Serigne Fallou Diouf of Senegal celebrates goal during the 2023 Under 17 African Cup of Nations Final match between Senegal and Morocco held at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers

Mamadou Sawane headed home the winning goal seven minutes from time as Senegal scored twice in four minutes to come from a goal down and beat Morocco 2-1 to clinch their first ever TotalEnergies U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title in a dramatic finale at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers.

Skipper Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal had given Morocco a 14th minute lead, one they kept until the 79th minute when Serigne Falou Diouf scored a VAR awarded penalty.

Sawane towered the entire defense to head home four minutes later, completing the hard-earned turnaround for the Teranga Cubs.

Senegal has now won a third consecutive continental title within four months, their team of local based players having won the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) title in February at the same venue of their conquest on Friday, while they also won the U20 AFCON title in Egypt in March.

Their senior national team began the continental dominance last February when they clinched the AFCON 2021 crown then continuing with an AFCON Beach Soccer title later in the year.

Heading into the Friday night’s duel, both teams were in unfamiliar territory, playing their first ever final, but it was Morocco who would go ahead first.

Skipper Ait Boudlal peeled away from his markers before beating the keeper to the ball to head home from an Abdel Hamid Maali corner.

It was a nerve calming goal for Said Chiba’s boys, as just 10 minutes before, the Senegalese had come close with skipper Amara Diouf having a freekick fly inches wide off target.

The game went into a full contest, with both sides battling for possession, but clear-cut chances at goal diminishing.

In the second half, Senegal started faster off the blocks, Mamadou Sadio shooting just over with only 45 seconds gone on the clock. On the other end, Morocco had a chance when Maali struck a shot from the edge of the box, but it flew wide.

Senegal’s turnaround came in the 76th minute when Moroccan skipper Ait Boudlal was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the box. After visiting the pitch-side monitor, the referee awarded the penalty and Serigne tucked it home.

The goal inspired the Senegalese and they piled pressure on Morocco in the final 10 minutes of the game. Just four minutes later they had their reward when substitute Sawane stormed in to the edge of the six yard box to head home what would be the winner from a corner.

The goal punctured the entire Moroccan side, and even senior national team coach Walid Regragui who had flown in for the final, was dismayed, standing in anguish at his sitting spot in the VIP dias.

Senegal managed to see off the remaining minutes, plus six of added time, to win the title for the first time ever. 

cafonline

The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the first African Para Games has marked some sports centers in Accra as venues for the 2023 African Para Games.

Mr, Samson Deen, President of the African Para Sports Committee on Tuesday joined sports journalists as they toured some facilities to be used for the Games.

He said the media has to be informed to see what is really on the grounds, and preparations made so far.

He promised that Ghana will host a successful event.

The tour took the media to Accra Sports Stadium earmarked for Sitting Volleyball and Amputee Football, Eden Height for Wheelchair Tennis and Wheelchair Basketball, Trust Sports Emporium for Para Volleyball and Powerlifting, and the University of Ghana Stadium for Para Athletics.

The Ga Mashie Hall at the Trust Sports Emporium, which has a maximum capacity of 1,200 seats, would be the venue for indoor games such as Para-Volleyball and Powerlifting.

However, Eden Heights, a fully fitted world class sports complex that houses an indoor sports hall for badminton, basketball court, swimming pool, asto turf football field with a few tartan tracks, and a gym with apartment would also be available for the tournament.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

Rashid Alhassan, a Ghanaian Judoka has won the Bronze medal in the -81kg Men on Thursday at the Swedish Open Championship (dubbed BudoNord Cup 2023) in Sweden. The event took place on 18-19th May, 2023.

Karl Baker the coach for LUGI Judoklubb where Rashid trains led him to victory in the Bronze medal fight with his competitor Jakob from Scotland n won the fight by Ippon during the Golden Score time.

Rashid Alhassan in his Mid 30 who is also an Olympic solidarity scholarship beneficiary is based in Sweden and trying to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games

The competition is a preparation for his European Judo Championship in Austria from 25th May to 27 May, 2023.

He battled in the Under his category -81kg (10 Judokas)

A total of 12 countries from Europe took part and the contest was at a very high level.

He he competed on 18th, 2023 and said the Swedish Open Championship is one of the tough competitions and getting a medal is a huge motivation and inspiration.

He hinted that the Olympic Solidarity has also been quite good.

Rashid expressed gratitude to the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) and the late President of Ghana Judo, Mr Emmanuel Tetteh for this Olympic Scholarship which is easing his budget to travel for competition.

