On Thursday, December 14, 2023, Parliament approved a GH¢195.7 million budget presented by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, aimed at financing various sporting activities in 2024, with a primary focus on the upcoming 2023 Africa Games to be hosted in Ghana.

Minister Mustapha Ussif highlighted key allocations, emphasizing the ongoing construction of significant sporting facilities.

Notably, the development includes the construction of the largest aqua centre in Africa, a 1,000-seat multi-purpose hall for indoor games, and five tennis courts with a 1,000-seat capacity.

Additionally, the University of Ghana Stadium, designated for hosting some games, has undergone comprehensive revitalization and modernization, nearing completion.

"With this massive work that we are doing, we can only ask this honourable House to support us by approving this budget so that we can finish our preparations for hosting the entire continent here," he said as quoted by graphicsportsonline.com

"We are expecting over 5,000 athletes, 3,000 officials, 2,000 volunteers and an expected one billion online and global viewers," he added.

Footballghana

24 AFCON Qualified Nations submit provisional list

CAF Organising Committee approves final list of 27 players

Deadline for final submission set for 03 January 2024

One of the highlights of the countdown to the kickoff of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 is the submission of provisional squads by the 24 Participating Member Associations (PMAs).

According to the Regulations of the tournament, each Member Association qualified for the final tournament are to submit a provisional list of no more than 55 players no later than 14 December 2023.

In a related development, the CAF Organising Committee of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations has announced that the final squads for the Final Tournament will comprise of 27 players, from the initial 23 from previous events.

The registration of the four additional players on the final list of is only an option and not an obligation.

The deadline for the submission of the final squads for the tournament is 3 January 2023, exactly ten (10) days to the opening match.

However, only 23 players will be available for selection for each match during the tournament.

Also, a player in the final squad can only be replaced after a serious injury no less than 24-hours before the team’s first match following the approval of the medical certificate by the CAF Medical Committee.

The final tournament will take place from 13 January to 11 February 2024 in the Ivorian cities of Abidjan, Bouake, Korhogo, San Pedro and Yamoussoukro.

CAF | Communication Department

Dr. Kwaku Ofosu-Asare, Executive Chairman of the Local Organising Committee for the 13th African Games says the 'African Olympics' is certainly coming on in Accra, Ghana and called on the sports media to project the event with maximum publicity and potency.

Addressing journalists at a soirée at the new secretariat of the LOC at Abelempke, he thanked President Nana Akufo-Addo on his stand not to pull out when things were not moving well and gave credit to former Sports Minister, Hon. Isaac Asiamah for initiating the project to host the biggest sports festival on the continent of Africa.

He also thanked current Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon. Mustapha Ussif for his commitment and ensuring that progress is made on the facilities for the Games.

According to Dr. Ofosu-Asare, the Games coming to Ghana is a positive move and urged all Ghanaians to contribute and make it successful, especially corporate Ghana.

“The African Games is for all Ghanaians, it’s your Games, it’s my Games, lets promote it together” he told Yours Truly.

Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Rex Brobby, a former athlete / Olympian said preparations are far advanced and revealed that the Games will have traditional feelings and flavor with designs of the Games touch and medals.

He gave a line up of activities coming to stimulate the Games, such as the soirée, unveiling of the song of the tournament on December 22 at the World Trade Center, Float through some principal towns with Di Asa Ladies and Masqueraders from December 23 to 25 and a Church Service on December 31.

He announced that full branding on the Games will begin from January 24 from the Sankara Overpass and promised that the opening of the African Games will be traditionally grand.

Mr. Dan Kweku Yeboah, head of the Media Sub Committee said some programmes have been held, however they will continue to give the Games the concentration and publicity with Media Tours, website information, social media engagement and branding at vantage points.

Mr. Karl Tuffour, an astute and respected media practitioner and lecturer advised journalists to be credible, reliable and balance their stories.

Some members of the LOC like Dr. Beatrice Dwumfour Williams in charge of doping, Mr. Samson Deen in charge of Transportation, Dr. Kwame Baah Nuaku in charge of Marketing and Madam Joyce Datsa in charge of Accommodation and Logistics, Alhaji Rahman Osumanu in charge of Security, Mr. Ernest Danso, the Chef du Mission briefed the media on progress made so far on preparations.

Also present at the soirée were Dr. Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, the Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Kwasi Mantey and some influential members of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG).

By Sammy Heywood Okine

The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has received over 5 000 media accreditation applications for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 – 90% more than Cameroon 2021 edition.

The media accreditation process closed on 24 November 2023.  Over 70 nationalities have applied to cover Africa’s biggest event.

The high demand has necessitated that CAF implement quotas for all the countries due to space demands.

