Former Ghana Olympic Committee president, BT Baba, says changing the current administration with just some few months to the Olympic Games may be problematic and hamper the country’s participation ahead of the Games.

At the last GOC Congress held last year, it was decided that Elections must be held to elect new executives ahead of the Tokyo Olympics Games which comes off in the summer.

According to the Member of Parliament for Talensi Constituency, changing the current GOC administration has the tendency of affecting Ghana at the game as the new administration may not be ready or up to the task.

“It depends on the decision they took at their last Congress. If they have decided to vote in new executives before the Games then they have to go as planned if not then they should wait”, he told Ohene-Bampoe Brenya on Happy 98.9FM.

“If they have decided to vote then they should take a lot of things into consideration, when is the next Olympics, how many months to the next Olympics, What is the level of preparations. Whether the new executives will be technically and operationally ready for the Games.

“There are meetings currently ongoing with the current administration and will the new administration be able to cope”, he quizzed.

“In my opinion I can’t decide because nobody consulted me. Any decision they take whether good or bad, they will be held responsible for it”, he added.

Happy Sports

Thomas Tuchel is to take over as the new boss at Chelsea, according to reports in Germany and England.

Sky Germany's Max Bielefeld and The Athletic's Raphael Honigstein report the former PSG head coach, who led the club to the Ligue 1 title and the Champions League final last year, will take over from Frank Lampard.

Lampard is set to be dismissed on Monday following Chelsea's 3-1 FA Cup fourth-round win over Luton Town.

It is not yet known what terms the 47-year-old will be on but he will likely command a substantial wage following his relatively successful time at PSG.

Tuchel boasts trophy-winning pedigree, having won the French championship twice, a Coupe de France and a Coupe de la Ligue during his time in Paris, along with a DFB-Pokal from his two-year stint at Borussia Dortmund.

TUCHEL A STRAIGHTFORWARD APPOINTMENT

Tuchel would be a relatively straightforward appointment for Chelsea after he was let go by Paris Saint-Germain.

At the heart of his fall is the toxic relationship he had with club executive Leonardo, who often got involved in playing matters and transfer policy. That would again be a problem for Tuchel at Chelsea given the strategy of the club in the market is often independent of the desires of the manager.

However, Tuchel demonstrated at Borussia Dortmund and at PSG an aptitude for producing attacking, direct football which would suit the players at his disposal should he move to London.

Christian Pulisic, Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech and others offer verve and technique in attack, and have not yet gelled under Lampard.

A fresh start under Tuchel may help, and the presence of his trusted on-pitch deputy Thiago Silva could be key in fixing a leaky Chelsea defence.

'TUCHEL NOT A TIER-ONE MANAGER'

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and Tuchel would have a tempestuous relationship should the German take up the reins at Stamford Bridge, according to our latest vodcast with The Beautiful Game.

"The reason I'm interested in this one is Thomas Tuchel is notoriously a character that owners tend to fall out with," said Dej.

"Although Abramovich keeps a kind of quiet public persona, you get the impression that you have to fit in to a certain type of person to collaborate with him. And I think Tuchel and Abramovich won't really click."

Eurosport's Ben Snowball disagreed, however, saying that he would back Tuchel to be a rousing success in west London: "I think Chelsea have been too reactionary in the past. Having said that, Tuchel at Chelsea could be brilliant.

"I think we can ignore his spell at PSG because you have to bow to the player power there. Everything revolves around Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, there's no room for an actual philosophy, which is Tuchel's strength."

By Eurosport

The Ghana U-20 male national team has been pitted in Group C ahead of the 2021 Total CAF U-21 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament set to be staged in Mauritania.

Nicknamed the Black Satellites, the team last year was crowned champions of the U-20 WAFU Zone B Cup of Nations tournament while sealing automatic qualification to the upcoming tournament.

