Sports

Premier League’s restart hamstrung by injury fears

The Premier League will return on June 17 after a 100-day stoppage, cramming the remaining 92 games of the season into just five-and-a-half weeks.

A deluge of football may be welcomed by fans starved of live action for three months.

But it is expected to take a heavy toll on players hit by the combination of a long layoff, little contact training, fixture congestion and less hands-on treatment.

“We are expecting more injuries at this time,” Newcastle club doctor Paul Catterson told the BBC.

“We have had players asking if they can have ice baths after training and they can’t at the moment – all we can do is give them ice to take home. It’s like going back 15 years.”

The injury risk is of particular concern for those players who are out of contract at the end of the season and fearing for their future.

Championship side Charlton will be without top scorer Lyle Taylor for their battle against relegation as the 30-year-old has decided not to play and put a lucrative move at risk.

“It makes me think what would happen if I had an injury now that threatened the rest of my career,” Taylor told Sky. “I’ll be honest with you, it scared the life out of me.”

Olivier Giroud was also out of contract at the end of the campaign when coronavirus hit, but has been handed an extra year on his deal at Chelsea.

But at 33, the French World Cup winner is feeling the effects of pre-season-style training without the help of physios to aid his recovery.

“I’ll admit that if I could have more care and treatment to look after my body, it would be better,” he said.

To help lighten the load on players, the Premier League has not only adopted a temporary change to allow five substitutes per side, but also increased the size of a matchday squad from 18 to 20.

However, the lesson from Germany’s Bundesliga, which returned on May 16, is that an increase in injuries is almost inevitable.

According to sports science specialist Joel Mason, Bundesliga injuries went from a pre-lockdown average of 0.27 per game to 0.88 in the first round of fixtures after the competition resumed.

“The early indications from both training and matches continue to point in one direction – that post-lockdown injury rates are comfortably outside the boundaries of the typically observed injury rates,” Mason wrote in a blog post.

Conditioning expert Raymond Verheijen has been a consistent critic of the grind Premier League players are put under even without the complicating factor of coronavirus.

The Dutchman, who served as part of Guus Hiddink’s coaching staff and has worked with Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester City in the past described the return as “Russian roulette with the health of players at stake.”

“I am convinced the players sense the danger, but they are in a difficult and dependent position,” Verheijen told the Mirror.

There is so much still to play for at both ends of the Premier League that players can ill afford to bed themselves back into rhythm.

The battle for survival or European qualification could come down to those lucky enough to have their stars on the pitch and not the treatment table. – worldfootball.net

Sports

Football fraternity commiserate with family of late Wilberforce Mfum

The Ghana Football Association wishes to express its deepest condolences to the families of late Ghana legend Wilberforce Mfum.

The GFA received with shock the news of the demise of the former Swedru All Blacks, Asante Kotoko, and Black Stars player on Sunday, May 11, 2025.

Affectionately called ‘the Bulldozer’ due to his immense strength and clinical finishing during his days at Asante Kotoko and the Black Stars, Mfum was a household name during his playing days, and his legacies in Ghana Football will forever be written in gold.

He was a member of the 1963 Africa Cup of Nations-winning squad, scoring Ghana’s first goal in the tournament and netting twice in the final to help Ghana win their first continental title.

Noted for his scintillating goal-scoring prowess, he scored 20 goals in 26 appearances for Ghana and shone in the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

Wilberforce Mfum was a standout performer for Swedru All Blacks and Asante Kotoko before taking his talent overseas to play for Baltimore Bays, Ukrainian SC, Ukrainian Nationals, and New York Cosmos in the United States of America.

He leaves behind a lasting legacy as a trailblazer and a respected figure in the history of Ghana Football.

The thoughts and prayers of the GFA and the entire football fraternity are with his family at this difficult time. May his soul Rest In Perfect Peace.

Sports

Ghana vs Egypt – Quarterfinal Thriller at the TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations

In a pulsating quarterfinal clash between Ghana and Egypt at the TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, the young Pharaohs edged the gallant Black Satellites 5-4 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in regulation and extra time.

Ghana controlled the early exchanges, nearly capitalizing on a second-minute chance. Egypt responded with a wasted freekick in the 6th minute, setting the tone for a tightly contested opening.

Both teams showed flashes of attacking threat, but the first 15 minutes remained cagey, with Egypt committing multiple fouls to disrupt Ghana’s rhythm.

Ghana’s Phenyin-Denis Marfo received a yellow card in the 15th minute, followed by Egypt picking up their own caution three minutes later.

A costly error by the Satellites’ defence in the 19th minute gifted Egypt the opener, scored by Mohammed Sherif after a lengthy VAR check confirmed the goal. Just eight minutes later, a defensive mix-up allowed Sherif to double Egypt’s lead.

Despite the setback, Ghana pressed forward, with Aziz Issah firing over the bar from a 36th-minute freekick and a header from a goalmouth scramble cleared off the line in the 43rd minute. Their persistence paid off when Issah rifled in a long-range strike in the first minute of first half added time to halve the deficit.

The Satellites began the second half with renewed energy. A series of chances followed — DaCosta and Denis both coming close — and Egypt had to make several defensive adjustments through substitutions. Jerry Afriyie missed two promising headers, and Aziz Issah continued to test the Egyptian goalkeeper.

As Ghana mounted pressure, tempers flared; an Egyptian official was red carded in the 77th minute.

The Satellites appealed for a penalty in the 85th minute, but VAR ruled against them. Lord Afrifa, in midfield, and Joseph Opoku, on the left flank, were very influential throughout the 90 minutes of regulation time.

Ghana’s resilience paid off in stoppage time: after a long VAR check, the Satellites were awarded a penalty and Hakim converted the spot kick to level the match at 2-2.

Ghana dominated extra time, despite going a man down when Essel was red carded in the 2nd minute of the second period. Aseako made a crucial save from the resulting freekick, and the team battled on bravely. Aidoo and Aziz Issah had chances, while Musibau headed over in the dying moments of the first period.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, Ghana still created chances but could not find the winner. Egypt replaced their goalkeeper just before the end of extra time, perhaps anticipating the shootout.

In the shootout, Ghana scored through Aziz, Denis, Opoku, and Musibau — but DaCosta’s miss proved decisive. Egypt converted all five of their kicks, sealing a dramatic victory and booking their place in the semifinals.

Final Score: Egypt 2 (5) – 2 (4) Ghana (after penalties)

A valiant fightback by the Satellites ended in an undesired outcome, but their spirit and determination shone throughout, and they exit the tournament with heads held high.

Hakim Abdul Sulemana won the Player of the match award.