Hot!
Neymar claims Saudi league could top Ligue 1 already
Saudi Arabia’s football league could already be stronger than France’s Ligue 1, says Brazil captain Neymar.
The 31-year-old forward moved to the Saudi Pro League from Paris St-Germain in August for about £77.5m and add-ons.
Neymar joined Al-Hilal in a transfer window that saw Saudi clubs spend more than £700m on overseas players.
“For the names that went to Saudi Arabia, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Saudi league is better than the French,” he said.
Saudi clubs’ spending this summer on international transfers was second only to the Premier League, whose teams spent just under £1.6bn on overseas deals, according to figures from football governing body Fifa.
While Al-Ittihad were unable to prise Mohamed Salah away from Liverpool, Salah’s former team-mates Jordan Henderson, Roberto Firmino and Fabinho were among the Premier League players to move to Saudi Arabia.
Saudi clubs also lured Neymar’s PSG club-mate Georginio Wijnaldum, Real Madrid’s Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema and Bayern Munich’s Sadio Mane.
Others to make the switch to the Saudi Pro League have included Inter Milan’s Champions League final captain Marcelo Brozovic, Barcelona’s Franck Kessie, Celtic’s Jota and Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
There could have been a new world-record transfer too. PSG gave Al-Hilal permission to talk to Kylian Mbappe after making a £259m bid, but the forward opted to stay with the French champions and Neymar was sold instead.
Neymar helped PSG win five Ligue 1 titles although his time in Paris was hampered by ankle injuries after moving from Barcelona for a record fee of £200m in 2017.
Speaking at a news conference while on Brazilian international duty, Neymar said: “I can assure you the football in Saudi Arabia is the same. The ball is round, we have goalposts.
“There’s no secret. We have intense practice there, the thirst to win is still big.
“I want to win trophies with Al-Hilal. It doesn’t change much.”
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says Saudi Pro League is more of a threat than not
Several Premier League managers have criticised the Saudi deadline closing almost a week after Europe’s major leagues.
Last week, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said the Saudi Pro League feels more like a threat than not. Klopp feels there is a need to “protect the game and make sure European leagues stay as strong as they are”.
Meanwhile Henderson, who has been a vocal ally of the LGBTQ+ community, said he was “really hurt” by criticism of his transfer.
His move has been questioned by some LGBTQ+ campaigners, as same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Saudi Arabia.
Source: BBC
Hot!
FA President, Vice-President, football family pays last respect to late Kotoko fan Nana Pooley
President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku led a delegation from the Ghana Football Association and the football fraternity to mourn with Asante Kotoko and pay last respect at the funeral of devoted fan, Yaw Frimpong, better known as ‘Nana Pooley’, on Thursday March 6, 2025, in Kumasi.
The funeral, held at the Heroes park, Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi saw a strong representation from the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and key members of the football fraternity.
President Okraku and Vice-President Mark Addo attended the funeral alongside key football industry players.
The President, was joined by his team of Executive Council members, Regional Football Association Chairmen, Club Executives and officials from the GFA to show support and solidarity to Asante Kotoko and bid farewell to the passionate fan.
The late Nana Pooley, who passed away painfully last month, was interred at Ahafo Kukuom Royal Mausoleum on Thursday March 6, 2025.
The final funeral rites attracted football administrators, supporters and enthusiasts from across the country, as the fraternity celebrated the life of a true loyal fan of the Porcupine Warriors in particular, and Ghana football in general.
Nana Pooley, known for his unwavering support and dedication to Asante Kotoko, was highly regarded by the club and its supporters.
His funeral drew a significant crowd, as football officials, fans, and well-wishers gathered to honor the memory of the passionate fan who played an important role in fostering the vibrant fan culture of Asante Kotoko.
This gathering reflects the unity and shared respect in Ghana football, as the football family stood with Asante Kotoko during this difficult time.
Hot!
NHIA set to boost its cybersecurity and IT Infrastructure
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), in partnership with a leading private cybersecurity solutions provider in Ghana, CyberHawk Limited, is advancing the Authority’s digital infrastructure to ensure seamless operations.
This is to safeguard the Authority’s digital technologies and maintain the trust of active members of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
In this context, the NHIA Management Information System (MIS) Directorate in the Head Office, on February 11, 2024, launched a three-day brainstorming session on the organization’s cybersecurity enhancement agenda.
The MIS Directorate Ag. Director, Mr. Daniel Blankson explained that the collaborative meeting aimed to scrutinize the NHIA’s Information Technology architecture, identifying potential risks and gapsto enhance its cybersecurity posture.
“By leveraging CyberHawk Limited’s expertise, the NHIA seeks to fortify its defenses against cyber threats, protecting sensitive information and maintaining the trust of its members.”
Mr. Blankson applauded the synergy between the two organizations and underscored the Authority’s commitment to embracing cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions to drive its mission forward.
The Head of Information Security and Standards Unit, in the MIS Directorate, Mr. Ebenezer Hooper, highlighted the Authority’s significant milestone on the digital transformation journey.
According to him, the NHIA is actively engaged in fully adopting and implementing modern digital systems to improve its operations.
He said, “The three-day brainstorming meeting will culminate in the development of a robust IT infrastructure, as well as strategic plans to translate security implementations into tangible IT cost savings for the organization.”
“There is the need to form a steering committee or IT advisory committee, operated under the Board, so that they can pay more attention in protecting the huge IT investment while ensuring cyber security-related policies are well protected,” he added.
The Project Manager of CyberHawk Limited, Mr. Chetan Narayana Murthy, lauded the collaboration and anticipated that it would empower the NHIA to implement comprehensive cybersecurity measures.
According to him, “This is a huge project that will greatly benefit the NHIA by implementing robust cybersecurity measures, safeguarding their systems, and ultimately protecting the sensitive information of NHIA members and healthcare providers.”
A Senior Manager of IT infrastructure, Mr. David Asare Addo, and his colleague, a Senior Manager of Applications, Mr. Enock Afanyi, with the MIS Directorate, gave an overview of the NHIA’s current technological landscape.
Present at the meeting were representatives from the Claims, Membership and Regional Operations (MRO), Research, Policy, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RPME), Corporate Affairs, the Audit, Administration, and Human Resource Directorates.
Story By : Vivian Arthur