At the draw for the U-20 AFCON today at the Hilton Hotel, in Yaoundé́, Cameroon, the Ghana team has been drawn to face Tanzania, The Gambia and Morocco in Group C.

In the tournament that will start on Sunday, February 14, and end on Thursday, March 4, 2021, the Ghana team will play their first match against Tanzania. Then, later on, the Satellites will take on Morocco before concluding the group phase in a clash against Gambia.

Check out all the groups for the upcoming tournament below:

The Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) in partnership with online betting outfit, Betway Ghana will organize a one-day media training for sports journalists in the Western Region. The training is fixed for Friday, January 29, 2021, at the Alliance Protea Hotel in Takoradi. The training is targeted at Journalists from the Western, Western North, and Central Regions of Ghana. It would focus on the influence of media on sports, preparation, and coverage of sporting events, equipping sports journalists with knowledge in live sports broadcasting, pre-game analysis, skill development, conducting post and pre-game interviews as well as bringing them up to speed with global sports broadcasting and writing standards. Mr. Kwabena Yeboah, the SWAG President and Betway’s Country Manager Kwabena Oppong Nkrumah and experts in the industry would lead journalists through the exercise and encouraged sports writers across the country to take advantage of the training to equip themselves and further display their professionalism in the chosen field. Betway Ghana has heavily committed to the development of sports in Ghana through its sponsorship of Ashanti Gold SC, Liberty Professionals FC, and Aduana Stars FC and a number of clubs across the world. Betway continues to build the capacity of former footballers through the Betway 12th Man program. SWAG, the umbrella body of the sports media in Ghana now with branches in Ashanti, Bono, Eastern, Northern, Volta/Oti and Western Regions is noted for honouring sports excellence annually through the annual SWAG Awards (the nation’s premier and longest-running national awards) and the prestigious SWAG Cup which is often contested among the top football clubs in Ghana annually. SWAG offers professional and certificate training (local and international) for its members. The organisers of the event hinted that, the Conference would soon be extended to other regions in the coming months.

Manyo Plange Advises Black Bombers To Be Focused And Go For The Ultimate At Olympic Games 2020

Jessie Manyo Plange, a three times African Games Gold medalist and Quarter Finalist at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games has advised the current members of the national boxing team, the Black Bombers to be focused and go all out to reach the medal zone of the upcoming Games in Tokyo, Japan.

Speaking in an exclusive chat with Yours Truly, the former skipper of the Black Bombers said he believes in Ghanaians as very good in anything they want to do best, and urged the sports authorities, especially the Ghana Boxing Federation (GABA) and the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) to motivate the boxers well.

He called on the president of the nation to have an interest in the conditions of the country's representatives at the Olympic Games and make sure they are well motivated and inspired.

He also urged Ghanaian boxing officials, like referees and judges to join the AIBA ranks and gain international experience and exposure.

Manyo Plange who was voted best Ghanaian Professional Boxers by the Boxing Writers Association of Ghana (BWAG)  is now rated 2^nd by the WBA and 9^th by the WBO.

He said his main target for now is the world title, and he is training very hard to win and make his nation proud.

He thanked the BWAG and boxing fans for the support, and asked Ghanaians to pray for him to become the nation’s next world boxing champion.

He also commended his manager, Mr. Tony Tojl, who is based in Australia for his support.

“I am very determined and charged. I am training very hard to grab any opportunity that comes my way. I promise not to disappoint and I want Ghanaians to pray for me for good luck, thank you for this chance” he said.

Manyo Plange has not lost in 22 fights, but has one draw and he hopes to keep his record intact.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

Chelsea have sacked head coach Frank Lampard after 18 months in charge.

Former Chelsea midfielder Lampard, 42, leaves with the club ninth in the Premier League table after last week's defeat at Leicester City, having won once in their past five league matches.

His final game in charge was Sunday's 3-1 FA Cup fourth-round win against Championship side Luton.

Lampard was appointed on a three-year contract when he replaced Maurizio Sarri at Stamford Bridge in July 2019.

