The Cameroon shot-stopper is tipping his injured club mate to make a strong comeback to action

Ajax Amsterdam goalkeeper Andre Onana is backing team-mate Mohammed Kudus to make a stronger return to the pitch following a recent injury setback.

Ghana international Kudus has been confirmed out of action for “several months” after picking up a meniscus injury during his club’s recent Champions League group stage opener against Liverpool.

The injury was undoubtedly a big disappointment for the 20-year-old who was beginning to settle down at Johan Cruyff Arena following his summer transfer from Danish club Nordsjaelland.

"He's a tough guy. I spoke to him and explained that unfortunately, injuries are also part of football. He was very positive and promised to do everything he could to make a great return," Cameroon goalkeeper Onana, Ajax No.1 goalkeeper, said, as reported by Footballghana.

Kudus’ injury came just three days after scoring his debut goal for Ajax during a Dutch Eredivisie encounter with Heerenveen.

Against Liverpool, the attacker made his Champions League debut but saw his night ended as early as just the sixth minute after hurting his meniscus during a challenge with Liverpool’s Fabinho.

“Mohammed Kudus had to be subbed off after only six minutes vs Liverpool on Wednesday. Further examinations show that the 20-year-old has a meniscus injury that will keep him out for several months," Ajax announced on their official website after the fateful game.

"Kudus came to Ajax this summer and played four official matches so far."

Kudus’ injury situation means he will be unavailable for Ghana in their 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying double-header against Sudan in November.

It will be the second straight time he misses national duty due to injury after being denied clearance by Ajax to honour a Ghana call-up for friendly matches against Mali and Qatar in Turkey earlier this month.

The Accra-born player was snapped up by the Dutch giants in a five-year deal in July following a string of fine performances for Nordsjaelland in Denmark.

Last season, he netted 11 times in 25 league appearances to finish the term as The Wild Tigers’ top scorer.

So far at Ajax, he has scored once and provided three assists in five appearances in all competitions for Erik Ten Hag’s outfit.

Goal

The Head Coach of Accra Great Olympics, Annor Walker has revealed the club’s targets in the upcoming Ghana Premier League season.

The ‘Dade Boys’ endured a miserable spell in the 2019-20 campaign and were sure bets for relegation until Coronavirus intervened.

The Coronavirus pandemic caused the cancellation of the season meaning a fresh start ahead for Great Olympics as the new season kicks off in mid-November 2020.

Olympics will in their first five matches of the campaign face title contenders Medeama Sc and Asante Kotoko, as well as regional rivals Liberty Professionals and Legon Cities with Mysterious Dwarfs completing the list.

Speaking in a pre-season video to whet the appettite of fans ahead of the new campaign, Coach Annor Walker is predicting a Top 5 finish for Great Olympics.

“Last season I came when the league was started already. This time I am starting with the team and my prayer is, at least I have to be in the first 4,5 positions. Fans should expect good football and Olympics being one of the best in the country”, Coach Walker said.

From Sammy Heywood Okine

Wharton was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2003

Ghana’s stature as a country that has produced some of the best footballers, boxers, and athletes has once again come to the fore after Arthur Kwame Wharton, who is regarded as the world's first black professional footballer was celebrated in England on Wednesday, October 28.

Arthur Kwame Wharton’s celebration and recognition came in the form of a stunning mural and unveiled in Darlington, the first club he played for.

In addition to being a fantastic footballer, Arthur Wharton was also remarkably a record-breaking sprinter.

Available records show that Wharton was born in Ghana in 1865 before moving to England.

His recognition and celebration yesterday is seen as a victory by residents of Darlington who have championed the cause for such a great talent to be remembered for his extraordinary achievements. The campaign to get Wharton immortalized began after a Darlington resident, Shaun Campbell campaigned for 12 years.

Shaun Campbell, the chief campaigner who led the crusade to have Wharton celebrated finally fulfilled his mission to commemorate the life of Wharton as a mural of the pioneering sportsman was unveiled on the side of a Darlington building that has been named 'The Arthur Wharton Foundation'.

For Shaun, this achievement will signal the beginning of the latest chapter of his campaign to use the spirit of Arthur to bring the community together in a way that teaches the people of Darlington about black history, diversity, and equality.

'I know how much this means – for Darlington to finally have a meaningful testament to the icon that is Arthur Wharton,' he told the Northern Echo.

'Black lives will only matter when black history is embedded in the fabric of our education system and culture.

'Having an inspirational figure like Arthur to look up to will help us to do that.'

According to the Daily Mail, “Wharton immigrated to Darlington as a 19-year-old to train as a missionary but soon abandoned those plans to pursue a career as an athlete.

“He was a keen cyclist and played rugby and cricket but picked football and began his career as an amateur at Darlington in 1885.