He also thanked his Ghana based trainer, Abel Aziz Addy for pushing him to enter for the competition although he was injured, and it has been good so far.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

The Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF) national amateur boxing team, Black Bombers returned home last night following a disastrous 2023 IBA world championships outing in Tashkent, Uzbekistan where no African country picked a single medal in a competition which paid out 200,000 US Dollars for gold.

Silver medalists got $100,000 and bronze medalists took home $50,000.

However Coach Asare believes it was a good training programme as they prepare for the future.

Present at the airport to welcome the six Bombers and coach were former GBF President George Lamptey who is an ITO and current President Bernard Quartey.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

The Wesley Grammer SHS Assembly Hall will be the venue for the 2023 National Armwrestling Championship in Accra.

The competition is open to both Men & Women in various weight categories, and the event will be an opportunity to see some of the nation’s best armwrestlers and celebrities. Also in attendance will be some media gurus and sports legends.

A question that the organisers are asking is whether top armwrestler, Asoka be dethroned from the 100kg category.

Mr. Charles Osei Asibey President of the Ghana and African Armwrestling Federations said the sport has come of age and the branding would be different.

He thanked the media, HD Plus and K Balm for supporting the game.

“Come meet Ghana's Best in Armwrestling. You will love it” he said.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

In a significant development for African football, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) executive committee met in Algiers on May 18, 2023, to announce a major change in the qualifying format for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The decisions made during the meeting will have far-reaching implications for the continent's teams vying for a spot in the prestigious tournament.

After deliberation, it was decided that the traditional method of World Cup qualification would undergo a significant transformation.

The committee members agreed to introduce a new system that would see the formation of 9 groups, with each group consisting of 6 teams. This change aimed to enhance competition and increase the chances of African teams securing a place in the global showcase.

Under the revised format, the team finishing at the top of each group would secure direct qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This would provide a clear pathway for the most dominant sides in each group to earn their spot on the world stage.

However, the battle for World Cup berths would not be limited to just the group winners.

In an exciting twist, the committee also announced that the four best second-place teams across the groups would have the opportunity to vie for a coveted playoff spot.

This playoff would determine the representative from Africa who would then face off against a team from the CONCACAF region.

Football Ghana

Right to Dream Academy, the renowned football institution founded in Ghana and owned by Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Mansour, has acquired a new club in the esteemed Major League Soccer (MLS) in America called San Diego FC to create new pathways for young Ghanaian footballers.

This groundbreaking acquisition marks the largest football deal involving an African organization, signalling a transformative opportunity for Ghanaian African football talent.

The acquisition of San Diego FC provides Ghanaian, Egyptian, and other African youngsters trained at Right to Dream Academy with a prestigious platform to further hone their skills and excel at the highest level.

San Diego FC, set to make its MLS debut in 2025 at Snapdragon Stadium, will serve as the flagship destination for the talented graduates of Right to Dream Academy.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber officially announced on Thursday night that MLS has awarded its 30th team to the city of San Diego and will begin to play in 2025 at Snapdragon Stadium.

San Diego’s MLS club will be owned by Mohamed Mansour, a distinguished entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist with deep, global ties in the sport, and by the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, led by Chairman Cody Martinez.

The Sycuan Band becomes the first Native American tribe to have an ownership stake in professional soccer in the United States. Also joining the investor group is six-time Major League Baseball All-Star and current member of the San Diego Padres, Manny Machado.

Other founding partners include Brad Termini, Co-founder, Zephyr Partners, Tom Vernon, Founder of Right to Dream and Dan Dickinson, Board Member, Right to Dream. Highly respected sports executive Tom Penn will serve as the club’s CEO.

“We are thrilled to welcome San Diego to Major League Soccer as our 30th team,” said Commissioner Garber.  “For many years we have believed San Diego would be a terrific MLS market due to its youthful energy, great diversity and where soccer is an essential part of everyday life for so many people.  Mohamed Mansour and the Sycuan Band have an incredible vision for building a club that will inspire and unite soccer fans throughout the city and region.”

Mansour is the founder and chairman of the London-based investment management firm Man Capital, which owns Right to Dream (RTD), the global soccer community of world-class academies, clubs and partners with an innovative approach to identifying and nurturing talent.

RTD has developed numerous world-class players who have gone on to play at the highest level for club and country in MLS, the UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Cup, including seven graduates who represented their countries in the 2022 World Cup including several players in the Ghana national team the Black Stars.