CAF remains committed to ensure that fairness is applied across the board in allocation and implementation of quotas.

CAF believes in creating access for media and promoting media freedom. To protect the media (TV) rights holders, CAF will introduce new guidelines for non-rights holders and enforcing restrictions on filming and other activities.

How Quotas will work: (priority list + allocation)

Host Nation: 30%

Participating countries: 35%

Regional (neighbouring) countries: 10

Rest of the world (countries): 25%

CAF is currently working closely with all the Participating Member Associations to ensure that there is a fair representation in allocating the quotas of each country.

Priority is also given to Agencies.

CAF

As the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Cote d’Ivoire 2023, approaches, the anticipation and excitement are reaching fever pitch.

With Cote d’Ivoire hosting the tournament for the second time, football fans around the continent are gearing up for a month of intense competition.

Here's a comprehensive guide to everything you need to know about the 34th edition of Africa's biggest sporting event, starting 30 days before the kickoff.

Hosts and Opening Match: Cote d’Ivoire is set to stage the finals, with the opening match scheduled for Saturday, 13 January, where the hosts will face Guinea-Bissau at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan.

Historic Context: Cote d’Ivoire is hosting the tournament for the first time since 1984.

Venue Overview: The matches will be held in six stadiums across five host cities, reflecting Cote d'Ivoire’s commitment to sports infrastructure development. The cities of Abidjan, Bouake, Korogho, San Pedro and Yamoussoukro.

Akwaba - The Official Mascot: The official mascot, "Akwaba," derived from the Baoulé language's term for "Welcome." Represented by an elephant, Akwaba's attire pays homage to the host nation's identity by mirroring Cote d'Ivoire's home colours.

"Pokou" - The Official Match Ball: The official match ball is called "Pokou". It honours the late Ivorian football legend, Laurent Pokou, renowned for his historic achievement of scoring five goals in the 6-1 victory over Ethiopia during the 1970 tournament.

"Akwaba" - The Official Song Celebration: The official song, "Akwaba," features Nigerian artist Yemi Alade, Egyptian rapper Mohamed Ramadan, and Ivorian music band Magic System. The anthem blends afrobeat, rap, and zouglou, embodying a unique musical fusion deeply rooted in the tradition of the tournament.

Group Structure: The 24 teams are divided into six groups of four teams each, with intriguing match-ups like Egypt vs. Ghana in Group B and Senegal vs. Cameroon in Group C.

Tournament Format: The top two teams in each group and the four best-ranked third-placed teams advance to the last 16, followed by quarter-finals, semi-finals, a match for third place, and the final.

Kick-off Times: During the group stages, at least two games will be played each day at 14:00, 17:00, and 20:00 (all times GMT). Similar timings will be used in the knockout stages starting on Saturday, 27 January.

Opening Match Details: Côte d'Ivoire vs. Guinea-Bissau at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan (20:00 GMT) on Saturday, 13 January.

Group Stage Kicks Off: Two games each day until 24 January across various stadiums and cities.

Opening Weekend Highlights: Record seven-time champions Egypt will face Mozambique in Group B, while holders Senegal kick off their title defence against The Gambia in Group C on Monday, 15 January.

Second Round Fixtures: Commence on Saturday, 27 January, with intriguing matchups like Group D winner vs. 3rd place Group B/E/F in Bouake (17:00 GMT).

Quarter-Final Showdown: Friday, 2 February, featuring winners from the second round at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan (17:00 GMT).

Semi-Final Battles: Set for Wednesday, 7 February, with the winners from the quarter-finals facing off at Bouake (17:00 GMT) and Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan (20:00 GMT).

Third-Place Play-Off: Saturday, 10 February, determining the best of the rest at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan (20:00 GMT).

Grand Finale: The moment everyone is waiting for – the final showdown on Sunday, 11 February, at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan (20:00 GMT).

Tournament Favourites: Senegal, the current champions, are considered favorites despite key players Sadio Mane, Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy moving to the Saudi Pro League. Other strong contenders include Morocco, Nigeria, Algeria and Cote d’Ivoire. Morocco, fresh from reaching a World Cup semi-final, seeks Afcon glory, while Ivory Coast remains a force to be reckoned with.

Côte d'Ivoire vs. Nigeria: A high-stakes encounter in Group A on 18 January at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan (17:00 GMT).

Senegal vs. Cameroon: Group C heavyweight clash on 20 January at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium, Yamoussoukro (14:00 GMT).

As the clock ticks down to the kickoff, the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Côte d'Ivoire 2023 promises to be a spectacle of footballing brilliance, drama, and unforgettable moments.

Get ready for a month-long celebration of African football excellence!