Wharton was mainly used as a goalkeeper and was part of the team that reached the FA Cup semi-finals in his second season before going on to represent Rotherham, Preston North End, Sheffield United, Stalybridge Rovers, Ashton North End and Stockport County during a career which spanned 17 years”.

As well as his exploits in football, Wharton was well known for equalling the amateur world record of 10 seconds for the 100-yard sprint in the AAA championship at Stamford Bridge in 1886.

Wharton was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in recognition of the impact he made on the game in 2003 while a statue in tribute to his contributions to the sport was also erected at St George's Park National Football Centre in 2014.

The mural of him revealed today in Darlington was created by celebrated graffiti artist Jay Kaes and commissioned by BT Sport.

The town's Mayor Chris McEwan was presented with a traditional 'kente cloth' from Ghana as he presented the artwork and said: 'It is right and proper that Darlington recognises Arthur Wharton in this way, particularly during Black History Month.

Additional notes from Daily Mail

Ghanaian forward, Solomon Asante has been named in the United Soccer League Team-Of-The-Year for 2020.

The USL honored standout performers from the regular season on Wednesday with the announcement of the 2020 USL Championship All-League Teams.

The Phoenix Rising captain Solomon Asante was named in the 2020 USL Championship All-League First Team while his teammate Rufat Dadashov earned 2020 USL Championship All-League Second Team honours.

The 2020 USL Championship All-League Team was voted on by club management and a league-wide media panel that included representation from every USL market.

The finalists for the 2020 Championship Awards will be announced on Thursday, preceding the 2020 USL Championship Final, which will air live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and SiriusXM FC in the United States on Sunday, November 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET as the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the Eastern Conference and Phoenix Rising FC of the Western Conference meet at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Asante, 30, scored eight goals with nine assists to his credit this campaign and has led his team to the USL Championship playoffs final where they will face Tampa Bay Rowdies after winning the Western Conference Championship playoffs final days ago

From Sammy Heywood Okine

Bouchra Hajij has been elected as the 5th President of CAVB-The African Volleyball Confederation at the Congress held online from 24th-26th October 2020, to become the first female president of the continental body.

 Hajij, who is also president of the Royal Moroccan Volleyball Federation, FIVB Executive vice president and CAVB Executive vice president and Board member, recorded 42 votes, with incumbent Dr Amr Elwani gathering 12 Votes.

Due to travel restrictions brought by the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 Congress was held through virtual conference lasting over 24-hours in 3-days, notably over 15-hours spent on day two before the new president was announced on Monday morning.

Bouchra, a former Moroccan international (1984 – 2002), now has until 2024 to transform Beach Volleyball and Volleyball (Indoor) in Africa before the next Elective Congress.

Bouchra Hajij became the first ever African woman to be elected as FIVB Board of Administration member in the FIVB Board elections in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2016.

Bouchra has Masters in Communication and Marketing (ISCAE), Bachelor’s degree in experimental sciences and Diploma in Education from Ministry of Youth and Sports.

The online voting exercise was conducted by experts from FIVB led by Fabio Azevedo in association with the CAVB secretariat in Cairo.

54 delegates from the 54 CAVB affiliates attended the 3-days Virtual Conference via zoom and voted in the Congress.

Elwani served volleyball in Africa for 24-years including 19-years as president of the Confederation and FIVB Executive vice-president 

Elwani was the fourth CAVB President after Chazly Zouiten (Tunisia); Nacef Salim (Egypt) and Louhry Gui Gui (Cote D’Ivoire)

CAVB was formed in 1972 with its headquarters in Cairo, Egypt and has 54 member affiliates from across Africa.

2020-2024 CAVB Board of Administration

CAVB PRESIDENT

Bouhra Hajij – Morocco

CAVB VICE-PRESIDENTS

Zone I: Adnan BAKBAK – Libya

Zone II: Rodrigues ANTONIO CARLOS – Cape Verde

Zone III: Casimir SAWADOGO – Burkina Faso

Zone IV: Dokony Adiker IDRISS – Chad

Zone V: Waithaka KIONI – Kenya

Zone VI: Fredreck NDLOVU – Zimbabwe

FIVB BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION MEMBERS

Habu GUMEL – Nigeria

Sanga Issouf KONE – Côte d’Ivoire

Daniel Koboa MOLAODI – Botswana

GENDER MINORITY

Agness Nakaonga KAKOMA – Zambia

Mpho PALIME – Lesotho

PRESIDENTS OF CAVB ZONES

Zone I: Mustapha LEMOUCHI – Algeria

Zone II: Bai Dodou JALLOW – Gambia

Zone III: Paul ATCHOE – Ghana

Zone IV: Christian MATATA SHWITI – Congo

Zone V: Fernand Sauveur RUTERANA – Rwanda

Zone VI: Khalid CASSAM – Mozambique

Zone VII: Kayseeven TEEROOVENGADUM – Mauritius

From Sammy Heywood Okine

The Ghana Tug of War Association (GHATOWA) has been busy recently with a successful regional event at Koforidua 2020 after the Coastal Strength Challenge held last year in Accra.

