Sports
United coach counting on Pogba, Rashford for restart
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said on Tuesday he is confident of having Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford fit should the Premier League season restart next month.
Pogba has missed the majority of the campaign with an ongoing ankle injury, while Rashford seemed set to miss the rest of the season when he suffered a double stress fracture in his back in January.
United returned to training in small groups last week and preparations are expected to be ramped up further for a return to action as Premier League clubs voted yesterday on resuming contact training.
“Hopefully, now, we’ve proved we can do this safely and we can move to the next step. It’s been really enjoyable being on the training ground again,” said Solskjaer.
“They (Pogba and Rashford) are looking good, they’ve joined training now and they’ve done everything the other boys have been doing. No reaction so far, touch wood.
“When we get started, it looks like we can have a full squad to choose from.”
The return of both players could be a major boost to United’s hopes of ending the season on a high in three competitions.
Solskjaer’s men were three points off the top four in the Premier League when play was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic in March.
The Red Devils are also still in the hunt for silverware in the FA Cup and Europa League, which UEFA hopes to complete in August.However, Solskjaer may have to do without on-loan striker Odion Ighalo.
The Nigerian was signed from Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua in January, but his short-term deal expires at the end of May.
Despite United’s interest in extending Ighalo’s stay, Shanghai are reportedly keen for him to return to China for the start of their season.Ighalo scored four goals in three starts and made eight appearances in total for United. – AFP
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.