He guided them to fourth place and the FA Cup final in his first season in charge, and a 3-1 win against Leeds at the start of December put the club top of the Premier League.

However, the Blues have suffered five defeats in their past eight league games, as many as they had in their previous 23.

In a statement, Chelsea said: "This has been a very difficult decision and not one that the owner and the board have taken lightly.

"We are grateful to Frank for what he has achieved in his time as head coach of the club. However, recent results and performances have not met the club's expectations, leaving the club mid-table without any clear path to sustained improvement.

"There can never be a good time to part ways with a club legend such as Frank, but after lengthy deliberation and consideration it was decided a change is needed now to give the club time to improve performances and results this season."

Owner Roman Abramovich said Lampard's status as an "important icon" of the club "remains undiminished" despite his dismissal.

"This was a very difficult decision for the club, not least because I have an excellent personal relationship with Frank and I have the utmost respect for him," said Abramovich.

"He is a man of great integrity and has the highest of work ethics. However, under current circumstances, we believe it is best to change managers."

It is the most Chelsea have spent in one summer, eclipsing the £186m they invested at the start of the 2017-18 season. Lampard did not sign a single player during his first season as the club were operating under a transfer embargo, but spent more than £200m on seven major signings last summer, including £45m on Leicester's Ben Chilwell and £71m on midfielder Kai Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen.

Lampard is Chelsea's all-time record scorer, with 211 goals for the club between 2001 and 2014, and is also joint-seventh on the list of England players with the most caps, having made 106 appearances for his country over 15 years from 1999.

During his 13 seasons as a player at Stamford Bridge, he made 648 appearances and won 11 major trophies - including four Premier League titles and the 2012 Champions League.

His first managerial posting was at Derby. In his one season in charge, they reached the Championship play-off final, where they lost to Aston Villa.

Lampard became the 10th full-time manager appointed by Abramovich since the billionaire bought the club in 2003.

According to football finance journalist Kieran Maguire, Abramovich has spent £110m on sacking managers before Lampard's dismissal.

Having finished with 66 points last season after 20 wins and 12 defeats, Chelsea have lost six times in their opening 19 league games this season.

Lampard's points-per-game average of 1.67 is the lowest of any permanent Chelsea manager in the Premier League. During the Abramovich era, only Andre Villas-Boas (47.5%) has a worse win rate than Lampard's 52.4%, in all competitions amongst permanent Chelsea bosses.

In contrast, Jose Mourinho's win rate in all competitions during his first spell in charge was 67.03%, while Antonio Conte, Maurizio Sarri, Avram Grant, Carlo Ancelotti and Claudio Ranieri all had win rates over 60%.

BBC

News reached The Ring on Monday that American promoter Cameron Dunkin, of D&D Boxing, has officially secured the services of world-rated junior featherweight Wasiru Mohammed.

Dunkin, who is best known for working with the likes of Kelly Pavlik, Tim Bradley and Nonito Donaire and currently lists Jaron Ennis and Brandun Lee among his clients, is happy to have signed the power-punching Ghanaian to a promotional contract after brokering a deal with his representative.

“I’m delighted to have reached an agreement with John Manfo to promotionally sign Wasiru Mohammed,” Dunkin told The Ring. “I saw a video of Wasiru a while ago and I was really impressed. I used my contacts to locate Wasiru and we were able to quickly work out a deal.

“Wasiru is an exciting fighter, with really good power, and I think he’s a great addition to our stable.”

Mohammed (12-0, 11 knockouts) last saw action when he knocked out once-beaten Ghislain Vodounhessi in four rounds in January 2020.

Dunkin said his newest acquisition will make his American debut in the spring.

“I think he’ll make an impression on the junior featherweight division in the coming months,” said Dunkin.

Mohammed’s manager, John Manfo, is pleased to have got the deal over the line.

