Joseph Awinongya Jr. the best boxer in the top six of future American World Boxing Champions is in the news once again as all the top Boxing Promotions in the United States of America (USA) want to sign him.

Joseph Awinonya Jr., is the number one ranked 145 pounds amateur in the United States among Junior Men ages 15–16 by USA Boxing Team USA.

According to his dad Coach Awinongya Sr every manager and promoter want to sign his son, and he is very happy, but cautious to give the darling boy all the best in terms of boxing management with a brighter future for participating in the Olympic Games in 2028 and becoming a World Champion.

He noted that the journey to the destination is both sour and sweet, so he is hoping for God to give him the direction and recognition in the next phase of the development of the multiple National and Junior Olympics Champion.

"Joseph Awinongya is an international project and it has already started affecting lives in America and Africa, Ghana in particular" he expressed.

He thanked the Mayor of Joliet Illinois and all the lovely people who have contributed to the development of Jojo Awinongya who made a record as one of the youngest people to enter university and come out with bright colors.

He visited Ghana two years ago and gave inspiration to students and sports people. The chief of Ashaiman, Nii Annang Adjor II is one of his fans, same as officers of the Municipal Assembly and the boxing fraternity in James Town and Bukom.

For the people of in the northern and upper regions of Ghana, he is a super star and role model in the making and cannot wait to see him wear the World Title.

The Friends of Boxing Ghana and Boxing Writers Association of Ghana (BWAG) wish Team Awinongya all the best.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has revealed that the Youth and Sports Ministry spent an amount of GHS 19,262,766.35, the equivalent of $1.5 million during Black Stars' Qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire.

According to the Member of Parliament, official documents revealed that Ghana's home and away matches versus Angola cost a total of GHS7,452,437.71.

Ghana's two games with Madagascar also cost an amount of GHS8,395,434.13

In the two games Ghana played against the Central Africa Republic cost the country up to GHS3,414,894.51.

Ghana qualified for the Côte d'Ivoire 2023 Africa Cup of Nations through Ernest Nuamah's 83rd-minute winner against the Central African Republic on the final day of qualifiers.

Although CAF has not confirmed how much Ghana will earn from the group stage participation, quarter-finalists will earn a prize money of $1,300,000.

In 2022, Ghana's Sports Minister Mustapha Ussif told Parliament that the country spent $2,500,000 during a campaign that ended in the group stage.

Meanwhile, the Black Stars have crashed out of the 34th edition of the AFCON in Ivory Coast having finished 3rd in Group B with just two points.

Ghana recorded two draws against Egypt and Mozambique having opened their campaign with a defeat against Cape Verde.

Following the team's elimination, the technical team of the Black Stars led by Chris Hughton has been dissolved.

FootballGhana

The Ghana Football Association has announced the sacking of Chris Hughton as Black Stars head coach.

This was after Ghana’s disastrous 2023 Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Ivory Coast came to an abrupt end again without winning a game.

Ghana needed to win their final group game against Mozambique but conceded two goals in added time to draw 2-2 and crash out.

“The Ghana Football Association wishes to announce that Chris Hughton has been relieved of his duties as head coach of the senior National team with immediate effect,” a statement from the GFA said.

“The Executive Council has also taken a decision to dissolve the technical team of the Black Stars.

“The Ghana Football Association will in the coming days provide a roadmap on the future direction of the Black Stars.”

Chris Hughton was appointed Ghana head coach in March 2023 after serving as Technical Advisor for a year.

He has taken charge of 12 games in his almost one-year duration as Ghana coach, winning four games, drawing four and lost four times.

FootballGhana

The Black Stars of Ghana are officially out of the 34th African Cup of Nations Tournament in Ivory Coast after failing to win a match in Group B, where they lost 2-1 to Cape Verde, and drew 2-2 with Egypt and Mozambique.

They could also not make it among the best third placed teams.

However Ghana grabbed the Man of the Match Awards with Alexander Djiku winning the first game and star boy Mohammed Kudus picking two.

Captain Andre Ayew also made record with eight Afcon appearances. He equaled Rigobert Song’s record for most games played in AFCON tournament history (36).

Cameroonian Rigobert Song, Egyptian Ahmed Hassan and Ghana's Ayew are the players with the most AFCON appearances.

The Black Stars lost winning bonuses of $10,000 per game, which I suggest should be given to charity.

Coach Coach Chris Houghton has been labeled as the worst technical head of the Black Stars after failing to win both competitive and friendly matches.

