Sports

GFA Foundation commemorates World Blood Donor day with Blood Donation Exercise

The GFA Foundation has organized a Blood Donation exercise to celebrate World Blood Donor Day.

The life-saving exercise, which was held at the Home of Football (GFA Head Office), was in partnership with the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital) to stock its blood bank with safe and efficacious blood and blood products.

The event was graced by the General Secretary of the Football Association, Prosper Harrison Addo and two Deputies, Ama Brobbey Williams and Mr. Alex Asante.

Members of Supporters’ Unions, Club officials, students, staff of the GFA and its corporate neighbours, including the Ghana Tourism Authority, a section of the general public and the media checked their relevant vitals and donated blood.

The Blood Donation campaign manifests the GFA Foundation’s mission of positively impacting the lives of people through support for national and international development initiatives and goals.

This year’s edition was dubbed the “2nd Pint” because this is the second time the GFA was celebrating the International Day with a Blood Donation drive. The first edition was celebrated last year along with the Ghana Tourism Authority.

Since 2004, the World Health Organization (WHO), its partners and communities across the world, have celebrated 14th June as the World Blood Donor Day and this year, the celebration was under the theme “20 years of celebrating giving: Thank you, blood donors”.

The Director of the GFA Foundation, Malcolm Frazier Appeadu, indicated that the annual lifesaving campaign was the Football Association’s contribution to developing a safe, adequate and readily available blood service in Ghana.

“The blood donation exercise is a way to manifest to Ghanaians that indeed we care about the communities and truly the GFA CARES,” he added.

A Senior Medical Officer of Public Health at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Dr Emmanuel Addipa-Adapoe said blood was very vital in the treatment of jaundice in newborns, complications during pregnancy and childbirth, severe anemia in children etc. “I thank the GFA and all stakeholders for their support for the Greater Accra Regional Hospital,”he went on to say.

Donors, after the donation exercise, received donor cards and other souvenirs from the Ghana Football Association and the medical team from the Accra Regional Hospital.

The Blood Donation Campaign has become a permanent feature on the calendar of the GFA Foundation.

Sports

Ghana, Jamaica, Nigeria and Trinidad & Tobago to clash in London for Unity Cup 2025

Ghana, Jamaica, Nigeria, and Trinidad and Tobago will assemble in London in May 2025 to compete for the Unity trophy.

In what has been billed as “The Best in the West – the Afro Classico Contest,” fans will be treated to two semi-finals featuring two compelling local derbies.

The first semi-final on Tuesday, May 27 will feature the first-ever TriniJam clash on UK shores as the Soca Warriors of Trinidad and Tobago take on the Reggae Boyz of Jamaica to claim who is the best in the West Indies.

The following day, May 28, the Super Eagles of Nigeria will face the Black Stars of Ghana to determine who has the bragging rights in West Africa. The four teams will play again on Saturday, May 31, in a double-header with two games to decide who will take the bronze place, followed by the final to see who will lift The Unity Cup 2025.

Two-time Unity Cup winners Nigeria may start as favorites given their FIFA ranking and recent performances. However, the form book goes out of the window when playing their West African rivals Ghana, who will be returning to London, where they previously inflicted a 4-1 routing of the Super Eagles.

Jamaica will also come to the tournament with old scores to settle, having lost by a solitary goal.

Ahead of the game, Rotimi Pedro of AfroSport, the organizers of the event, stated, “I am proud to announce that The Unity Cup is back. It has been a long road to revive this important community event, and we are happy that fans of African and Caribbean football will get to see international football of the highest caliber at The Unity Cup 2025.”

Andy Howes, Co-Director of AfroSport, added, “The Unity Cup is a tournament that really does evoke the often-used phrase ‘an event that goes beyond sport.’ But with the array of elite stars and the profile of the teams involved, this event is not only important in terms of its cultural significance but also reflects the growing commercial importance of African and Caribbean football, as well as the growing demographic of black football fans within English football.”

Sports

Decathlon sign pact with Okwawu United

Decathlon Ghana has entered into a partnership with Division One club Okwawu United, aimed at enhancing the club’s overall development, match day experiences, and training sessions.

The season renewable agreement will see Decathlon Ghana supply a range of football gear and equipment, along with technical support, to significantly bolster the club’s preparations and overall presentation.

In exchange, Okwawu United is expected to leverage this partnership to nurture young talent within their community and beyond, fostering local engagement and creating opportunities for aspiring footballers in the Okwawu enclave to pursue their dreams.

Also, Decathlon Ghana’s logo will feature prominently on all club apparel, as well as through various branding opportunities including pitch-side boards, the club’s website, and match-day programs.

During the signing ceremony, Decathlon Ghana’s Country Manager, Mr. Geoffrey Fadoul, emphasized the company’s mission to make sports accessible to everyone. He noted that Okwawu United shares this vision of development, discipline, and the transformative nature of sports.

He said, “This collaboration is about empowering young talent, strengthening local communities, and building a future where every aspiring footballer can realize their dreams,”

“We are proud to partner with Okwawu United and look forward to creating a new chapter of excellence, impact, and inspiration together, while also hoping to see them return to the Premier League soon,” he stated.

General Manager of Okwawu United, Nana Kwame Dankwah expressed enthusiasm about the partnership with the sports retail leader while highlighting the vast potential of the collaboration which he noted will help elevate the club’s image and propel their efforts towards a Premier League comeback.

Okwawu United currently lie third on the Division One Zone Three league table with 40 points, trailing leaders Hohoe United by eight points and second-placed Port City FC by four points.

With nine games remaining, Nana Kwame Dankwah affirmed their commitment to harnessing Decathlon Ghana’s support to surpass the top two teams and secure qualification.

By Raymond Ackumey

Caption:

Mr. Fadoul (right) with Nana Kwame Dankwah after the signing ceremony