Sports
Ex Black Stars coach Renard hails Jordan Ayew’s progress
Two-time AFCON winner and former Black Stars trainer, Renard Herve, has described Ghana striker, Jordan Ayew as a promising striker capable of projecting the Black Stars and Africa on the global stage in future.
Renard, who managed the Crystal Palace striker at French club Sochaux in 2014 as a 22 year-old, hailed the player’s progress and described him as the future of the Black Stars.
“He is improving because it is not easy to play in the Premier League. He is working very hard. He is clever, doesn’t talk too much. Jordan is in my heart and I like his spirit. I am very sure from now till the end of his career; he will do a lot of great things.
He added that it was his wish to see Jordan and his senior brother Andre Ayew, win the AFCON before ending their careers because they deserved it.
Quizzed about taking charge of the Black Stars in the future, Renard who had a stint with the Stars as one of the assistants to Claude Le Roy in 2008 did not rule out that possibility.
“Coming to coach Ghana will be a fantastic challenge but no one knows tomorrow. Ghana was on top but now a little bit down. The potential, however, is still the same. One day it will be your management and government that have to decide if we want to bring this man”, stated the Frenchman.
Speaking to the local media, the former Black Stars trainer, Herve Renard, also welcomed a return to a coaching role on the continent, suggesting that he would relish an opportunity to coach in Africa again.
Renard, who won the 2012 and 2015 African Cup of Nations with Zambia and Cote d’Ivoire respectively, vacated his post in charge of Morocco’s Atlas Lions after a disappointing round of 16 exit to Benin at the 2019 AFCON.
But Renard who is now in charge of Saudi Arabia, welcomed another stint on the continent to which he has a longstanding attachment.
“I have a new challenge with Saudi Arabia and that is my focus. But of course I will come back to Africa one day to win something with a country, one that hasn’t won the AFCON for a very long time.
Sharing the formula for his AFCON success, Renard attributed his feat in African football to hard work and luck.
“I was a bit lucky but I also worked hard. It’s strange to have won the AFCON with two completely different teams.
“Luck plays a part in football but you have to provoke the luck. You build the luck. You have to build everything in football. If you don’t have good discipline, a good squad, a good bench, you can’t achieve that. For a tournament like the AFCON, it can be won from the bench because as a coach you sometimes have to understand things that players don’t.
BY NANA BENTSI ODURO
Sports
Kurt E.S Okraku elected CAF Executive Committee member
The President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, has been successfully elected as a member of the Executive Committee (EXCO) of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The four-year term runs from 2025-2029.
The President, who was elected uncontested, joins the 24-member committee of the powerful body of the continent’s governing body.
Kurt Okraku’s election to the CAF Executive Committee comes as recognition of his remarkable leadership at the Football Association, where he has worked to rejuvenate Ghanaian football since taking office in 2019.
His efforts to enhance transparency, promote grassroots football, women’s football and focus on youth development have been well noted within the African football community.
With Ghana’s strong footballing tradition and legacy, the presence of the GFA boss on the CAF EXCO is seen as an opportunity to advance the interests of the country and help promote football development across Africa.
Mr. Okraku’s role will give Ghana a stronger voice in the decision-making processes that shape the future of football on the continent.
President Simeon-Okraku becomes the sixth Ghanaian to serve on the CAF Executive Committee in a list that includes Ohene Djan, Kobina Hagan, Nana Fredua Mensah, Samuel Okyere, and Kwesi Nyantakyi.
Sports
GFA concludes training of Club Safety and Security Officers and Regional Sports Security Officers
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has successfully concluded its training program for Club Safety and Security Officers (CSSOs) and Regional Sports Security Officers (RSSOs).
This comprehensive training, which took place from March 7 to March 10, 2025, aimed to throw more light on the enhance safety and security measures across Ghanaian football.
The training was conducted zonally, covering all 86 elite clubs and 16 regions. Participants were divided into three zones, with Zone 2 covering the Ashanti, Western, Western North, and Central Regions, and Zones 1 and 3 covering the remaining regions.
The training modules included:
Challenges of Safety and Security in Ghana: Identifying and addressing key safety and security concerns in Ghanaian football.
Roles of the Club Safety and Security Officer (CSSO) and collaboration with Regional Safety and Security Officers (RSSO): Defining the roles and responsibilities of CSSOs and RSSOs, and promoting effective collaboration between them.
Club Safety and Security Officer Checklist: Providing a comprehensive checklist for CSSOs to ensure that all safety and security protocols are in place.
Introduction to the Enhanced Safety and Security Protocols 2025: Introducing new safety and security protocols aimed at improving safety and security at match venues.
Practicum and scenario session: Providing hands-on training and scenario-based exercises to prepare participants for real-world safety and security challenges.
The training workshop was led by DCOP Lydia Donkor, Chairperson of the Security Committee. Others included Capt (Rtd) Nick Owusu, Vice Chairman of the Safety Committee, Julius Ben Emunah, Head of Competitions, John Ansah, Felix Bewu and Emmanuel Osei, members of the Safety and Security Committee.
This training is part of the GFA’s enhanced approach to ensuring improved safety and security at match venues across all competitions.
