Otumfuo finally speaks; meets Stars in SA

Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has publicly spoken for the first time in weeks, dispelling rumours that he was very sick and perhaps dead.

The Asante Monarch broke his silence when he met the local Black Stars in South Africa today (Saturday) ahead of their game with Libya in the CHAN tournament finals.

Otumfuo urged the Stars to go all out to beat the Libyans and bring the trophy home.

The local Black Stars beat Nigeria by 4-1 in the semi-finals through penalties to secure a date with the Libyans.

Otumfuo, who has been in South Africa for a few weeks said he had to be in that country for a routine medical checkup.

He said he also needed to go on a holiday and denied rumours that he was seriously ill.

Rumours of the Monarch's death were replete on social media last week, prompting a response from the Manhyia palace.

Despite the denial of the rumour by the Manhyia palace, residents of Kumasi said they would be rest assured only after hearing the Otumfuo speak.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II says he will be among the spectators to watch the game later today as the Stars clash with the Libyans.

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Yahaya Mohammed dropped: Saka, Sulley return for CHAN final

                                                            

Footy-ghana.com can confirm that Asante Kotoko forward Yahaya Mohammed has been dropped from Ghana’s starting lineup against Libya in Saturday’s 2014 Championship of African Nations (CHAN) final.

According to our sources, Mohammed will start from the bench because the technical team has not deemed him fit enough to start.

King Faisal striker Sulley Mohammed comes in to play behind Seidu Bancey upfront.

Godfred Saka has fully recovered from injury and will start at right back, leaving Abeiku Ainooson to partner Nuru Sulley in the heart of defence as suspended Kwabena Adusei misses out.

Asiedu Attobrah will start his second consecutive game for the Local Black Stars, with Michael Akuffo and Jordan Opoku maintaining their positions in the heart of midfield.

Ghana XI against Libya (4-2-3-1): Stephen Adams – Godfred Saka, Abeiku Ainooson, Nuru Sulley, Joshua Tijani – Michael Akuffo, Jordan Opoku (captain) – Asiedu Attobrah, Sulley Mohammed, Theophilus Anobaah – Seidu Bancey

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Ghana's clash with Nigeria dominates Africa's attention

It's arguably one of the most entertaining derbies in all the continent, the battle between Ghana and Nigeria continues, this time at the African Nations Championship in the semi-finals.
Both sides enter the match on Wednesday with just one ambition on their minds, victory over the other.

That victory will land either side in the final of the tournament exclusive to players based in their home countries and boost their pride due to the long-standing rivalry between them.

While the argument can be made for either side to win this match, Ghana coach Maxwell Konadu believes it's a fixture with the perfect setting to light up football on the continent.

"This will go a long way to help African football when some of the best countries are meeting," Konadu told www.ghanafa.org.

"Nigeria are one of the powerhouses of African football, one of the best countries in African football, so we only need to plan very well to meet the Nigerians.

"But I think that Africa will enjoy that match."

Though it would have been an ideal final meeting, this mouthwatering last-four clash between the two sides will certainly produce a mixed feelings when it's all over.

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ghana vrs holland update ;Black Stars to play Holland in World Cup warm-up in May‏

Ghana will play an international friendly against the Netherlands in Rotterdam in May.

The match will be played in at the Feyenoord Stadium in Rotterdam on 31 May.

The match will be part of the Black Stars' preparations for the World Cup that begins on 12 June in Brazil.

"We have concluded an agreement to play a high-profile friendly as part of our preparations for the 2014 World Cup," GFA President Kwesi Nyantakyi told www.ghanafa.org.

"The Black Stars will play Holland in Rotterdam in May to give us the tough test we need ahead of the World Cup.

"Holland are ranked ninth in the world and are one of the giants in football. Playing them will help the players and technical team prepare for the tournament in Brazil.

"We want to leave no stone unturned in our preparation for the World Cup and we believe the match against Holland will help us a lot in this direction.”

Ghana have been drawn in Group G of the World Cup to play the United States, Germany and Portugal.

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ghan vrs nigeria:Konadu puts faith in Ghana's resilence ahead of Nigeria clash

                                                
Victory will be most significant reward for Ghana in their meeting with Nigeria in Wednesday's clash at the CHAN and not the joy of claiming the bragging rights in the all-West African match..

The tension has been rising ahead of their semi-final meeting with either side pushing for a place in the final.