CAF

..Ben Lamptey aka ‘Daddy Lumba’ and others promise fireworks

Ben Lamptey aka Daddy Limbs says he is supporting the Don Simon Delight Fruit Mix Special Boxing scheduled for December 15 at the Premier Beach Resort, Oshiyie, Kokrobite in Accra because of the role Ambassador Ray Quarcoo has played in his life and other boxers.

He asked for God’s blessings on Amb. Quarcoo and urged all boxers on the bill to make it exciting. He promised to stop his opponent Azumah Mohammed.

The weigh in was conducted by ace world acclaimed boxing referee Roger Barnor who is Second Vice President of the Ghana Boxing Authority assisted by Board Member Alhaji Toffik and Mr J.A.Annan.

The special boxing event is being arranged by Azumah Nelson promotions and supported by West Africa and Gulf Company Limited, distributors of Don Simon Delight Fruit Mix to celebrate the 88th birthday of Amb. Ray Quarcoo, former President of the Ghana Amateur Boxing Association.

The pairings include Samuel Quaye versus Derrick Quaye in a lightweight contest, while Godwin Tetteh takes on David Tagoe in a bantamweight contest. Eric Asante fights Bernard Adzewoda in a lightweight Contest over eight rounds.

In a Super light contest, Azumah Mohammed will clash with Ben Lamptey, with Wisdom Barnor meets David Quaye in a Bantamweight contest.

In other bouts, Israel Commey will clash with Desmond Pappoe in a welterweight contest, while David Ankrah battle Henry Malm in a super light contest, then Levid Ankrah faces Ben Lamptey in a light weight contest.

Ramatu Quaye and Janet Acquah will battle for supremacy in the female contest .

In the juvenile bouts (the future champs), Godfred Coffie will face Solomon Aryeetey, while Charles Paa Tee Quaye clashes with Mohammed Ablor Sowah.

William Afofo will come face to face with Osborn Love Omanhene, with Prince Larbi squaring it up with Ramford Laryea.

Commercial manager for West Africa and Gulf Company Limited said "Supporting the youth in sports is a good cause so we didn't hesitate to come on board when Ambassador Quarcoo and Professor Azumah Nelson approached us  to support the event.

"Our commitment to remain the market leader is sustained by the vast experience of its Spanish Parent company – the international and diversified Group, Venerable Capital Group with its distribution channels across Europe, Asia and Africa. WAGCOL also adopted excellent customer service, quality products and affordable prices as its operational strategy."

Ambassador Quarcoo said "We are indeed grateful for this support,. It is to set the tone for the annual Boxing Day during Christmas. This is real boxing."

By Sammy Heywood Okine

The Confédération Africaine de Football (“CAF”) has announced Ecobank, the leading pan-African banking group, as an Official Sponsor of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Côte d’Ivoire 2023.

The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, the biggest event in Africa, will kick off on 13 January 2024 in Côte d’Ivoire.

Jeremy Awori, Chief Executive Officer, Ecobank Group, said: “The TotalEnergies CAF AFCON tournament highlights the immense sense of pride that Africans across our continent and around the world feel during the matches. As the pan-African bank, we are proud to associate Ecobank with the Confederation of African Football to contribute to the success of TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023, the largest and most-enjoyed football tournament, inspiring passion across Africa. Football transcends borders. It brings communities together, fully aligning with Ecobank’s commitment to drive regional integration. It is an honour for Ecobank to play a key role in bringing millions of Africans together to live their passion for football, making sure that loyal customers benefit from this experience.”

As an Official Sponsor, Ecobank will reward some of its customers across its vast footprint, by giving the opportunity to win tickets to experience matches in-person at this pan-African celebration. Ecobank customers should look out for TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations promotions and adverts in their markets or at their Ecobank affiliates’ official social media pages.

Ecobank carries the pan-African spirit in its DNA, and this partnership with the Confédération Africaine de Football demonstrates its commitment to its pan-African heritage, reinforcing itsconnection with hundreds of millions of Africans who will be celebrating the magic of football at TotalEnergies CAF AFCON, Côte d’Ivoire 2023. 16 of the 35 African countries in which Ecobank has a presence are among the 24 that are competing in Côte d’Ivoire.

cafonline.com

Peter Kahn, President of Fight Game Advisors, has signed undefeated featherweight prospect John Laryea, (12-0-1, 10 KOs), from the boxing rich country of Ghana.

Ranked #15 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO), the 23-year-old Laryea has already claimed victory in four bouts scheduled for twelve rounds. Most recently he defended the WBO African Featherweight Title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Gabriel Odoi Laryea (no relation) on October 7 at the famed Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra, Ghana.

