Asante Kotoko lost to Al Hilal by a lone goal in the first leg

The Confederation of African Football (CAF), has declared Sudanese giants, Al Hilal Omdurman, as the winner of their Champions League first round second league game against Asante Kotoko.

The Porcupines Warriors lost the first leg encounter at the Accra Sports Stadium by a lone goal some weeks ago and were hoping to turn the tie around in the second leg today, January 6, 2021, at the Al Hilal Sports Stadium in Sudan.

However, the dream of the Ghanaian giant was shattered as the game between them and Al Hilal was called off after they recorded five positive cases in their matchday squad.

The positive cases in the Asante Kotoko playing squad meant that the club couldn’t get the needed 15 players for a matchday as required by CAF, forcing the Match Commissioner to call the game off.

CAF by its Coronavirus regulations has declared Al Hilal as the winner of the tie with two goals.

This is because the new CAF regulations state that "if a club is unable to field 11 players plus four on the bench, they automatically lose 2-0, which means that Asante Kotoko has lost the tie 3-0 on aggregate to Al Hilal."

Read the CAF regulation concerning this situation in the post below:

Turkish Super Lig side Erzurumspor have reached an agreement to sign right-back Daniel Opare from Belgian side Zulte Waregem, Ghanasoccernet.com can exclusively report.

The 30-year-old has agreed personal terms with the Turkish side in what would be an improvement in his earnings.

The newly-promoted side are bringing in the versatile Ghana international defender to the Turkish top-flight to bolster their squad ahead of the opening of the transfer window.

Zulte Waregem are expected to conclude negotiations with the Turkish outfit before an announcement can be made.

The announcement of the deal is expected to be sealed in the coming hours as talks are expected to have progressed.

Opare, 30, had a successful six-month loan spell at  Besiktas in the 2014-2015 season.

He scored one goal in six league appearances.

Opare, who can play as left-back, has been in top form in Belgium where he has played 17 matches in the league for Zulte Waregem.

ghanasoccernet

300 Basic Schools are to benefit from a programme dubbed, Hygiene and Handwashing Education- “GAMES NOT GERMS”.

This was made known at the press briefing in the office of One-on-One Foundation, the organisers of the Vim National Schools Sanitation Inspection Tour. The programme will be organized across the country for both Private and Public Schools.

The activity involves Education on Hand washing and hygiene, Demonstration of handwashing under running water with antibacterial soap, Play hand and foot coordination game and reward participants and winners.

According to Ms. Sarah Awini, General Manager of the organisers, they seek to solve; the behavioral change of kids through play because we realized that kids play a lot and because of that they attract more germs. And also encourage and educate children on the importance of handwashing.

One-On-One Foundation is headed by Mr, Emmanuel Olla Williams. They engage students and are one of the leading event organisers in Ghana,

By Sammy Heywood Okine

Africa Sports Ventures Group officially launched its Flagship Sports Entertainment show Africa Empire Warrior.

The show will be hosted in the Republic of Liberia in early 2022.

At the launch, ASVG also announced the launch of a search for an African Theme Song. The contest, which is powered by Canadian Digital Music Company HITLAB, will give musicians in Africa and the wider Diaspora an opportunity to showcase their talent and create a uniquely African theme song.

‘A combination of experienced and up coming artists are what we are looking for. An individual who can sing a beautiful and stirring song for Africa and about Africa. The song should - capture the beauty of Africa and Africans, the culture of Africans, the resilience of Africans as well as the continent’s history.

The Top 5 Finalist selected will earn the chance of a lifetime to perform live in front of a Worldwide Virtual Audience at the 2021 Africa Sports Awards. This will help improve a contestants votes and placement of the best artist with the best song that captures the essence of Africa,’ ASVG Media and Liaison Manager Ntebogang Sebetlela informed the launch attendees.

The winner of the Theme Song contest will be awarded a recording contract with HITLAB plus a variety of Prizes from other sponsors.

Song recording should be submitted on the HITLAB platform at www.hitlab.com from February 15th 2021 and hashtag it #africasong, to be considered.

For more information about the song contest or to stay abreast with progress of the show, you can regularly visit our Website or join our Facebook page or follow our Twitter handle below

Website: www.africaempirewarrior.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AfricaEmpireWarrior

Twitter: @AEmpirewarrior

From Sammy Heywood Okine

The CAF Champions League clash between Al Hilal Omdurman and Asante Kotoko has been called off due to controversies over the COVID-19 pandemic.

The clash, which is the return leg of the CAF Champions League 1st round was to be played on Wednesday evening but has been called off after the visitors failed to raise the required number of players due to Covid-19 positive cases.

The Ghanaian giants reported that 7 of their officials and 4 players tested positive for COVID-19, making them ineligible to play.

The situation had led to the cancellation of the reverse fixture expected to take place tonight to force the governing body, CAF to take a decision on the matter.

The decision was made after consultations with medical experts and the health department officials in Sudan.

However, the Porcupine Warrios suspect foul play after the results were released by the Sudanese medical authorities.

The results released showed discrepancies which the Porcupine Warriors are eager to challenge.

“Al Hilal covid test results were mixed up with our results and a Covid result of one Asante Kotoko player conspicuously missing,” Kotoko wrote on their official Twitter handle.

Asante Kotoko’s CAF Champions League return leg against Al Hial on Wednesday evening has been called off after the visitors failed to raise the required number of players due to Covid-19 positive cases.

The Ghanaian giants have been rocked by rising positive cases in the team after five players and seven officials tested positive for the virus.

The situation had led to the cancellation of the reverse fixture expected to take place tonight to force the governing body, CAF to take a decision on the matter.