It's a meeting between the rivals and a game that the Ghana coach Maxwell Konadu has dubbed 'final before the final'.

"It's right to say this is the final before the final. Matches involving these two sides are always treated with importance and seriousness," the Ghana coach said.

"The two nations are two of the most powerful football nations in Africa and even the world so it doesn't matter the level. It could be U-17, U-20, when Ghana is playing Nigeria, it is always a local derby. We know each other very well and we know what it means to beat Nigeria so we are putting everything in place to try and defeat them for Ghanaians."

Konadu says games involving the two sides demands that total concentration as the small details tends to make the difference.

"The game is going to be very, very tactical because looking at the team the Nigerians have, they have scored the most goals and we have also defended very well in the tournament; I think the best defence.

"So let's say the best goal machinery in the tournament against the best defensive team in the tournament. But we will see what happens. Scoring five and conceding four, I think it's better to score one will not concede because a team that concedes a lot becomes very jittery in the period of the match.

"We don't want this and we have managed to prevent this and that is the beginning of a good team. You have to he able to defend well before you can think of midfield and attack. So we will just manage the situation and make sure that we will follow the trend which we have been following since the beginning of this tournament. It's going to be very difficult and tight for both teams but the best team will carry the day," Konadu said.

"We will approach the game cautiously, like we did against Congolese. We will manage the situation. Every single minute of the game will be monitored closely: whether we will make tactical changes will depend on the scoreline. When it's 0:0, we will continue to be patient and when the trend changes, we will also change our tactics."

The winner of the game will meet either Libya or Zimbabwe in the finals.

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Mahama pledges jobs

                               
A bullish President John Mahama yesterday pledged more jobs for Ghanaians through his government’s plans this year to boost public investment in infrastructure -- mainly transport, housing, energy and new secondary schools that are the flagship of his educational sector projects.

Seizing on the opportunity of a first-anniversary address and interview with the media at the Flagstaff House in Accra, the President rejected the gloom that some have expressed over the economy because of the spiralling cost of living, saying he is positive about the outlook for 2014.

“I believe 2014 is going to be a good year and the beginning of good things to come. We have the bright hope for a great future...building on the foundation of 2013,” Mr. Mahama told an audience that included journalists, advisors, and ministers.

The President’s words of optimism stand in sharp contrast to the widely-held view that the current year will be financially stressful for consumers and firms because of the impact from government’s fiscal adjustment policies.

The policies, which aim to slash the budget deficit and increase revenue to keep up infrastructure investment, have led to tax hikes, increases in utility costs and petroleum prices -- after subsidies were trimmed -- and a proposal to freeze the salaries of government workers this year, which would imply a reduction in their real wages.

Mr. Mahama defended the measures, likening them to every ordinary family’s efforts to cut back its expenditure when faced with soaring household debt. He said his government seeks to balance-out its expenditure and income, the gap between which was 12 percent of GDP at the start of 2013.

He added that the higher-than-expected deficit in 2013 -- 10.2 percent of GDP as opposed to a target of 9 percent -- shows “the challenge of governance” or the difficulties of having to reconcile the needs of the country with the revenues available to achieve them.

But he insisted that despite the missed targets -- GDP growth was also slower in 2013 than expected -- government laid a good foundation on which it is set to launch major initiatives this year.

He said public works projects to expand the ports, build new roads, revamp the parlous rail lines, increase housing provision, and construct 100 new secondary schools will create more jobs for Ghanaians.

He also promised support for youth start-ups through the Youth Enterprise Centre project that will be launched “in the coming weeks” with GH¢10million funding. The centre will finance the business plans of young entrepreneurs and guide the progress of their enterprises.

The promise of jobs seemed however to rely almost entirely on public investment plans, with little said by the President on how the private sector will be supported by his government to create more jobs -- the route seen by most people as the most sustainable way to expand employment.

And on the question of how his government will address the scourge of graduate unemployment, Mr. Mahama’s style of rhetoric changed from what his government will do, or is doing, to what universities and employers must do to solve what he suggested was a more complex kind of joblessness.

The private sector featured, however, in his strategy to increase housing for workers, as he said he will seek advice from financiers and mortgage providers on how to deepen the mortgage market in Ghana.

The President, who has promised at least 8 percent GDP growth per annum up to 2016, also spoke about restructuring the economy and hinted that this will be the main thrust of the government’s upcoming medium-term development plan to consolidate Ghana’s middle-income status.

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