Sports
Players to watch as EPL kicks off
Even in this condensed summer between seasons, the impacts of new signings are going to be the main talking points of the opening weekend of the Premier League campaign.
The vast majority of the top-flight sides in England take to the field once again on September 12 – just seven weeks after the 2019-20 season came to a close.
Several Premier League sides have been busy in the transfer market, which closes on on October 5. These are some of the new buys likely to light up the first weekend of the top-flight.
Rodrigo – Leeds United
Position: Forward
Price: £27million
First match: Liverpool (A), September 12
Leeds United’s tie away at Liverpool today will be a momentous day for the supporters as they will watch their team in the top-flight for the first time in 16 years.
Nobody knows what to expect from Marcelo Bielsa’s side this season, their opening game at Anfield will give a strong indication whether Leeds are here to challenge the big boys or provoke modest expectations amongst their fans.
Eberechi Eze – Crystal Palace
Position: Attacking midfielder
Price: £17million
First match: Southampton (H), September 12
He may only be 22-years-old, but there is a lot of expectation on the shoulders of Eberechi Eze at Selhurst Park this season.
The former QPR man lit up the Championship with some impressive displays last season, which earned him a £17million to Roy Hodgson’s side.
Palace will be hoping that Eze will be a regular on the Eagles’ scoresheet whilst also helping to provide key passes to other attacking talents such as Wilfried Zaha and Jordan Ayew – starting in his first home match against Southampton today.
Timo Werner – Chelsea
Position: Striker
Price: £47.5million
First match: Brighton (A), September 14
The 24-year-old scored 34 goals in 45 matches in all competitions for RB Leipzig last season and the pacy, clinical forward will be looking to get off to the perfect Premier League start against Brighton on Monday night.
Werner found the net just minutes into Chelsea’s pre-season tie against Brighton in August and could do the same at the Amex on the opening weekend.
Matheus Pereira – West Bromwich Albion
Position: Attacking midfielder
Price: £9million
First match: Leicester City (H), September 13
West Bromwich Albion supporters all know about what Matheus Pereira can bring to the team, but Premier League fans have yet to seen him play.
The silky midfielder was a bright light in the Baggies side that won promotion to the top-flight last term through the automatic promotion spots.
Willian – Arsenal
Position: Winger/Attacking Midfielder
Price: Free
First match: Fulham (A), September 12
Brazilian winger Willian made the shock switch across London to Arsenal after turning down a lucrative new contract at Chelsea.
While the 32-year-old was regularly used as a winger at Stamford Bridge, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has hinted that Willian could be used in a more attacking midfield role in north London.
The Brazilian will return to west London for his first Premier League match in the red and white of Arsenal against Fulham and will be looking to get off to a positive start.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – Tottenham Hotspur
Position: Midfielder
Price: £25million
First match: Everton (H), September 13
Spurs have been needing a reshuffle in midfield for some time and ex-Southampton captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is hoping to be the breath of fresh air Jose Mourinho needs in the middle of the park.
The Danish midfielder is expected to be the ball-winning option out of the midfield three in order to compliment the likes of Giovani Lo Celso and Dele Alli going forward. Hojbjerg can break up play while also play simple yet effective passes going ahead.
Thiago Silva – Chelsea
Position: Centre-back
Price: Free
First match: Brighton (A), September 14
The 35-year-old may be hitting the twilight of his career but he will provide the leadership and defensive astuteness that Lampard’s side desperately lacked last season.
Fresh off the back of an impressive Champions League final performance, Silva’s prospective debut against Brighton should not be too difficult a test.
Mohammed Salisu – Southampton
Position: Centre-back
Price: £11million
First match: Crystal Palace (A), September 12
Young defender Mohammed Salisu had an impressive season at Real Valladolid last term, now he’s getting a try at some top-flight action in England.
The 21-year-old is expected to be the reliable defensive option in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s relentless attacking team and his displays will be crucial in determining his how far the Saints improve from last term.
Jeff Hendrick – Newcastle United
Position: Midfielder
Price: Free
First match: West Ham (A), September 12
The 28-year-old is an excellent ball carrier and could be the all-important link which connects the Magpies’ midfield to their forward line.