“We are very happy and excited to be given this opportunity to work with Cameron Dunkin and D&D Boxing,” said Manfo. “We believe his outfit is best suited to help Wasiru Mohammed reach his goal as a world champion.

“We look forward to our journey together and pray for success.”

Mohammed gained valuable experience on the national amateur team before turning professional in April 2017. He has since won the Ghanaian national title as well as a regional title. The 24-year-old has sparred with former WBO 122-pound titleholder Isaac Dogboe and world title challenger Duke Micah.

“I am happy to sign with Cameron,” said Mohammed. “I can’t wait to fight in America. [Angelo Leo and Stephen Fulton] are nice boxers, I wish to fight with them. Let’s do it, let’s fight, I’m ready for business. I don’t fear anybody at junior featherweight.”

By Anson Wainwright - The Ring

The Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has rescinded its decision to suspend clubs and Associations that pulled out of competitions in 2020 over COVID-19 related issues.

The decision follows a meeting held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, during the Championship of African Nations (CHAN).

In a letter addressed to member Associations, CAF said they have decided to grant amnesty to all cases of withdrawals that have occurred starting from the month of March 2020 until further notice.

"Due to the unforeseen conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, many teams announced their withdrawals from different competitions due to the travel restrictions imposed by certain governments and the non-availability of regular flights.

“These withdrawals normally result in a suspension from following editions in addition to financial sanctions according to the competition regulations. CAF Executive Committee has decided in its meeting held in Yaoundé on 15th January 2021 to grant amnesty to all cases of withdrawals that have occurred starting from the month of March 2020 until further notice," the statement read.

CAF

Vincent Torgah, Ghana’s number one golfer, has won the 2021 Captain One Invitational Golf Championship, held at the Royal Golf Club in Kumasi yesterday.

The annual competition which drew participation from about 100 amateur and professional golfers saw Torgah recording a net score of 71 to be crowned the champion.

Though Torgah won the competition, the experienced golfer had a tough contest from fast-rising golfer, Kwabena Poku.

At the end, it was Torgah who “stole” the show to the admiration of patrons and participants.

For his efforts, Torgah walked away with a giant trophy, a golf medal and GH¢5,000.00 worth of voucher while his closest contender Poku received GH¢2,500.00 voucher.

Royal Golf Club’s Paul Chen settled for the third position with a net score of 73 to receive GH¢1500.00 worth of voucher and a bronze medal.

“This is the toughest challenge I have had in a year and I am so happy that I eventually won though Poku gave me a run for my money,"Torgah said.

He commended the organizers saying “From organization to the quality of golfers, this competition is one of the best in the country and would definitely get better with time.”

The President of Captain One Golf Society, Mr. Pius Ayeh Appiah congratulated the winner and all golfers for showing up and ensuring a very competitive event.

"This is the most competitive we have had and despite the challenges of COVID-19, we had an amazing turnout and it was a huge success," he stated.

He expressed appreciation to the Royal Golf Club for hosting the event, the planning committee and sponsors R.K Cliste, Mosat Photography, Industrial Procurement Services and Flo Polo Designs for their support.

"We look forward to an exciting year for golfers as we continue with our charity events across the country aimed at bringing golf to all especially the needy in society," he stressed.

Mr Ayeh hinted that, there would be a first Major Junior Championship in August with children from five Captain One adopted orphanages competiting for glory.

"We want to expose golf to children so they grow with it and discover on their own, what it would do for them," he explained.

Awards were also presented to the Monthly Medal winners with Prince Aduakwa emerging the overall winner while James Akwaboah and George Osei came second and third in that order.

By Edna A. Quansah

Deborah Acquah breaks Ghana's indoor Long Jump record with a big 6.65m leap. Her new personal best leads NCAA 2021 indoor ranking among women and is just 17cm shy of the automatic Tokyo Olympic Games standard.

Results:  https://www.flashresults.com/.../01-23.../013-1_compiled.htm