Ghanaian football top club, glorious Accra Hearts of Oak is celebrating its 109th anniversary today.

The oldest club in the history of the West African country was founded on 11^th November 1911 at 11 am and has over the years established itself as one of the leading clubs not only in Ghana and Africa, but the world.

A group of young men led by Christopher Brandford Nettey (later Asafoatse Nettey), a war leader of the Ga State in the colonial times and his other colleagues, Sinon-Okraku brothers (Adolf, Alfred and Wilhelm), J.T .O Ankrah,J.A Aryee, Dodoo Annang, Darku Abbey, Mark Nettey, the Solomon duo (Amponsah and Kwashie), the Bruce-Tagoe brothers (W.W and T.F), Willie Ocran, TF Wilson, JDK Botwe, FD Amoo, Peter Malm and Quarshie Coker, Akom Duncan, all players of the team founded the club, which is now the oldest existing football club in Ghana.

Globally, Hearts of Oak is one of just a number of clubs that have managed to win a treble in a particular season.

The enviable feat was achieved in 2000 when the Phobians won their first-ever CAF Champions League trophy.

In addition to the Champions League trophy, Hearts of Oak has a CAF Confederations Cup title, a CAF Super Cup title, as well as 20 Ghana Premier League trophies.

The club which is also named Continental Club Masters has produced many wonderfully gifted footballers, and the still continue to feature marvelous stars.

On the occasion of the birthday of the Rainbow clubs, we say a glorious happy anniversary to the Never Say Die side.

Accra Hearts of Oak has not won the Ghana Premier League for the past10 years and the onus is on the current leadership, management and players to do something worthy of celebration in the next years coming.

From Sammy Heywood Okine

Ghana’s Black Stars have arrived in Cape Coast and had a successful training session at the stadium with coach C. K. Akonnor directing affairs and planning how to handle Sudan on Thursday.

The full Black Stars set has been faced with injuries and others testing positive to Covid-19, but many Ghanaians are optimistic that they will get a good result.

Players like Kudus Mohammed and Thomas Partey are out due to injury.

However, assistant captain Orlando Pirates’ goalkeeper Richard Ofori has joined the squad alongside some players who have not been with the team for some time. They include Chelsea defender Baba Abdul Rahman, France-based duo Alexander Djiku and John Boye as well as Caleb Ekuban of Trabzonspor.

Kotoko right back Christopher Nettey and goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi are in the list.

Captain Andre Ayew, Jordan Ayew, Emmanuel Lomotey, Afriyie Acquah, John Antwi, Razak Abalora, Tariq Fosu, Kwadwo Amoako, Samuel Owusu and Nicholas Opoku are all in camp.

Andrew Kyere Yiadom, Majeed Ashimeru, Joseph Attamah Larweh, Afriyie Acquah and Clifford Aboagye have also been invited to put the Black Stars in shape.

Ghana will take on Sudan at the Cape Coast stadium on Thursday, November 12, 2020, before travelling to Khartoum three days later for the reverse tie.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

Ghanaian midfielder Yahaya Seidu was in full time action for Latvian giants FK Liepāja as they cruised to a 1-0 win over Ventspils to win the Latvian Football Cup on Wednesday evening.

Seidu, who is the deputy skipper of the side, was instrumental in the game, marshalling the midfield with tact and waggression to see his side through.

FK Liepāja had recorded a 2-0 win over Valmieras in the semi final clash of the competition before adding Ventspils to their list of victims.

The well-travelled former Tema Youth midfielder joined from Dinamo Minsk where he had a successful 2-year stint.

The former Maccabi Haifa and AEK Athens midfielder was handed the deputy skipper role for the side after joining earlier this year.

The 30-year old also had stints with Al Fayha and Sheriff Tiraspol.

FootballmadeinGhana

New Black Stars defender Benson Annang who played in last two international friendly matches against Mali and Qatar has been reported tested positive for Covid 19, and will not be available for the Sudan matches.

The young Benson, who plies his professional career with Zilina in Slovakia league was called up by Coach C. K, Akunnor for the double Afcon qualifier against Sudan, however due to his condition, Annang has decided to remain at his base in the Eastern European country and quarantine himself for the required 14 days to heal fully.

Already there are some reports that the player has deliberately decided to not honour the national duty but his local manager, Mr. Ishmail Lamptey refuted the allegation and claims, and indicated with documents that the player is even dishearten that he could not make it to honour the matches as he wanted to do so.

