Sports
When the sports journalist becomes enemy of the game
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At his victory speech, the just-crowned Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) 2019 Journalist of the Year, Samson Lardy Anyenini, made a momentous statement on the need to protect journalists.
“During the elections, when for some reason someone asks you to bring your recorder for it to be destroyed, do not give it to them. Let them know that if you are in the wrong, then they should report you to the police,” he stressed.
Though he was speaking with regard to the protection of journalists, especially during the forthcoming national elections, it still sinks into the issue at stake for discussion.
In a matter of two weeks, the 2020-21 Ghana Premier League (GPL) season will roar off at the various centres, football-crazy Ghanaians having to wait for about eight months to have their beloved game back – due to the COVID-19 outburst.
Good news is that on November 13, the GPL will kick-start at the respective centres. It had been put on ice since March, this year.
Indeed, Ghana was not the only country fatally hit by the pandemic. The virus swallowed up the world. Luckily, like many countries, Ghana appears to have waltzed out of danger (though not out of the woods yet) and it is the reason the government has lifted the ban on the nation’s most passionate game – albeit only 25 per cent of a stadium’s fan capacity will be permitted on match days.
Such safety protocols is understandable since COVID-19 is still on the rampage and cannot be taken for granted.
Anyway, the import of this piece is to caution the hoodlums and hooligans and sometimes club officials to desist from attacking sports journalists who come to cover the games, as it occurred in the past seasons. The simple message too is that – just like the national elections, no reporter should be cowed to hand over their recorders and cameras because they made critical remarks against a club, players or officials.
For such miscreants, the sports journalist does not have an opinion; they do not have a voice, and therefore become major targets during games. Such journalists may have reported on incidents that the affected parties wanted ‘hidden’ and it is enough ground for all kinds of physical and verbal onslaughts.
They do not care a hoot that through their skill and dexterity, sports journalists visually bring the game home to those who could not be present physically – and ultimately giving the fan some sense of relief and conviviality.
Again, for such goons, the sports journalist should only have a voice if their submissions are favourable to their clubs, players and officials. Anything less than pandering to their whims and caprices, is not tolerable!
There are a panoply of cases to buttress the aforementioned assertions.
Last year, maybe two seasons ago, we were horrified and disgusted at two sad developments during the domestic Premier League. The first one was the frequent attacks on sports journalists covering football games and two, the loud silence by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) on these vicious happenings.
The other time, it was the leading female camerawoman Senyuiedjorm Adadevoh, who was prevented by some hoodlums from covering a Premier League game involving Accra Great Olympics and Wa All Stars fifth week game.
What was Senyuiedzorm’s crime? The award-winning photographer, who is as harmless as a trash-talking flower, was badgered on and shoved aside by a section of the fans to have sent out off-putting reports about the club during an earlier league game against Bechem United in their 1-3 home defeat.
That incident received wide condemnation from the public and journalists alike. But it ended there, dying a silent agonising death as usual. She felt let-down by the inaction of authorities that should have taken up the matter to its logical conclusion.
A cameraman of Accra Hearts of Oak, Daniel Boakye, was also not spared some brutality during the club’s Presidential Cup game with Kumasi Asante Kotoko at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, because he was alleged to have taken ‘negative’ shots of fan violence. He got no justice.
Not too long after, it was the turn of Kotoko Express photojournalist Gideon Boakye to face the wrath of misguided fans at Dormaa Ahenkro during a league match against Aduana Stars. Once again, it was the case of taking ‘antagonistic’ photos. This same lad has had the discomfort of being subjected to physical attacks at Obuasi, Tarkwa, Tema and Cape Coast.
The disconcerting aspect of it all is that these dreadful attacks on journalists usually take place in the full glare of security officers, club officials of the home team and even officials of the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
Sadly, after visiting their unprovoked wrath on the harmless journalists (who are only there to do their professional duty by bringing information to the public), they regally walk away scot-free – sometimes amid threats of more terror if anybody dares.
The $64,000-dollar question is, for how long would this barbarism continue while we bury our heads like self-effacing ostriches? Do we not care again about the security of our game? Are we not concerned any longer about the growth and development of our game?
Do our fans know the role journalists or media men play to the expansion and promotion of the game?
President of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG), Kwabena Yeboah, and well-meaning big wigs in football, have on umpteenth number of times, condemned the senseless attacks on journalists covering games – but the ugly practice had proceeded unabated.
So, the issue is no more about condemnation. It is no more about denunciation and open disapproval. It is about acting now! It is about arresting these stadium hoodlums, prosecuting them and putting them behind bars. That is the only way our game would be cleansed and respected worldwide.
Henceforth, we expect the GFA and the security services to collaborate to ensure that these rascals masquerading as fans are immediately apprehended and made to face the full rigours of the law when the league resumes from the ‘COVID-19 break.’
Failure to do that, the much-talked-about GFA’s ‘BringBackTheLove’ campaign – aimed at igniting passion for Ghana football, cannot be complete. Would there be any love when sports journalists and cameramen, who are working their fingers to the bone in a bid to project the game to the world, are abused and battered?
Certainly, not!
CAPTION:
Ghanaian fans must see sports journalists as partners in development
The Black Queens kick off their 2026 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations journey on Wednesday, July 29, when they take on Cape Verde in their Group C opener in Morocco.
Coach Kim Lars Björkegren and his team go into the match full of confidence after weeks of intensive preparations.