Additional recent victories for the hard-hitting Laryea include Solomon Martey (TKO-6), George Krampah (KO-2) and Sebastianus Natanael (TKO-4).

Stated Peter Kahn, “As I have said many times before, Ghana has such a rich boxing history not only in Africa, but in the entire world. I am very excited to be working with John Laryea and his team to guide John to the next level towards becoming a world champion.”

With respect to the announcement, Laryea said, “This news hit me so good and I can’t stop thinking about the day my coach and manager told me about the good news. I am very grateful to my manager Samuel Anim Addo and my coach Carl Lokko for changing my life as a professional boxer. It’s time for me to work harder so that I can become a world champion for Ghana.

“I am looking forward to working with my team and Peter Kahn as I prepare to fight on the biggest stages in boxing. Still God is my Strength!”

Kahn has experience working with fighters from Ghana including the organizing of Emmanuel Tagoe’s fight with Ryan Garcia on April 9, 2022.

Source Boxing Scene

The outcome was a convention and the scorecards were wide, one card of 99-91 and two of 100-90 in favor of Briton McKinson (26-1, 4 KOs).

Ghana’s Musah Lawson aka ‘Awo Dade’ of the Prisons Service suffered his first defeat to record 11 -1-9Kos at the Bournemouth International Centre.

Michael McKinson has been crying out for an opportunity to impress. There were rumors that McKinson would lock horns with the dangerous David Avanesyan on this card but instead, McKinson boxed Ghanaian champion Musah Lawson for the WBC International silver welterweight title.

Acording to Boxing Scene John Evans, the tall Lawson came with a reputation of being a puncher and took the center of the ring. McKinson will happily assume the role of counter puncher and he quickly found his groove, clipping Lawson with his southpaw right hooks before slipping away to the side. Although he swung away whenever McKinson stepped into range, Lawson barely used his jab had no idea how to land his own punches when McKinson used his feet.

McKinson began to lead in the second, poking away with his jab and that lead right hook but he began to do most damage with his left hand to the body. One particular straight left hand to the mid-section seemed to hurt Lawson and the Ghanaian’s output dropped significantly. McKinson isn’t a particularly heavy handed fighter but - in centre ring - Lawson was extremely wary of McKinson’s accurate counter shots.

He enjoyed more success when he backed into the ropes. McKinson would stand in front of him for a split second longer and Lawson was able to find short counter shots but when McKinson chose to put distance between the two, he had a much easier time of things. He would land lead left hands, step in close and cut an angle to escape safely. Lawson tried to let his hands go but although McKinson wasn’t hurting him, his frustration was clear to see.

McKinson may have wanted to put on a show but as the fight moved into its second half, he seemed to accept that his route to a straightforward victory lay in movement. McKinson invited Lawson to come forward, inched backwards and looked to land lead left hands and right hooks but skirting out to the side. McKinson’s only issues came when he pushed Lawson to the ropes and stayed in front of him. McKinson dug in hooks to the body, stayed low and stepped around the Ghanaian but occasionally allowed his head to stay on the centre line and gave Lawson the chance to land his own counters.

Lawson looked disheartened but never gave up. His reputed power never came into play and he just lacked the boxing skills to figure out a way of pinning McKinson down.

McKinson stayed safe in the tenth round. He boxed, moved, picked his punches cleverly and never allowed Lawson to set his feet.

Credit Boxing Scene

From Sammy Heywood Okine

On Tuesday December 12, Ghana’s Minister Of  Youth And Sports, Hon Mustapha Ussif led the President of the International Boxing Association, Mr. Umar Nazarovich Kremlev, and the President of the Association of African Sports Confederations (UCSA), Major General Ahmed Nasser, on a courtesy visit to H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the President of the Republic.

Mr. Kremlev and Major Nasser were in Ghana to make preparations for the forthcoming 13th African Games, Accra 2023 scheduled to take place in Accra next year.

During the meeting, President Akufo-Addo expressed unwavering commitment to ensuring that the 13th African Games in Accra stand as a pinnacle in the history of the event. He earnestly called upon the leaders of the sports federations to extend their support to Ghana, thereby contributing to the realization of a truly successful sporting spectacle.

The president of the International Boxing Association, IBA, Umar Kremlev expressed his eagerness to establish a collaborative relationship with Ghana.

The primary aim of this partnership is to bolster the growth and development of boxing in the country. Mr Kremle, revealed this after meeting with President Akufo Addo.

President of the Ghana Boxing Authority, Abraham Kotei Neequaye was also in attendane minus the President of the Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF) Mr. Ben Quartey, whoes federation is going to compete at the upcoming All African Games in 2024, Accra Ghana.

Mr. Ben Quartey was at the IBA Congress in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

By Sammy Heywood Okine