Sports
Leverkusen end Saarbruecken German Cup fairy-tale
Saarbrueken’s unprecedented German Cup run came to an end at the semi-finals on Tuesday night after a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen.
The fourth-tier side, whose last competitive match was in March, beat top-flight clubs Cologne and Fortuna Duesseldorf on their way to becoming the first team from that level to reach the last four of the cup.
Saarbruecken coach Lukas Kwasniok had said a place in the July final at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium would be tantamount to the “rebirth of Jesus”, but there was no miracle on Tuesday.
They were comfortably dealt with by Leverkusen, who are chasing a spot in next season’s Champions League and were in the driving seat from the get go at Saarbruecken’s tiny, empty ground in southwestern Germany.
The away side were quickly two ahead thanks to goals from Moussa Diaby and Lucas Alario within the first 20 minutes.
Both were set up by Kerem Demirbay, whose pass for Diaby’s opener in particular highlighted the gulf in class between the two teams.
The hosts never recovered from that early blow, and just before the hour mark Leverkusen struck a third, with Demirbay once again the man to lay on the decisive pass for Bellarabi to smash home.
The defeat would have been heavier had Paulinho not missed several good chances to beat Saarbruecken’s impressive goalkeeper Daniel Batz, who saved five penalties in his team’s quarter-final win over Duesseldorf and made some good stops on Tuesday.
Leverkusen will now take on one of Bayern Munich or Eintracht Frankfurt, who face off at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday, in the final on July 4. – worldfootball.net
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.
