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Abednego’s show of valour and grit
• Zlatan Abednego – Showed extraordinary character
Nobody gave him a dog’s chance to return to the pitch. He was virtually written off – and condemned into the abyss.
But he never gave up. He banished the demons and fought the odds with ruthless intensity. Today, he is the Goal King of the 2022/2023 betPawa Ghana Premier League (GPL) season.
He goes by the name Abednego Tetteh and known in football circles as ‘Zlatan.’ His Swedish mentor Zlatan Ibrahimović is legendary for his acrobatic strikes and volleys, powerful long-range shots, and excellent technique and ball control. He is regarded as one of the greatest strikers of all time and is one of the most decorated footballers in the world.
Perhaps, that is where Abednego tapped his inspiration from when the chips were down and nearly everybody gave up on him.
After a stint with Al Hilal of Sudan three seasons ago, Abednego returned home to take a sober reflection of his career – after which he decided to join Hearts of Oak for the 2020/2021 season. It was a good move, but even though Hearts clinched the Premiership title, Zlatan had little playing time. He, therefore, decided to leave last season to join King Faisal.
Things did not work out well as he envisaged, as the former Bechem United goal-monger only managed to score just a goal in a number of games. He was disillusioned, but temporarily.
Following another unsuccessful spell with Alhaji Grusah’s King Faisal, Abednego stumbled out again to review his career. He was down. He was dispirited. He was rattled and was wondering what holds in future for him. Importantly, he never gave up. He believed he could still find his scoring boots once again.
Up next was an unexpected move to Bibiani Gold Stars. Zlatan was determined to prove the cynics wrong. He was all-too confident of the supreme energy bottled up in his strong, resilient body.
However, as usual, many thought he was going to follow the same pattern. The general expectation was that there would not be any rains of goals in his ‘goal-famished’ boots. Others say he was finished!
But instead of allowing the past challenges to weigh him down, Abednego found inspiration from the slump and instead worked his socks off in Michael Osei’s Bibiani side. Day-in-day-out, he treaded steadily as he chased the pack of top goal scorers. Many saw him as pretender. He cared less – and moved on unstoppably. That is the character of a true striker who refused to be suppressed!
Today, Abednego ‘Zlatan’ Tetteh is Ghana’s Goal King with 18 goals, upstaging the likes of Bechem United’s Wontah Hafiz Konkoni (15), Tamale City’s Sampson Eduku (14) and Asante Kotoko’s Steven Desse Mukwala (11) – all of whom had stolen an imposing lead.
Though the move to Gold Stars – considered a less pressuring environment, it took the irrepressible character of the striker to surmount the challenges ahead of him and to put a bitter, disquieting past behind him.
Tetteh becomes the sixth player in the history of the Ghana Premiership to win the golden shoe with 18 goals. The records say, Emmanuel Quarshie (Sekondi Hasaacas) swaggered away the GPL golden shoe with 18 goals in 1980 – a feat which was jointly achieved in the 2002 season by Bernard Don Bortey and Charles Asampong Taylor (all of Hearts of Oak).
In the 2005 season, Prince Tagoe (Hearts of Oak) also was adjudged top scorer of the league season after scoring 18 goals at the end of the season. The feat was encored 10 years later in the 2020-2021 season when Diawusie Taylor (Karela United) finished the season as top scorer also with 18 goals.
It is quite surprising that the lad who placed second on the Goal-king chart – Konkoni, was accorded the priority ahead of Abnego – the league top scorer, when a late invitation was made for a place in the Black Stars. Some of these decisions confound the mind.
Advice to Zlatan is to continue working hard, put this stunning feat behind him and dream big into the spangling future! He still has more under his sleeve to unveil.
By John Vigah
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Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation –Pres.Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the misuse of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) for personal financial gain by individuals in leadership positions.
Speaking during a meeting with Chief Executives of specified entities under the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) on Thursday, March 13, the President directly attributed the dire state of SOEs to their leadership, accusing chief executives, management teams, and governing boards of prioritising personal enrichment over organisational efficiency.
He pointed to bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures as factors draining public funds while SOEs continue to rely on government bailouts.
“Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation by appointees. The chief executives, management, and boards of these enterprises are responsible for this situation. Some SOEs have become perennial loss-makers, draining public funds with bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures while relying on government bailouts as if entitled to them. Many of these entities are at their lowest point in the entire history of the Fourth Republic,” he said.
President Mahama further noted that many SOEs have been plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and mismanagement, leading to consistent financial losses. He cited the 2023 State Ownership Report by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), which highlighted systemic inefficiencies and wasteful expenditures within these entities.
He therefore reaffirmed his commitment to reforming under-performing SOEs and ensuring they serve national interests.
He warned that loss-making SOEs will no longer be tolerated and will either be merged, privatised, or closed.
“I will assess you based on your performance. If you do not align with the pace of the reset agenda, you may be asked to step aside. If that adds to the horror movie, so be it,” he added.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
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Prophet Courage Heavens set to launch ‘Predestination’ book on March 23
Prophet Courage A. Heavens is set to launch the much-awaited book titled ‘Predestination’ on Sunday, March 23, 2025 at 5:00PM.
The launch, which is expected to impact lives, will take place at Crossgates Ministries, Flattop, off N1 Highway, opposite Angel Hauz.
The book is aimed at addressing the way people struggle to understand how free will and destiny align.
It is also aimed at providing clarity on God’s sovereignty and one’s place in His divine plan.
The various chapters of the book address various issues through scriptures and personal stories.
Committed to impacting society, part of the proceeds from the book will go into Courage Heavens Education Legacy (CHEL), an educational foundation transforming lives.
CHEL is dedicated to providing financial support and mentorship to brilliant but needy students, ensuring they have access to quality education and opportunities for a better future.
Prophet Courage Heavens is a prolific writer and previously authored Eli Eli Lama Sabachthani, a powerful book that encourages unwavering faith in times of trials.
In addition, he has written seven more prophetic and life-changing books that are yet to be published.
He is dedicated to raising the next generation for impactful ministry. As the leader of Crossgates Ministries, he nurtures believers in faith and purpose.
