Some sports panelists in Keta in the Volta Region have shared different views on the final squad of the Senior National team, the Black Stars ahead of the ‘2023 AFCON’ tournament.??

The squad would represent the nation in the upcoming African Cup of Nations tournament that would be held in Cote D’Ivoire.?

Mr. Selasi Kpodo, a sports panelist at Keta-based Jubilee radio, in an interaction with the Ghana News Agency, commended the management and the technical team of the Black Stars for the squad.?

‘But am a bit confused on the criteria used in selecting the final 27-man squad since camping was not held for players to justify their inclusion after the announcement of the 55 provisional squad.’?

Mr. Kpodo commended Coach Chris Hughton, for dropping Thomas Partey from the final squad ‘since he has not been playing for Arsenal, his club for some months now due to injury’.?

Mr. Doe Wilson, a football enthusiast, on his part, expressed dissatisfaction about the teams’s final squad for the AFCON.?

‘The coach ha
s no tactical system for the team and he has exhibited that already in some matches he handled, they would just add up to the numbers.’?

Others asked reasons for including Andre Ayew, skipper of the National Team, as he has outlived his strength.?

Meanwhile, Coach Hughton,?on Monday January 1, has announced the final Black Stars squad for the 2023 AFCON tournament during a media conference held at Alisa Hotel in Accra.?

The technical team, after reversing the idea of camping at Kumasi instead of Johannesburg in South African, had announced an international AFCON preparation friendly match for the Black Stars with Namibia on Monday, January 8 at the Baba Yara Sports stadium in Kumasi.??

The Senior National Team were housed in group B together with seven times AFCON trophy winners Egypt, Cape Verde and Mozambique.??

The team would first play group opponent Cape Verde on January 14 and Egypt four days later before Mozambique on the January 22.?

The 34th edition of the African Cup of Nations would kick off
on January 13 to February 11 with some Ghanaians expressing?the hope?that the Black Stars would end their 41-year-old trophy draught after winning the trophy last in 1982.?

Source: Ghana News Agency

Alhaji Dr Bella Bello Bitugu, the Director of Sports at the University of Ghana, has urged the public to support and develop young talents through sports and education.

This, he said, would held unearth more perishing talents from the various communities in the country to enable them have slots in the various sporting activities for a brighter future.

Dr Bitugu, who is also the Special Advisor to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Mutapha Yusif, made the appeal during a donation ceremony held at Vodza to support some schools and institutions in the Keta Municipality of the Volta region.

‘Being a sports person, my aim is to support and give back to my community and help bring out the good talents in our future generation through sport and education,’ he stated.

Among the items donated, included a set of football jerseys, computers, and others worth thousands of cedis.

The beneficiary schools include Keta RC school, Keta AME Zion, Vodza RC school, Adzido basic school, Keta Midwife and Nursing school, as
well as the Keta Municipal Assembly.

Mr Gerhard Avudzivi, the Keta Municipal Director of Education, who received the items on be half of the staff and students of the schools, expressed joy for the support and thanked Dr Bitugu and his team of donors for the gesture.

‘We pledged to use the items well for the benefit of our future leaders to unearth the great talent in them.’

Mr Christopher Mensah, the assembly member for the Vodza-Adzido Electoral Area, also thanked the donors for the support.

He appealed to other individuals, philanthropists, corporate entities, and the government to help solve other challenges of the area.

Present at the ceremony where Chiefs, Assembly members, Heads of Institutions, among others.

Source: Ghana News Agency