The Queens held a successful pre-tournament training camp and played friendly matches to fine-tune ahead of the competition.
With morale high, Ghana’s senior women’s team will be targeting maximum points to get their campaign off to the perfect start.
The match is set for 5:00 PM GMT at the Moulay Rachid Stadium.
Football fans across Ghana will be watching closely, hoping the Queens can secure a positive result and lay the foundation for a memorable WAFCON 2026 run.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
With the World Cup fever gradually dying down, attention would switch to other equally important competitions from now to the latter parts of the year.
Barely a week after the global football showpiece that saw Spain upstaged Argentina as World Champions, over 70 countries gathered in Glasgow, Scotland for the Commonwealth Games that is attracting hundreds of athletes from the Commonwealth community.
Equally, 16 top female national teams in Africa would commence competition for the bragging rights as African champions when the delayed Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026 kicks off in Morocco tomorrow.
The Super Falcons of Nigeria are usually considered favourites for this showpiece, having shown the strength and character to dominate the game on the continent.
As defending champions, they come in strongly again, expected to face a more difficult sides like the Black Queens of Ghana, Zambia and Morocco who have been touted as possible teams to cause an upset.
Of the 16 qualified teams, nine featured at the previous edition held in 2024.
Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tunisia, who qualified in 2024, missed out this time, while Cape Verde and Malawi will make their first appearance in the tournament.
Today, The Spectator Sports takes a look at some of the teams expected to rub shoulders with the big guns in the female game.
Cameroon
After missing the previous edition, Cameroon returns to the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 determined to re-establish themselves among Africa’s elite.
The Indomitable Lionesses, one of the continent’s most successful women’s national teams, secured a place at the expanded 16-team tournament after receiving a second chance through CAF’s revised qualification system.
Now, under newly appointed head coach Valentine Nguele and inspired by emerging midfield star Naomi Eto, Cameroon will be aiming not only to reclaim their place among Africa’s leading nations but also to secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Cameroon boasts one of the richest histories in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The Indomitable Lionesses have reached the final on three occasions—in 2004, 2014 and 2016—but are still searching for their first continental title.
Their consistency has also been reflected in three third-place finishes in 2002, 2012 and 2018, giving Cameroon six podium finishes overall.
Only Nigeria and South Africa have accumulated more top-three finishes in the history of the competition, underlining Cameroon’s long-standing status among Africa’s leading women’s football nations.
Zambia
After finishing third in 2022 and falling short of expectations at the 2024 edition, Zambia head to the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 determined to establish themselves among Africa’s elite.
With one of the continent’s most feared attacking units and new head coach Nora Häuptle at the helm, the Copper Queens will be aiming to lift the Women’s AFCON trophy for the first time.
Barbra Banda remains one of the biggest names in African women’s football.
The Orlando Pride striker has established herself among the leading forwards in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and returns to international competition after recovering from a hip injury suffered late last year.
Powerful, direct and clinical in front of goal, Banda will once again spearhead Zambia’s attack as the Copper Queens pursue their first continental title.
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso (Stallions Ladies) return to the competition determined to make history after missing the 2024 edition. Encouraged by an impressive qualifying campaign, the Stallions Ladies head to Morocco aiming to progress beyond the group stage for the first time.
Burkina Faso secured qualification with convincing victories over Burundi and Togo.
The Stallions Ladies defeated Burundi 5-1 on aggregate, following a commanding 4-1 first-leg victory before completing the job with a 1-0 win in the return fixture.
They carried that momentum into the final qualifying round against Togo, winning 2-0 in the first leg before sealing qualification with another 1-0 victory to complete a 3-0 aggregate success.
Nigeria
Reigning champions Nigerias head to Morocco 2026 looking to extend their remarkable record in the competition. With 10 continental titles to their name, the Super Falcons remain the most successful team in the tournament’s history..
Led by Captain Rasheedat Ajibade and head coach Justine Madugu, Nigeria once again begin the competition among the favourites.
Nigeria secured qualification to Morocco 2026 by defeating Benin 3-1 on aggregate in the second round of qualifying.
Having received a bye in the opening round, the Super Falcons took control of the tie with a 2-0 away victory in Cotonou.
They completed the job in Abeokuta, drawing 1-1 in the second leg after Ashleigh Plumptre opened the scoring before Benin equalised through Yasmine Djibril.
The result ensured another successful qualification campaign for the reigning African champions.
Cote d’Ivoire
After a 12-year absence from Africa’s biggest women’s football competition, Côte d’Ivoire returns to the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations aiming to re-establish themselves among the continent’s leading nations.
The Elephants secured an unexpected route back to the finals following the expansion of the tournament from 12 to 16 teams.
Now guided by experienced French coach Reynald Pedros and inspired by prolific striker Habibou Ouedraogo, Côte d’Ivoire believe they have the talent to challenge Africa’s established powers once again.
The Elephants were knocked out in the final qualifying round after a fiercely contested tie against Senegal. Neither side managed to score across the two legs, with Senegal eventually prevailing 5-4 on penalties to deny the Ivorians automatic qualification.
Following the expansion of the Women’s AFCON from 12 to 16 participating teams, CAF allocated the additional places based on the FIFA Women’s World Ranking.
⚽ Group A: Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, Kenya,
⚽ Group B: South Africa, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Tanzania
⚽ Group C: Nigeria, Zambia, Egypt, Malawi
⚽ Group D: Ghana, Cameroon, Mali, Cape Verde
By Andrew Nortey