He has promised to play for the Black Stars in subsequent matches as he feels sad that Ghana has not won a major trophy for many years.

Meanwhile, Benson has wished the Black Stars victory.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

Former Accra Hearts of Oak playmaker Winful Cobbinah who now plays for Albanian giants FK Tirana, has denied that he has been sentenced to four months in prison.

Cobbinah who was a member of the local Black Stars said the case may be due to the Albania passport that he has been issued with.

According to him, one has to live in the country for five years before he can get the passport, but he may have got his due to his talent as a footballer, coming into the country after two years.

He called on all those spreading the false information to stop as he in not in prison and just returned from training.

He expressed that Albania is in an election year and opponents of the government are doing everything possible to tarnish the reputation of the government.

The poster boy has been rewarded by the country's President after granting his citizenship just within two years, and may play for that country.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

Hard working defender Benson Annang who played in his first two international matches for the Black Stars against Mali and Qatar has been reported tested positive for Covid 19, and may not be able to report for the Sudan match.

Benson, who plies his professional career with Zilina in Slovakia league has been called up by Coach C. K Akunnor for the double afcon qualifier against Sudan, however due to his condition, Annan has decided to remain at his base in the Eastern European country and quarantine himself for the required 14 days and heal.

Already there are some reports that the player has deliberately decided to not Honour the national duty but speaking to a section of the media, the player's local manager, Mr. Ishmail Lamptey refuted the allegation and claims, and indicated with documents that the player is even dishearten that he could not make it to honour the matches as he wanted to do so.

He has promised to play for the Black Stars in subsequent matches as he feels sad that Ghana has not won a major trophy for many years.

From Sammy Heywood Okine

Winful Cobbinah will leave Albania after spending two years with giants FK Tirana

Ghana midfielder supremo Winful Cobbinah is set to leave Albania after giants FK Tirana agreed a deal for playmaker to join a foreign club on a bumper contract, Ghanasoccernet.com can exclusively reveal.

The 29-year-old will leave the Albanian club this week to undergo a medical with a team abroad before sealing the deal that would massively improve his financial fortunes, Ghana's leading football news outfit can authoritatively reveal.

The former Hearts of Oak playmaker is expected to acquire the necessary documents by Wednesday that would enable him to travel out of the country to play abroad.

This comes just minutes after a court in Tirana court sentenced the midfielder to four months in prison but was reduced to 100 hours of community service because of his good behaviour.

The deal for Cobbinah had been in the offing for two months now after playing a major role in ensuring the title success of FK Tirana which prompted the club abroad to pounce for his signature.

The move to the foreign club will not be affected by Tuesday's court ruling as his club FK Tirana had already been in negotiations with the foreign club over the Ghana international.

The former Hearts of Oak star played an influential role for the side as they  clinched the  Katergoria Superiore last season, ending a 11-year top-flight drought with their last success dating back in the 2008/2009 season.

Since joining from Ghanaian giants Hearts of Oak two years ago, Cobbinah has been a mainstay of the side, scoring 10 goals in a combined 58 matches so far and making several assists.

The poster boy has been rewarded by the country's President after granting his citizenship just within two years.

@ghanasoccernet.com

Wisła Kraków midfielder Yaw Yeboah has been named in the Ghana squad as a replacement for injured Thomas Partey ahead of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sudan, GHANAsoccernet.com can report.

Ghana coach Charles "CK" Akonnor has drafted in the talented 23-year-old as a late replacement for the crocked Arsenal star.

Polish side Wisła Kraków have confirmed the invitation of the Ghana Under-23 captain into the team.

The performance of the White midfielder has not gone unnoticed after the Ghanaian gaffer handed a call-up to the former Ghana youth star for the double-header against the Falcons of Jediane.

Yeboah becomes the latest addition after the team was hit with several withdrawals of top stars due to varied reasons.

Arsenal star Thomas Partey, Red Bull Salzburg midfielder Majeed Ashimeru joined a host of other players including  China-based Mubarak Wakaso, Spain-based Baba Iddrisu, and USA-based Harrison Afful, to have pulled out of the match.

Teenager, Jamie Leweling, who plays for German Bundesliga B side Greuther Furth, has already pulled out of the squad, citing personal reasons.

The team started training on Monday with 10 players including captain Andre Ayew and brother Jordan - two of the first arrivals in Ghana.

The Black Stars, who sit top of Group C, will host Sudan in Ghana for the first leg before the second leg is played five days later in Omdurman.

