Sports
Medeama set to cage Samartex for historic Premier League title
• Nurudeen Abdulai – Medeama’s centre-back
The penultimate round of matches for the 2022-23 betPawa Ghana Premier League (GPL) season will take centre-stage this weekend with Medeama requiring just a win to be crowned champions.
With four points ahead of second placed Aduana Stars and just two games to go, the Mauve and Yellow will square off with seventh-placed Samartex at the Nsenkyire Sports Arena tomorrow in a bid to secure the first ever league title.
The champagne would be on ice as the Tarkwa lads head into the game beaming with confidence ahead of the historic feat and its accompanying funfair.
Medeama came back from a goal down to beat King Faisal 2-1 in their last encounter and would attempt to avoid another dramatic comeback, especially playing away from home to a very resilient side.
They hope to go all out to ‘kill the game’ and hold on to the title ahead of their final game against Tamale City which would only serve commemorative purposes.
Samartex, on the other hand, had already secured their place in elite football for next season and would only be playing for pride and attempt to spoil the party for Medeama.
A win for Samartex move them above the table as they attempt to end the season amongst the top six teams in their first season in the premiership.
That would also be a historic feat for Samartex which they would fancy as they expect their vociferous fans to troop to the venue to ‘torment’ their visitors.
In other crucial games to be played tomorrow, Aduana travel to Nsoatre to face off with Nsoatreman in a must-win fixture for the visitors.
Aduana must secure all three points and hope for an upset in the Medeama and Samartex game to push the season to a dramatic grand finale.
Nsoatreman would also be desperate for all three points to cement their place in elite football next season as they are only three points above Karela in the relegation zone.
Karela, on the other hand, will host fourth placed Bibiani Gold Stars as they attempt to secure the remaining six points to possibly rise above the relegation zone.
Third-placed Bechem United host Berekum Chelsea in another cagey encounter at Bechem, while struggling Accra Hearts of Oak engage Real Tamale United (RTU) at the Accra Sports Stadium – determined to end the season on a high note.
Relegated Kotoku Royals play against Tamale City in another interesting fixture tomorrow, while another relegation-threatened King Faisal face off with Legon Cities today.
In other games today, Accra Great Olympics would also be desperate for all three points as they battle it out with Dreams FC at Dawu, while Accra Lions square off with Kumasi Asante Kotoko in another mouth-watering fixture in Accra.
By Michael D. Abayateye
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.