RTD also operates an elite performance and development environment at Danish Superliga club FC Nordsjaelland that is studied and admired globally.

“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with the Sycuan Tribe to bring Major League Soccer to such a deserving community and legion of San Diego soccer fans. This is a real opportunity to create a powerful and lasting legacy for the city and region,” said Mr Mansour.

“We look forward to introducing Right to Dream’s unique developmental approach and unparalleled soccer expertise to San Diego and MLS by delivering tangible benefits to the community as we look to open doors and identify and nurture talent from across the county and beyond.”

The joint acquisition of San Diego FC by Right to Dream Academy and an American business group represents an extraordinary achievement for African football.

This partnership offers aspiring footballers an unparalleled chance to showcase their abilities, following in the footsteps of notable alumni such as Mohammed Kudus and Kamaldeen Sulemana, who achieved global stardom at Nordsjaelland FC in Denmark, also owned by Right to Dream.

Additionally, this collaboration creates new coaching pathways for esteemed former African footballers. Figures like Michael Essien from Ghana and Djimi Traore from Mali, who currently hold coaching positions at Nordsjaelland and Right to Dream Academy, respectively, will bring their wealth of experience and knowledge to support the growth of San Diego FC.

Moreover, the partnership will leverage the expertise of South African chief scout Jeremy Seethal and his assistant, Derek Boateng, a former Ghana international, to maximize the potential of the players and the club.

Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Mansour's ownership and investment, coupled with the involvement of the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation and other partners, ensure a powerful and diverse ownership structure.

This landmark deal not only elevates the status of African football but also showcases the immense talent and potential nurtured by Right to Dream Academy.

GhanaSoccerNet

Timeless approach combines an image of the FIFA World Cup Trophy™ and the year of the tournament

Launch event in Los Angeles, USA, gathered legends of the game and special guests from Canada, Mexico and the USA

Celebration continues as 16 individual Host City brands set to be launched tomorrow, 18 May, adding to the diversity of the first-ever 48-team FIFA World Cup™

The FIFA World Cup™ Trophy, the most widely recognised and prized sporting asset globally, was unveiled at the forefront of the FIFA World Cup 26™ Official Brand on Wednesday, 17 May 2023. For the first time in history, an image of the actual trophy and the tournament hosting year is being depicted, forming an innovative design language that anchors the FIFA World Cup™ emblem for 2026 and beyond. The image of the trophy and the year allow for customisation to reflect the uniqueness of each host, while building an identifiable brand structure for years to come.

The Official Brand of the FIFA World Cup 26™ was launched in Los Angeles, USA, in an event that saw FIFA, host countries Canada, Mexico, and the USA, football legends and special guests come together to celebrate the first milestone of an exciting journey to the greatest sporting event ever. Attendees at the iconic Griffith Observatory witnessed sporting history made as the emblem was presented by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Ronaldo, two-time FIFA World Cup winner with Brazil.

The launch also introduced WE ARE 26, a campaign that empowers people, places and communities to play an integral role in launching the FIFA World Cup 26™ Official Brand. The campaign has captured portraits of faces and places that tell their own unique FIFA World Cup stories, featuring individuals and experiences that await fans in 2026 and inviting everyone to be a part of it.​

“WE ARE 26 is a rallying cry,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “It’s a moment when three countries and an entire continent collectively say: ‘We are united as one to welcome the world and deliver the biggest, best and most inclusive FIFA World Cup ever.’ The tournament will enable each host country and participating team to write their own page in the history books of FIFA World Cups, and this unique brand is a major step on that road to 2026.”

“In just a few hours, the 16 amazing Host Cities will make all of this even more colourful and exciting as they launch the individual brands developed by FIFA,” the FIFA President added. “These unique city identities embody the fun and fantastic people and places that will offer fans an experience like no other in 2026. While we celebrate here in LA together tonight, an entire continent celebrates that the whole world will unite in North America for the greatest show on Earth in just three years’ time.”

Guests also followed a Q&A led by Fox Sports analyst and 1994 FIFA World Cup™ star Alexi Lalas and Telemundo’s host Ana Jurka with FIFA Legends from the three host countries – Carli Lloyd, Craig Forrest and Jorge Campos. The evening ended in style with a drone show over the Hollywood Hills.

The entire event was also streamed via FIFAWorldCup.com , giving fans worldwide an opportunity to get involved in the launch and start counting down the days until kick-off.