The decision was made after conversations with medical experts and the health department officials in Sudan.

However, the Porcupine Warrios suspect foul play after the results were released by the Sudanese medical authorities.

The results released showed discrepancies which the Porcupine Warriors are eager to challenge.

“Al Hilal covid test results were mixed up with our results and a Covid result of one Asante Kotoko player conspicuously missing,” Kotoko wrote on their official Twitter handle.

“The two different covid result sample . The Negative results is different from the “ typed letter” format of the Positive covid results,” the club added.

It is yet to be known if another test will be conducted to determine whether the players are indeed positive or negative.

Meanwhile the club have a Herculean task of overturning a 1-0 deficit from the first leg game played in Accra a fortnight ago.

FootballmadeinGhana

Black Starlets head Coach Ben Fokuo has named a 28-man squad for the 2021 WAFU Zone B Cup of Nations in Kegue, Togo.

The Ghana Coach assessed over 150 players before settling on this squad. The participating teams have been given a special dispensation to name more than 21 players for the tournament due to the Corona virus pandemic.

Bolga All Stars forward Bukari Sammed, Abdul Manaf Ibrahim of Attram De Visser Academy, Jonas Naafo of Nania FC and Zaidan Alhassan of New Edubiase United Football Club are some of the top players in the squad.

The tournament kicked off Tuesday, January 5, 2021 in Kegue, Togo.

The Starlets will not play a part in the first round of games as a result of the number of teams in Group B (3). Ghana are paired in Group B with rivals Nigeria and neighbours Cote D’Ivoire.

The top two teams from this tournament will qualify for the 2021 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Ghana’s male U-17 team, Black Starlets departed Accra on Tuesday, January 5, 2020 for Kegue, Togo for the 2021 WAFU Zone B Cup of Nations.

The tournament which was originally scheduled for Benin in 2020, will now be played in Togo from Tuesday, January 5, 2020 to Monday, January 18, 2021 in Kegue.

Ghana have been paired with Nigeria and Cote D’Ivoire in Group B of the tournament. Coach Ben Fokuo’s side will draw a bye in the first round of games in the Group stages following the number of teams (3) in Group B.

The Black Starlets will open their campaign on Saturday, January 9, 2021 against Nigeria.

This will be the first edition in Africa U-17 Cup of Nations to have expanded to 12 teams instead of eight. Each of the six zones received two spots in the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations tournament scheduled for Morocco in March 2021.

GFA COMMUNICATIONS

Elmina Sea Lions utility player Ellen Ampong has threatened to quit football because of frustration.

Speaking to Yours Truly, she revealed that she has not received her YEA Relief Package meant for female players in the Women’s Premier Division.

“All my colleagues and team mates have received their allowance except me, and I feel very sad that for four months nobody has served me” she said.

Ampong expressed that she has been to the National Sports Authority (NSA) and the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) several times but did not get positive results, so she has decided to stop going to camp.

She said the frustration in going up and down has drained her morally and physically, but she has not lost hope

Also know as ‘Sapisty’, with over ten years experience as a footballer, she has played for Faith Ladies, Immigration Ladies, Police Ladies, Hasaacas Ladies, Lady Strikers and Sea Lions.

She hinted that her club has stopped paying salaries of players due to the YEA Package and she is mostly affected.

She appealed to the NSA and YEA authorities to help her out.

“I have no one to lead or support me, I am not happy at all, as things are not going the way I expected” she added.

She has been invited to the national teams several times and know her time will come to become one of the popular stars.

She however recommended the YEA package as a good cushion for female players.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

Changes have officially been made by the international governing body on the criteria of players switching national teams

FIFA has adjusted rules governing football players switching international associations after approving amendments to the Regulations Governing the Application of the Statutes at the organisation's 70th Congress on Friday.

Earlier this year, FIFA brought up proposals to amend some of its existing statues in light of the coronavirus pandemic, and switching nationalities was among the key topics raised.

Prior to the adjusted rules, a player could only switch nationalities if they had only played in friendlies and not a single minute of any competitive fixture, which included qualifiers and international tournaments.

Those rules have now been relaxed, allowing a player to change nationality as long as they have only featured in three international fixtures, including qualifiers - but not tournaments like the World Cup, must have been less than 21 years of age at the time of playing and can only switch after three years of no international activity.

The new rules outlined at the 70th FIFA Congress are now applicable if the player:

Was fielded in a match in official competition at “A” international level in any kind of football for their current association

At the time of being fielded for their first match in an official competition (at any level) in any kind of football for his current association, they held the nationality of the association which he wishes to represent

At the time of being fielded for their last match in an official competition in any kind of football for their current association, they had not turned 21 years old

Was fielded in no more than three matches at “A” international level in any kind of football for their current association, whether in an official competition or non-official competition

At least three years have passed since being fielded for their last match at “A” international level in any kind of football for their current association, whether in an official competition or non-official competition

Has never participated in any kind of football at “A” international level in the final tournament of the FIFA World Cup or a final tournament of a confederation competition

Sevilla forward Munir El Haddadi was one of the prominent figures who voiced his frustration over the previous rule.

He was born in Spain to a Moroccan father and had represented La Roja once, in a Euro 2016 qualifier against Northern Macedonia (previously FYR Macedonia) on September 8, 2014.

The following year, the former Barcelona player contacted FIFA about his wish to change allegiance to Morocco. However, he was denied that privilege.

Still not satisfied, El Haddadi challenged FIFA’s ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sports in April 2018, but it was also quashed at the apex court.

El Haddadi will now be eligible under these new requirements as he was 19 at the time when he represented Spain and has not played in any other game for the 2010 World Champions since then.

Source - Goal