Sports

Free Licence ‘D’ Coaching Course for Northern Region

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) will roll out the free Licence ‘D’ Coaching Course for Colts and Women Division One League coaches in the Northern Region.

The eight-day coaching course will be held at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium in Tamale from August 13-20, 2024, just a day after the conclusion of a similar exercise in the Ashanti Region which ends on Monday August 12.

This coaching licence course is in line with the GFA’s vision of offering practical training and impacting knowledge to Coaches at the Colts and Women Division One League level in the country.

This is in fulfilment of the pledge by Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Edwin Simeon-Okraku, with 30 participants from the Northern Region, latest to benefit from the Coaching programme.

The 30 prospective coaches, who are already working with Colts and Women Division One League clubs but do not have coaching certificates, have been selected by their respective clubs to undergo the training.

Per the new CAF Coaching Convention, the course is expected to have both theory and practical sessions for seven (7) days of required contact hours, after which participants would be assessed practically and examined theoretically.

The free training will ensure that, ultimately, each Colts club in the country will have at least one certified coach to help in the development process.

This will help to bridge the gap created after the FA announced that all Colts Club Coaches must be, at least, License D holders.

GFA Technical Director Professor Joseph Kwame Mintah and GFA Director of Coaching Education, Desmond Sakyi Ofei together with CAF Coaching Instructors, will oversee the eight-day exercise in Tamale with administrative support from Andrews Kwesi Eshun.

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