GFA President Mr. Kurt Okraku has also been criticized for failure in the last two Afcons and poor performance at the FIFA World Cup in 2022. During his reign Ghana has lost to lowly rated countries like The Comoros, Cape Verde and could not beat Namibia and Mozambique.

Ghanaian football fans and sports journalists have also booed, jeered and insulted the players, technical staff and entire Ghana Football Association.

People are calling for the dissolving of the team and the appointment of a better coach.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

The hopes of Ghana Black Stars to perform well at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament was dashed by Mozambique after a 2-2 pulsating drawn game.

With top stars like the Ayew brothers, Inaki Williams, Majeed Ashimeru, Mohammed Salisu, Alex Djiku, Mohammed Kudus and others Ghana was expected to go far in the exciting tournament.

However, things did not go according to plan for the Black Stars. They started their campaign with a inacceptable 2-1 loss to Cape Verde, followed by a 1-1 draw against Egypt.

Despite these setbacks, the team still had a chance to advance to the knockout stages with a win in their final group stage match against Mozambique.

Unfortunately, the Black Stars faltered once again, drawing 2-2 with Mozambique and failing to secure the victory they needed to move on to the next round. This resulted in the team finishing third in their group and only a miracle can see them through.

The Black Stars' disappointing performance at AFCON 2023 was met with widespread criticism from fans and analysts alike.

Many pointed to the team's lack of cohesion and poor tactical decisions as key factors in their failure to advance. Others criticized the team's lack of mental toughness and ability to close out games.

It was even more surprise when Ghanaian Sports Journalists booed at their own players after the match at the Mixed Zone of the stadium when the players refused to pass by to be interviewed.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

Streetwise Management, a boxing management and promotions company has signed 18 year old young Ghanaian boxer, Africanus Neequaye of Labone SHS.

According to Mr. Achiebald Nii Martei Armah, director of Prince DeHenry Educational Complex and the local manager of Neequaye, a rising star of the James Town Boxing Gym, both parties have agreed on the deal, and they are hoping for a successful future of the boxer.

He noted that Neequaye would have the privilege of training outside Ghana, possibly in the USA, to realise his dream of becoming a world champion.

He thanked Coaches Nuhu and Randy (Ransford Amugi) of the James Town Boxing Gym for their immerse contribution in guiding the boxer from the foundation, as well as Mr. Michael Amo Bediako of Streetwise and all his staff for their support.

Streetwise recently put on their Instagram page “We are delighted to announce the signing of Ghanaian lightweight prospect @africanousneequaye. Africanus who is only 18 and already has a professional record of 5-0 with 4 KOs is an exciting talent and our aim is to develop his him domestically then move him onto the international stage as we did with a certain @richardcommey

I’d like to thank my PA in Ghana @j_wise21 for his hard work in helping putting this deal together along with The head of @princedehenryedu, @realinnovations2009 . Africanus will be finishing his schooling there before putting his full focus into his professional boxing career.

I would also like to thank his coaches Ransford and Nuhu for the work they have done with him so far and we hope to work closely with them domestically to continue his development.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

Coach of Ghana's national team the Black Stars, Chris Hughton says he is angry and frustrated about the team's performance at the 2023 African Cup of Nations(AFCON) in Ivory Coast.

Having failed to win a game at the group stages with a defeat and two draws, the coach said, it was not the kind of result they expected.

"Just like everyone else, I am angry and frustrated. We came into a tournament to do well but unfortunately, we did not get the right results," he said at a press conference after Ghana's 2-2 draw with Mozambique on Monday.

"We have a group of players that want to do well at the competition but unable to avoid certain mistakes in order to get the right results," he stated.

He added that, Ghana conceded two goals in each of the three matches with most of them being individual errors which must be corrected in future.

"We have conceded goals and have not put ourselves in positions where we could score more goals. The energy levels were not at high as the Egypt game and did not expect to concede the way we did," he stressed.

"We put ourselves in positions where we have to score three goals in each game. We continued to make fundamental mistakes and not able to see games through," he added.

However, he said, he would take full responsibility of the results as a coach since he was the head of the team.

He also admitted that,they did not perform well in all three games at the competition.

Ghana needed a win to advance to the next stage of the 2023 AFCON but gave away a two goal lead to draw 2-2 with Mozambique in their final group game of the competition.

The result left a bitter taste in the mouths of the hundreds of Ghanaian supporters who trooped to Ivory Coast to cheer the Black Stars.