President of the Association, Mr. Emmanuel Olla Williams said they want to get Ghanaians out of the boredom and grow actively.

He expressed that Ghana can claim much medals in Tug of War if it is added to the traditional sports at the 2023 African Games to be hosted in Ghana.

“Tug of war is a team sports, with no individual stars, every player is a super star with strength, stamina and skill. It’s a demanding sport. Sportsmanship is at the highest order in Tug of War” said the Secretary of the Association, Miss Sarah Awini.

She said efforts are being made for the return of the sport to the Olympic Games; however Tug of War is represented at the World Games which is held every four years.

She said Dreamland Sports Plus and One-On-One Foundation have organised exciting Games all over the country, especially in schools with the combination of the SHS Sanitation Tour programme.

They are set for the 12km OKAIKWEI Triangular Marathon scheduled for 21st November 2020 to create awareness on peace, love and unity as the nation prepare for General Elections.

Meanwhile, Mr. Anton Rabe. President of the Tug of War International Federation (TWIF) has commended Ghana for the interest in the sport and the promotion which boasts fitness and teamwork.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

Cairo, Egypt, October 26, 2020.  Bouchra Hajij has been elected as the 5th President of CAVB-The African Volleyball Confederation at the Congress held online from 24th-26th October 2020, to become the first female president of the continental body.

 Hajij, who is also president of the Royal Moroccan Volleyball Federation, FIVB Executive vice president and CAVB Executive vice president and Board member, recorded 42 votes, with incumbent Dr Amr Elwani gathering 12 Votes.

Due to travel restrictions brought by the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 Congress was held through virtual conference lasting over 24-hours in 3-days, notably over 15-hours spent on day two before the new president was announced on Monday morning.

Bouchra, a former Moroccan international (1984 – 2002), now has until 2024 to transform Beach Volleyball and Volleyball (Indoor) in Africa before the next Elective Congress.

Bouchra Hajij became the first ever African woman to be elected as FIVB Board of Administration member in the FIVB Board elections in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2016.

Bouchra has Masters in Communication and Marketing (ISCAE), Bachelor’s degree in experimental sciences and Diploma in Education from Ministry of Youth and Sports.

The online voting exercise was conducted by experts from FIVB led by Fabio Azevedo in association with the CAVB secretariat in Cairo.

54 delegates from the 54 CAVB affiliates attended the 3-days Virtual Conference via zoom and voted in the Congress.

Elwani served volleyball in Africa for 24-years including 19-years as president of the Confederation and FIVB Executive vice-president 

Elwani was the fourth CAVB President after Chazly Zouiten (Tunisia); Nacef Salim (Egypt) and Louhry Gui Gui (Cote D’Ivoire)

CAVB was formed in 1972 with its headquarters in Cairo, Egypt and has 54 member affiliates from across Africa.

2020-2024 CAVB Board of Administration

CAVB PRESIDENT

Bouhra Hajij – Morocco

CAVB VICE-PRESIDENTS

Zone I: Adnan BAKBAK – Libya

Zone II: Rodrigues ANTONIO CARLOS – Cape Verde

Zone III: Casimir SAWADOGO – Burkina Faso

Zone IV: Dokony Adiker IDRISS – Chad

Zone V: Waithaka KIONI – Kenya

Zone VI: Fredreck NDLOVU – Zimbabwe

FIVB BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION MEMBERS

Habu GUMEL – Nigeria

Sanga Issouf KONE – Côte d’Ivoire

Daniel Koboa MOLAODI – Botswana

GENDER MINORITY

Agness Nakaonga KAKOMA – Zambia

Mpho PALIME – Lesotho

PRESIDENTS OF CAVB ZONES

Zone I: Mustapha LEMOUCHI – Algeria

Zone II: Bai Dodou JALLOW – Gambia

Zone III: Paul ATCHOE – Ghana

Zone IV: Christian MATATA SHWITI – Congo

Zone V: Fernand Sauveur RUTERANA – Rwanda

Zone VI: Khalid CASSAM – Mozambique

Zone VII: Kayseeven TEEROOVENGADUM – Mauritius

From Sammy Heywood Okine

Ghanaian referee, Daniel Nii Laryea has been appointed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), to officiate next month’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Cape Verde and Rwanda.

The 33-year old, leads a quartet of Ghanaian referees appointed for the game, scheduled for the National stadium in Cidade da Praia.

He will be assisted by compatriots Kwasi Acheampong Brobbey (Assistant I), Paul Kodjo Atimaka (Assistant II) and Adaari Abdul Latif (Fourth official).

Mohamed Abdatt Bilal from Mauritania will be the Match Commissioner.

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