Sports
Ghana could be without Semenyo for Brazil friendly after Bristol City makes plea
The EFL Championship outfit believe the 22-year-old Black Star is not fit enough to play two consecutive matches for the national team
EFL Championship side Bristol City have reached out to the Ghana Football Association, requesting them to be sympathetic and drop forward Antoine Semenyo from the squad for their upcoming friendly matches later this month.
The Black Stars will step up their preparations for the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar with two matches during the coming Fifa international break against Brazil and Nicaragua.
On Tuesday, Ghana coach Otto Addo named a squad of 29 players for the fixtures and included Semenyo.
However, Bristol manager Nigel Pearson has pleaded with Ghana not to rush the player into action so he can recover well for the team and be ready for the World Cup.
“We need to make sure that his recovery continues because the nature of his injury is really important that we are mindful of the amount of exposure,” Pearson said as quoted by BristolLive.
“Hopefully the Ghanaian FA will be sympathetic to our requirements and the player’s requirements because I think Chris [Hughton, Ghana technical advisor] would like him fit for the World Cup and Antoine wants to be available both for us and the national side so common sense should prevail.
“The World Cup is still a few months away which is continued recovery time so by the time he gets to that point, hopefully, we’re not thinking by the same terms.”
The 22-year-old Black Star is yet to start a game for Bristol this campaign after picking up an injury while representing Ghana in June.
The injury saw him miss matches at the tail end of last season and in the new campaign he has only come on as a substitute against Wycombe Wanderers in the Carabao Cup two weeks ago.
Ghana will first take on the Selecao at Stade Oceane in France on September 23 before they come up against Nicaragua at Estadio Francisco Artes Carrasco in Spain on September 27.
Ghana are pooled in Group H at the World Cup alongside Portugal, South Korea, Uruguay and will open their campaign against Portugal at Stadium 974 on November 24.
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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