Baffoe did not deserve to be named captain of the side as that was his first tournament and there were older-serving Black Stars players like himself.
Yeboah then claimed that Baffoe refused to hand him the captain’s armband despite calls from his manager to do so.
“To be honest I was very surprised and at the same time, the Kumasi group was shocked so it was affecting us during the game. They knew I was the assistant captain. That time Tony Baffoe was new in the national team and shouldn’t have been captain”. He shared with veteran journalist, Kwabena Yeboah.
”My manager even called Tony [Baffoe] and asked him to give me the armband but he refused,” Yeboah said.
In an interview on GTV Sports+, the former Black Stars defender, Tony Baffoe described his appointment as skipper as a surprise.
“I remember we were having a team meeting and Otto Pfister announced Anthony Baffoe will be the captain of the team, that’s how the news got to me”.
The former Black Stars defender, who shared a room with Abedi Pele during the tournament, stated that he never had a conversation with ‘The Maestro’ on the captaincy.
“Let me reveal something interesting. People thought Abedi Pele had a hand in my selection as captain. Abedi never mentioned anything about captaincy to me and this I can assure you.”
Contrary to the account of Tony Yeboah, Baffoe stated that he was never contacted by Yeboah’s management team.
“I didn’t have a manager, I worked with a lawyer. To set the record straight, I saw an interview that Anthony Yeboah said his manager called me to speak to me and management to hand the armband to him. Nobody called me. It is not true”. –Citinewsroom
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.