Meanwhile, players of the Black Stars will undergo the mandatory COVID-19 test on Tuesday ahead of the game on Thursday.

The technical team and management of the senior national team will all be tested as part of protocols to be observed before the matchday three encounter.

GhanaSoccernet

Winful Cobbinah's prison sentence has been commuted to 100 hours of community service

Ghana's talented midfielder Winful Cobbinah has been sentenced to four months in prison in Albania after being found guilty of 'forgery of official documents', Ghanasoccernet.com can  the exclusively reveal.

The former Hearts of Oak playmaker was hit with the shocking sentence at the Tirana court on Tuesday after he was found guilty of forging his residence permit.

However, there is big relief for the FK Tirana superstar as the judge commuted the sentence to 100 hours of community service because the midfielder was declared a person of exemplary conduct.

Cobbinah's good conduct since his move to Albania means that the judge asked him to serve the community for 100 hours because 'he is not a threat to the society', judge said when issuing his ruling.

This means the humble Ghana star walks free from any confinement in prison and can continue to play for his top-flight side FK Tirana - the club he recently helped to win the title.

Cobbinah landed himself in an unnecessary trouble when he was caught by the police authorities in Rinas with a forged residence permit which sparked his problems.

It is an unnecessary problem as he is legally entitled to a residence permit in Albania because he is legally and gainfully employed by one of the biggest clubs in the country.

His problems came to light last month when the country's President Meta granted him an Albania passport within a record eight hours to enable him qualify as an Albanian player.

This would have helped FK Tirana to buy more foreign players to boost their squad to play in European competitions but the opposition party led by the Primer Minister publicly clashed with the country's president over the award of the passport.

The  falsification of documents was hanging around Cobbinah's neck before he was handed the Albania passport to help him play for his club in the Europa League.

Albanian President Ilir Meta was accused of granting Cobbinah citizenship without verifying that there are criminal proceedings against the footballer which has led to a national debate.

President Meta's issue escalated to the point that even the opposition party led by Prime Minister Edi Rama accused the country's leader of abetting in the forging documents to grant Cobbinah Albanian citizenship.

Winful Cobbinah's Albanian citizenship was facilitated just within eight hours.

Given that the Ghanaian has not spent five years in Albania, the decision by the President of the country - who is also an ardent supporter of KF Tirana - to hand citizenship to the Ghanaian speaks volumes of how he is rated in that country.

Many also view this move by the Albanian government as an attempt to convince Cobbinah to switch nationality to play for them even though he has been invited to the Ghana senior national team a couple of times.

But with the softening of the nationality switch regulations of FIFA it could be a move by Albania for them to get him to play for them even though Cobbinah has not expressed interest in playing for him.

Other also say that  the Albanian club side Tirana want him to play in UEFA club competitions as a native so they can bring in more foreigners.

Cobbinah follows other African football players including the well-known Abraham Alechenu, Charles Ofoye and James Adeniyi who have all received Albanian passport in the past.

The former Hearts of Oak star played an influential role for the side as they  clinched the  Katergoria Superiore last season, ending a 11-year top-flight drought with their last success dating back in the 2008/2009 season.

Since joining from Ghanaian giants Hearts of Oak two years ago, Cobbinah has been a mainstay of the side, scoring 10 goals in a combined 58 matches so far and making several assists.

The poster boy has been rewarded by the country's President after granting his citizenship just within two years.

Source-ghanasoccernet.com

Management member for Aduana Stars, Isaac Koomson has expressed optimism in the chances of the team to win the 2020/2021 Ghana Premier League title as he cites the availability of Yahaya Mohammed as key.

Lasts season, the Dormaa-based club established themselves as one of the top clubs in the country yet again and occupied the top spot of the standings at the time the campaign had to be suspended and subsequently canceled as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Ahead of the commencement of a new football season, Mr. Isaac Koomson has high hopes for Aduana Stars and says the aim of the club to lift the Premier League title has not changed.

“Our ambition to win last season's league is still alive With Yahaya Mohammed leading the attack, the defenders should beware,” the Aduana Stars management member told Sikka FM.

In the 2019/2020 season, Yahaya Mohammed scored 11 goals in 13 appearances and was in the run for the goal king award. He is expected to be key for his club this season as well with the experience he has.

On the opening weekend of the 2020/2021 Ghana Premier League season, Aduana Stars will host Hearts of Oak in a titanic clash that will be staged in Dormaa.