Sports
2023 AFCON: We intended to keep Inaki Williams, but… – Athletic Bilbao coach
Ernesto Valverde, Athletic Bilbao’s head coach, says the club would have preferred to keep Inaki Williams for tonight’s La Liga match against Sevilla.
Williams is scheduled to join the Black Stars camp in Kumasi later today after recuperating from an illness to prepare for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast, which begins in nine days.
This season, the 29-year-old has shined for Bilbao, scoring eight goals and assisting three times in 19 appearances across all competitions.
In a news conference before the game at the Ramon Sanchez Pijuan Stadium, however, the former Barcelona manager stated, “Each one always wants to pull towards his side, we wanted him to be here.”
“Ghana is preparing to compete in the tournament, and their first game is on the 14th.” “We don’t have a lot of say,” he continued.
Inaki Williams will train with the rest of the squad later this evening at the Dr Kwame Kyei Sports Complex.
As part of their preparations, the Black Stars will play a friendly against Namibia on January 8 before travelling for Ivory Coast on January 10.
Ghana opens Group B against Cape Verde before facing Egypt and Mozambique.
Sports
Black Stars fitness coach Ricky Roy reportedly dead
Romeo Ricky Roy, the fitness coach for Ghana’s senior national team, has died.
According to Ghana Football Association president Kurt Edwin Simeon Okraku’s Facebook post, he died in Accra on Sunday, April 28, 2024.
Roy joined the Black Stars’ backroom staff in 2021, during Milovan Rajevac’s second spell as coach.
He remained with the national squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the current Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
Roy rose to prominence as a member of the coaching staff for Division One League club Vision FC in February 2020, before joining the national squad.
Sports
Veteran Sports Commentator Joe Lartey dies at 96
The Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) has reported the death of Joe Lartey, a veteran Ghanaian football pundit and sports writer.
He passed away on Friday, April 26, 2024, at the age of 96.
Joe Lartey was born on June 6, 1927, in Accra and attended Accra Academy. Lartey, often known as “Over to You,” was a well-known broadcaster and SWAG’s founding president.
Lartey began his media career as a football commentator with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) in 1961.
He grew to be a popular figure in Ghana’s sports community.
He subsequently spent a decade at Radio Nigeria before returning to GBC in 1990. During his stint, he presented shows including Sports Digest on GTV.
In appreciation of his achievements in sports journalism, Lartey received the coveted “A Life in Sport” award from the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) during the AIPS Sport Media Awards ceremony in Doha, Qatar, in June 2022.
Lartey’s impact stretched well beyond Ghana, with numerous Ghanaian football analysts praising him for moulding their careers.
Fans and colleagues alike will remember him warmly for his pioneering work in sports broadcasting.
Sports
Xavi to stay as Barcelona’s coach until at least June 2025
Barcelona coach Xavi will stay with the club until at least the end of his contract in June 2025, having changed his mind about this being his final season.
The 44-year-old stated in January that he will stand down as manager this summer.
However, with president Joan Laporta desperate for him to stay, the former Barcelona and Spain midfielder has made a U-turn.
Xavi took over as manager of Barcelona in November 2021, after leaving Qatari club Al Sadd, and led the team to the Spanish title in his first full season in charge in 2022–23.
However, they are 11 points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid with six games remaining in the current season.
Barcelona were eliminated from the Champions League last week after losing to PSG in the quarterfinals.
Xavi, who won 25 honours during his brilliant playing career at Barcelona, said he felt “liberated” with the revelation that he would leave the position at the conclusion of the season.
When he announced his departure following the defeat to Villarreal, he felt he was not being safeguarded by the club and there was no clear direction.
However, the team’s fortunes have improved since Xavi felt comfortable taking a more casual attitude.
They went ten games undefeated in the league before falling 3-2 to Real Madrid on Sunday.
On Wednesday, there was a meeting at Laporta’s residence, and the club’s desire for him to stay was clear.
If Xavi is unable to strengthen the squad before the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, Barcelona will attempt to persuade one of the high-profile managers out of contract, including Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique, and Mikel Arteta.
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