FIFA Vice-President and Concacaf President Victor Montagliani said:“The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be a festival of football that will take the sport to new heights in the Concacaf region and beyond. With 104 matches to be played across 16 cities in Canada, Mexico and the USA, it provides a tremendous opportunity to engage people and bring new fans to the beautiful game. This innovative brand, and the inclusive ‘WE ARE 26’ campaign, are major milestones that bring that opportunity a step closer, and they send a clear signal that this incredible competition is now truly on the horizon.”

“I look forward with great anticipation to continuing to work with all of the Host Cities, the team at FIFA and the many important stakeholders involved in delivering what will be the biggest and most inclusive and diverse World Cup ever,” added Mr Montagliani.

To follow the launch of the 16 individual Host City Brands across Canada, Mexico and the USA during Thursday, 18 May, visit FIFAWorldCup.com . Fans attending or following the activations on social media are encouraged to use the hashtags #FIFAWorldCup and #WeAre26 and share their joy and excitement.

The next edition of the FIFA World Cup will be held in June and July 2026, with the champions being crowned on Sunday, 19 July 2026. The four-team group stage phase remains ahead of an expanded knockout phase that will see the 32 world’s best national teams fight it out for the game’s ultimate prize. CONMEBOL will be the first confederation to kick off the road to 2026, with current champions Argentina and fellow South American teams starting their qualifiers in September 2023.

FIFA

Black Stars goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi has emerged the best in the Swiss Super League after being named in the Swiss Association of Football Players (SAFP) Golden 11.

Every year, the SAFP chooses the "Golden 11" which is the best eleven players in the Super League .

The top eleven came about solely through the votes of the players.

The FC St. Gallen shot stopper beat competition from three other goalkeepers to be the first choice for the Golden 11 of the 2022-23 season.

Ati-Zigi was competing with Grasshopper FC goalkeeper Andre Moreira, Young Boys' Anthony Racioppi, and Servette FC goalie Jeremy Frick for the number one spot.

The Ghana number one has been impressive for St. Gallen, having made 30 appearances with 3.4 (70%) saves per game, conceding 1.5 goals per game and keeping four clean sheets in the process.

The 26-year-old also made five appearances in the Swiss League team of the week with his outstanding performances week in, week out.

Ati-Zigi was also named the best goalkeeper of the first half of the season.

He was instrumental for Ghana during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Ghanasoccernet

Nana Owiredu Wadie I with support from the Ghana Tennis Federation led by the President Isaac Aboagye Duah and the Vice President, Kwame Gjangba on Saturday, commissioned a sports complex at Kwahu- Nkwatia in the Eastern Region.

The ultra-modern sports facility is aimed at growing talent in Kwahu-Nkwatia and the country at large. It is also to foster lifelong friendships, create lasting memories and mark a significant improvement in tennis in Kwahu-Nkwatia.

The sports facility was funded by Nana Owiredu Wadie I. 

Addressing the gathering at the ceremony held at the Nana Owiredu Wadie I Sports Complex, Nana Owiredu Wadie I indicated that the commissioning of the edifice is to help the community in the development of more talent in the  Kwahu-Nkwatia.

The President of the Ghana Tennis Federation Isaac Aboagye Duah said, as President of the Ghana Tennis Federation, it gives him great pleasure to see tennis growing in popularity and gaining prominence as one of the most beloved sports in our country. The commissioning of this court and the tournament being played on it are a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in promoting tennis at the grassroots level.

Today, we celebrate not just the opening of a new court, but also the potential it holds to inspire and transform lives. Thank you, Nana Owiredu Wadie 1.

Finally, let me express my hope that this new court will be a source of inspiration and encouragement for everyone who loves tennis. May it be a space where future champions can hone their skills, where communities can come together supporting their players, and where tennis can continue to flourish and grow. This can serve as the camping base for our national teams before they embark on national assignments.

Dignitaries present for the inauguration ceremony were, Nana Owiredu Wadie I the paramount chief of Kwahu, Opanyin Nana Owiredu Wadie, President and Vice of Ghana Tennis Federation: Isaac Aboagye Duah and Kwame Gjangba, the chairman of Koforidua Sports Club Mr. John Afful, Mr. Mr. Adjei Darko the father of former national tennis star Henry Adjei Darko, Ghana Wheelchair Tennis. Coordinator Mr. Henry Larbi who doubles as the managing director of Kabaka Foundation.

The event attracted the tennis fraternity from Koforidua Sports Club, Legacy Tennis Club from Accra, 4 Garrison Tennis Club and Tesano Sports Club

 Story: Gabriel Amoakoh