That included a team of over 160 supporters sponsored by MTN to Abidjan to support the national team.

The disappointed fans would depart Abidjan Tuesday morning to Accra, hoping that there would be victories for Ghana in subsequent competitions.

From Michael D. Abayateye, Abidjan, Coutersy MTN

Screenshot 20240122 174046 Instagram

Sports journalist, Gary Al-Smith, has been enlisted by telecoms giants, MTN, in their nationwide campaign to rally support for the senior national football team.

With the Black Stars at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, it’s all hands on deck to push the team to a first trophy since 1982, and Al-Smith has been spotted on billboards canvassing the general public to the cause.

An action picture of Al-Smith accompanies copy that says “Make we do am with swag”, urging the Black Stars to not only win, but to do so stylishly.

Taking to social media, the media personality, who was adjudged Journalist of the Year at the 48th annual Sports Writers’ Association of Ghana Awards on January 12, posted beautiful photos of one of the billboards.

‘Happy to join forces with Ghana’s biggest digital solutions provider to rally behind the @GhanaBlackStars at #AFCON2023 and into the future’, the journalist wrote on his Facebook and Instagram accounts.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C2ZJPdbtEq6/?igsh=Z3JxejRrbWo3YWw4

Al-Smith, head of Joy Sports at the Multimedia Group, was spotted in London attending the Fifa Best Player Awards, where it was revealed that he now votes on behalf of Ghanaian journalists in the annual awards scheme, while Black Stars manager Chris Hughton votes on behalf of coaches in Ghana.

By Ameyaw Debrah

Amidst the grand tapestry of the ongoing African Cup of Nations (AFCON) hosted in Ivory Coast, a compelling narrative of redemption and resurgence is gradually unfolding.

All eyes are now fixed on Ghana’s Black Stars, as they gear up to face Mozambique in what is being touted as a defining clash of the final Group B encounter.

This match is not only a crucial game for both teams, but it is also a chance for Ghana’s Black Stars to showcase their determination and resilience in the face of adversity.

As the teams prepare to take to the pitch, the excitement and anticipation among football fans around the world are palpable.

Ghana conceded four goals in their first two games in the competition, against Cape Verde and Egypt with all the goals coming from awkward defensive lapses.

It is clear that they have returned to the drawing board to address and rectify the mistakes they made in their earlier games.

Upon careful observation, today’s game, scheduled for 8:00 pm at Stade Alassane Ouattara in Ebimpe, promises to be both challenging and aesthetically pleasing.

As the two countries will exhibit their football prowess not only to make their nations proud but also to bring joy to the faces of their fans.

Coach Chris Hughton has affirmed that the team comprehends the significance of Monday’s ultimate group game against Mozambique, expressing optimism about securing victory.

As the final whistle beckons, the Black Stars stand on the precipice of redemption. Today, the echoes of resilience and determination are poised to drown out any lingering prophecies of defeat.

In this tale of perseverance and national pride, Ghana’s Black Stars are ready to shine brighter than ever before.

As the ardent supporters in Abidjan also harbor high hopes, eagerly anticipating a triumphant outcome that today, I earnestly implore all Ghanaians at home not to lose faith in the Black Stars but, instead, to rally their unwavering support behind the team.

Kind courtesy MTN, nearly 200 supporters are in Ivory Coast together with hundreds from the Ghana Supporters and other groups, to cheer the national team to victory.

By Isaac Kofi / MTN

Various sports federations representing Ghana at the 13^th African Games have began camping in readiness for the biggest sports festival on the continent

The African Games which involves 25 disciplines will start from March 8^th to 23^rd in Accra, Ghana at the new Borteyman Sports Complex and Legon.

Ghana is hosting the Games for the first time and it is expected that Team Ghana does very well to be among the top five on the medals table at the end.

Dr. Kwaku Ofosu – Asare, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee and his members have done quite well to ensure that the facilities are ready.

Mr. Ernest Danso, CDM for Team Ghana who is also President of Ghana Baseball commended the government and Ministry of Youth & Sports for providing financial support on time for the athletes camping and preparations.

Nana Adu Mankatta, President of the Sports For All Federation who is a member of the LOC Sub Committee said Team Ghana is doing well as all the athletes who were taken to Cape Coast are happy and responding to training and conditions.

He noted that everyone wants to make history and a name for him or herself and the family so everybody is serious.

By Sammy Heywood Okine