With Newcastle facing a West Ham side who are yet to make any transfers this summer, this is an opportunity for Hendrick and Newcastle to start the season on the front foot.
Players to watch as EPL kicks off
Sports
Kotoko withdraws from Ghana Premier League
Kumasi Asante Kotoko has withdrawn from the Ghana Premier League until further notice.
This follows an incident of hooliganism which occurred during their match with Nsoatreman FC leading to the death of a fan, Nana Yaw Frimpong, better known as Pooley.
In a statement issued by the management, the added that “Finally, Asante Kotoko wishes to state that all footballing activities of the senior team are on hold until further notice. Our stance remains unchanged, we will not resume footballing duties until justice is served, and concrete steps are taken to prevent such barbaric acts from ever happening again.”
They added “In the meantime, management has decided to suspend all activities relating to football on the pitch until further
investigations into the matter.”
Against this backdrop, they called on their archrivals saying, “It is time to end the cycle of violence hooliganism, and lawlessness that threatens the integrity of our game. We call on all clubs to support this cause, especially our greatest rivals on the pitch, Accra Hearts of Oak, because this is bigger than competition–it is about securing the future of our domestic league once and for all.”
“Asante Kotoko remains deeply heartbroken by the tragic events that unfolded at the Nana Koramansah Park, leading to the senseless murder of our cherished supporter, Francis Yaw Frimpong,”they added.
“The pain of his loss still lingers, but in these trying
times, we stand united as a club, a family, and a force for positive change in Ghanaian football. While our grief is immeasurable, we take solace in the fact that justice is beginning to take its course,” he said.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Read full statement below
Sports
FIFA Financial Governance Workshop: Share insights with local clubs- Abedi Pele
Former three-time African footballer of the year Abedi Ayew ‘Pele’ has called on the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to share lessons from the three-day high-level FIFA financial governance workshop.
The workshop held recently was focused on the latest insights and tools for enhancing financial governance and accountability in football administration.
This, according to Abedi Pele, must be shared with local clubs to help them understand the importance and value of the best financial practices to save Ghana football from its present downward spiral.
He made this known at the closing ceremony of the workshop last Friday in Accra, which was organised for representatives from 10 African countries.
The Ghanaian legend, while applauding FIFA for selecting Ghana to host the high-level intensive workshop, noted that workshops like the just-ended one were what the continent, and especially clubs in Ghana, were crying for to help and position them well for sponsorship and support from institutions of great repute to raise the level of the game higher.
“Issues of financial mismanagement, lack of accountability, transparency, and efficient resource use within football organisations have always been our bane here in Ghana, and with a workshop like this providing participants with valuable insights and tools to fortify their organisations’ financial foundations, ensuring long-term sustainability, accountability, and effective resource management, Ghanaian clubs will begin a reset to proper football management,” he said.
According to him “It’s a feather in the cup of the GFA to have FIFA selecting Ghana for this leg of the workshop. Now I call on you, General Secretary Prosper Harrison Addo, to make sure information from this workshop is spread across to all clubs in Ghana because these are the things they need to strengthen their governance framework and ensure the long-term growth and sustainability of the clubs.”
Mr Harrison Addo noted that it was a call in the right direction, and although his outfit has long started reforms in terms of the club licensing regulations, a lot more would be done to help clubs gain a firm foundation for the future success of the game.
“The workshop has been extremely helpful and equipped us with the tools and knowledge to uphold the highest standards, fostering trust and integrity within our football community,” the Maestro added.
Head of the Financial Governance Programme at FIFA, Christoph Suppiger, said the three-day session emphasised the importance of accountability, transparency, and responsible financial management within the context of the FIFA Forward programme and also helped Member Associations to know how to prevent conflict of interest, planning and budgeting, and the procurement process, as well as the importance of having adequate supporting documentation.
The workshop held under the banner of the newly established FIFA Campus, which serves as the central football learning hub for all FIFA capacity development and education initiatives, had Abedi Ayew decorating all the facilitators and participants with customized sashes as well as presenting signed Black Stars jerseys.
By Raymond Ackumey
