Sports
UNODC and GFA Foundation donate football & Sports items to Ankaful Prison

The Ghana Football Association, through the GFA Foundation and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), have presented football & various sports items and logistics to the Ankaful Maximum Security Prison, located in the Central Region, at an impressive ceremony.
The presentation of the football items and logistics is part of the GFA Foundation-Ghana Prisons Project, which seeks to use the power of football to promote the wellbeing, welfare, reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates of Ghana’s prisons into society.
The presentation of the sports items, including basketball hoops and balls, footballs, and volleyballs presented by the UNODC, was in line with the “Strengthening the compliance of the Ghana Prisons Service with the Nelson Mandela Rules” project.
The Ankaful Maximum Security Prison is the first prison facility under the second phase of the GFA Foundation-Ghana Prisons Project to receive football items including jerseys, footballs, goalkeepers’ gloves and sets of football hose.
The other items are whistles and caution cards (yellow & red cards) and ball pump needles.
In a short meeting with the Regional Commander and senior officers of the facility, the Director of the GFA Foundation, Malcolm Frazier Appeadu commended them for the hard work and the diligence which ensures the safe custody of prisoners.
He admonished them to make good use of the items donated so as to derive the maximum benefit from the project.
In response, the Regional Commander and the Officer-in-Charge of the Ankaful Maximum Security Prison, Deputy Director of Prisons, Alfred Codjoe thanked the GFA and the UNODC for the donation and the upcoming training programmes.
“Sports and especially football and other physical activities help in managing and safeguarding the welfare and security of prisoners especially those here with long prison sentences,”he added.
He further expressed his gratitude to the Central Regional Football Association for their continuous support and assistance in organizing football matches for the inmates and officers at the facility
The GFA Foundation – Ghana Prisons Project is based on three pillars: The first pillar is the donation of football items and logistics; the two other equally important pillars are coaching and refereeing training programmes for inmates and officers, and advocacy workshops to sensitize the public and the citizenry on the negative impact of discrimination and stigmatization of prisons and prisoners.
An exhibition match played between the officers and inmates ended in a goalless draw.
A former Black Stars player, Emmanuel Agyeman Badu who was the football legend and icon for the day, as part of the advocacy against the negative perception of prisons and prisoners, expressed his excitement at being at a prison facility for the first time and seeing the inmates in high spirits and interacting with them.
He encouraged the inmates to be of good behaviour and cooperate with the officers and be law abiding. “I will visit you again with my former Black Stars colleagues to play a match and I can assure you that we will win”, he stated confidently.
The UNODC Prison and Penal Reform Project-Ghana were represented at the presentation ceremony by Mr. Christoph Capelle, Project Coordinator, Helena Adobea Ofori, Associate Programme Officer, Caleb Elorm Agodzo, Administrative Officer, Mr. Tony Amaechi, International Consultant, and DSP. Stephen Aboagye, Focal Person for Training, GPS/UNODC/INL project.
Accompanying the Director of the GFA Foundation were Mr. Kwame Koramoah and Emmanuel Kpab from the GFA Head Office.
Senior Officers of the Prison facility present were Second-in-Command, Assistant Director of Prisons, Roger Azanya, CSP Jennifer Addae, Physician Assistant, Supt Frank Ameho, Head of Sports, ASP Emmanuel Otoo, Deputy Head of Sports, SCO Amoah Saah – Senior Chief Officer Administration, all of the Ankaful Maximum Security Prison and ASP Naomi Fainusatu Abdulai, Head of Ghana Prisons Football Teams.
The first phase of the GFA Foundation-Ghana Prisons project covered 6 prison facilities, these being the Senior Correctional Centre (Borstal Home) in the Greater Accra Region, Sunyani Male and Female Prisons in Bono Region, Akuse Local Prison and Nsawam Medium Security Prison in the Eastern Region and the Winneba Local Prison in the Central Region.
Sports
A look at Africa’s chances at FIFA Club World Cup

With the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup soon entering the exciting quarter-finals stage, an increased in global attention will be on the African game, as four strong African contenders prepare to represent the continent at the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup.
The new and expanded version of the global club showpiece will take place in the United States between June 14 and July 13.
Reigning African champions Al Ahly SC, Tunisian giants ES Tunis, Morocco’s Wydad AC and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa are the four clubs set to compete in the 32-club competition featuring some of the best clubs in world football.
CAFOnline takes a look at how the four representatives might fare at the much-anticipated competition.
Al Ahly SC – Egypt
The African champions will be making their 10th appearance at FIFA Club World Cup, with an impressive record of three bronze medals from their previous nine showings.
Guided by the 64-year-old Marcel Kohler who has enjoyed great success with the club, bagging two successive TotalEnergies CAF Champions League titles with the Red Devils, a lot will be expected of the club heading to the US firmly carrying the title of African champions.
The Egyptians face a mammoth task, having been drawn in Group A along with CONMEBOL COPA Libertadores champions SE Palmeiras (Brazil), FC Benfica (Portugal) as well as a Lionel Messi’s inspired Inter Miami CF (USA).
The 12-time African champions will be banking on the experience of their veteran campaigners such as Hussein El Shahat, Mohammed Al Shenawy as well as Mohamed Hany who have been highly instrumental in their most recent silverware collection.
Espérance Sportive de Tunis – Tunisia
Tunisian giants, Espérance Sportive de Tunis are headed to their fourth FIFA Club World Cup, having appeared at the competition’s 2011, 2018 and 2019 editions.
The Tunisians are yet to make a mark at the global showpiece and will be looking at stamping their authority as one of the best teams from the continent.
Last season’s TotalEnergies CAF Champions League runners-up are drawn in Group D alongside former European champions Chelsea FC, Brazil’s CR Flamengo as well as Club Leon of Mexico.
Captained by Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida who marshals the defence, the Tunisians will be relying on the trickery and speed of their attack that will be led by the likes of Youcef Belaili and newly signed Elias Mokwana.
Mamelodi Sundowns – South Africa
This year’s edition marks Mamelodi Sundowns’ second FIFA World Cup appearance after their 2026 debut in Japan.
The South Africans find themselves in a tough Group F alongside German powerhouse Borussia Dortmund, Fluminense FC of Brazil as well as Ulsan HD of Korea.
Affectionately known as the Brazilians for their enterprising style of play, the stage is set for the former African champions to shine under their new coach, Miguel Cardoso.
Key to Sundowns’ success will be their South American signings, Lucas Ribeiro Costa (Brazil) Marcelo Allende (Chile) as well as Lucas Suarez (Argentina) who seemed to have gelled well at the club.
Wydad AC – Morocco
Proud hosts of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2025 and the FIFA World Cup 2030, Morocco will be fully behind their club Wydad Athletic Club when they make their first FIFA Club World Cup appearance.
Having successfully stamped their authority as one of Africa’s best clubs, the Moroccans will be using the global showpiece to grow their presence at the world stage.
Drawn in a tough Group G along with English champions Manchester City, UAE’s Al Ain FC as well as Italian giants Juventus, the Moroccans have a tough group stage assignment ahead of them.
Currently undergoing a rebuilding phase under former Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena, the FIFA Club World Cup presents an exciting challenge for the club, as they look to rebuild in what looks to be a new era for the former African champions.
Sports
CAF releases draw procedure for TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Cote D’Ivoire 2025

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has released the draw procedure for the 2025 TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.
Ghana will join 12 other countries for the biennial youth tournament, scheduled to take place in Cote D’Ivoire from April 26 to May 18, 2025.
The participating teams include Egypt and Morocco from North Africa, holders Senegal and Sierra Leone from WAFU A, Nigeria, Ghana, and host Cote d’Ivoire from WAFU B, Tanzania and Kenya from CECAFA, South Africa and Zambia from COSAFA, and DR Congo from Central Africa.
The 13 teams will be distributed into three groups: one group of five teams (A) and two groups of four teams (B and C).
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the knockout stages, along with the two best third-placed teams.
The ranking of the third-placed teams will be determined after removing the results of the team ranked fifth in Group A.
The knockout stages will consist of the quarterfinals, semifinals, third-place match, and final.
RANKING:
Senegal – Winner in 2023
Nigeria – Third place in 2023
Congo – Second in group stage
Egypt – Third in group stage
Zambia – Fourth in group stage
Note: The remaining teams did not qualify.
Cote d’Ivoire, the host, will occupy position A1.
Senegal, the holder of the title from the 2023 edition, will occupy position C1, while Nigeria, the third-placed team in 2023, will occupy position B1.
Congo, Egypt, and Zambia, the next best-ranked teams from the 2023 edition, will be in level 2.
DRAW PROCEDURES:
In level 1, Cote d’Ivoire will occupy position A1, Nigeria will occupy position B1, and Senegal will occupy position C1.
Five pots will be used for the draw:
Pot 1: The teams in level 2 (Congo, Egypt, and Zambia)
Pot 2: The remaining seven teams (Ghana, RD Congo, Morocco, Sierra Leone, Kenya, South Africa, and Tanzania)
Pot 3: Positions A2, B2, and C2
Pot 4: Positions A3, B3, and C3
Pot 5: Positions A4, B4, and C4
The teams in level 2 will be drawn into positions A2, B2, and C2. The remaining teams will be drawn into positions A3, B3, C3, A4, B4, and C4. The remaining team will automatically occupy position A5.
Ghana last won the title in 2021, defeating Uganda 2-0 in the final in