Ghana Draw USA, Two Others

Ghana U-17 female team, the Black Maidens have drawn USA, Paraguay and Japan for the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Group D.

The draw took place at the Al-Hussein Cultural Center in central Amman, on the evening of Monday 30 May.

The Black Maidens qualified with a 10-0 aggregate win over Morocco.

Jordan hosted the Arab Games in 1999 but the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup is the country’s first major international tournament. Matches will take place in the capital, Amman as well as Irbid and Zarqa.

The match will be played from 30 September to 21 October.

The Groups:

Group A:

Jordan, Spain, Mexico, New Zealand

Group B:

Venezuela, Germany, Cameroon, Canada

Group C:

Nigeria, Brazil, England, Korea DPR

Group D:

USA, Paraguay, Ghana, Japan.

Ghana Draw USA, Two Others

Local Black Stars Move To Camp Ahead of Japan Friendly

Ghana’s local national team is report to camp today ahead of their friendly international with the Japanese U-23 side in Tokyo next month.

The local Black Stars will report at the Ghanaman Centre of Excellence at Prampram under the tutelage of Maxwell Konadu who will oversee their preparations for this international fixture.

The Assistant Coach of the full national team, the Black Stars, has called up 25 players to prepare for this encounter which is being organized to test the battle readiness of both countries for important assignments.

Japan have qualified to the football tournament at the Rio Olympics coming up in August and want to test their strength against African opposition as they are group in a pool that also includes Nigeria.

With both Ghana and Nigeria having virtually the same playing style, the Japanese FA deems it right to play Ghana before they head to the Olympics.

Ghana will also use this game to test the readiness of the local players ahead of the qualifiers to the next African Nations Championships (CHAN) in Kenya in 2018.

FULL SQUAD:

GOALKEEPERS

1. RICHARD OFORI                     – WA ALL STARS

2. ROBERT DABOU                     – ASHANTIGOLD

3. MUNTARI TAGOE                    – MEDEAMA

DEFENDERS

4. HAFIZ ADAMS                        – WA ALL STARS

5. AMOS FRIMPONG                   – ASANTE KOTOKO

6. ABDUL BASHIRU                     – DREAMS FC

7. DANIEL DARKWAH                  – ADUANA STARS

8. KADRI MOHAMMED                 – ASHANTIGOLD

9. ABDUL GANIYU                        – WA ALL STARS

10. AHMED ADAMS                        – ASANTE KOTOKO

11. NICHOLAS OPOKU                   – BEREKUM CHELSEA

MIDFIELDERS

12. GOCKEL AHORTOR                  – INTER ALLIES

13. ISAAC TWUM                           – INTER ALLIES

14. ERIC KWAKWA                         – MEDEAMA

15. KWEKU ASUANDZIE                 – WA ALL STARS

16. SABHAN LARYEA                      – HEARTS OF OAK

17. LATIF BLESSING                       – LIBERTY PROFESSIONALS

18. EMMANUEL OCRAN                   – WA ALL STARS

19. SAMUEL TETTEH                       – WAFA

20. EVANS MENSAH                        – INTER ALLIES

21. EMMANUEL OSEI BAFOUR        – ASHANTIGOLD

ATTACKERS

22. SADICK ADAMS                          – BEREKUM CHELSEA

23. RICHARD ARTHUR                      – WA ALL STARS

24. MUSAH IBRAHIM                        – HEARTS OF OAK

25. LAWSON BEKUI                          – DREAMS FC

Local Black Stars Move To Camp Ahead of Japan Friendly

Japan Unveils Tokyo 2020 Olympic Logos

Japan’s Olympic organisers have unveiled the new official logos of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The logo, called Harmonized Chequered Emblem, replaces the first choice which was thrown out last year after the designer was accused of plagiarism.

The designer denied stealing the idea.

Organisers said the new design used traditional Japanese colours and patterns to represent the intercultural themes of the Games.

“It incorporates the message of ‘unity in diversity’,” they said, and the idea that the Games “seek to promote diversity as a platform to connect the world”.When designer Asao Tokolo found out he had won the re-opened contest he said “my mind has gone blank”.

“I put a lot of time and effort into this design as though it was my own child.”

The first design was rejected after Belgian artist Olivier Debie alleged it copied his design for a theatre logo.

The Games organising committee never agreed to the allegation of plagiarism but said there were too many doubts over the emblem for it to be used.

The logo dispute came shortly after Tokyo decided to scrap the designs for the main Olympic stadium because of spiralling construction costs.

A cheaper design, by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, was chosen in December last year.

BBC

Japan Unveils Tokyo 2020 Olympic Logos

Japan To Host Ghana In International Friendly May 11

Ghana’s local national team will take on the U23 side of Japan in an international friendly on May 11 ahead of some important assignments for both nations.

The Japanese have qualified to the Olympic football tournament in Rio in August and needs games under their belt to get in shape for the tournament.

They have been drawn in Group B for the competition and will play alongside Sweden, Colombia and Nigeria who picked one of the African tickets for the event.

With Ghana in the same region as Nigeria, the Japanese are hoping to test their strength against a country of similar stature.

The local Black Stars will also use this upcoming international to prepare for the qualifiers for the Championship of African Nations (CHAN) tournament to be held in Kenya.

Coach of the Ghanaian side Maxwell Konadu has invited 25 locals to camp to prepare for the upcoming friendly as they hope to give the Japanese a good run for their money even on home soil.

The players are expected to report for camping at the Ghanaman Centre of Excellence in Prampram on April 25.

Full squad:

Goalkeepers

Richard Ofori (Wa All Stars), Robert Dabou (AshantiGold), Muntari Tagoe (Medeama)

Defenders

Hafiz Adams (Wa All Stars), Amos Frimpong (Asante Kotoko), Abdul Bashiru ( Dreams FC), Daniel Darkwah (Aduana Stars), Kadri Mohammed (AshantiGold ), Abdul Ganiyu (Wa All Stars), Ahmed Adams (Asante Kotoko), Nicholas Opoku (Berekum Chelsea)

Midfielders

Gockel Ahortor (Inter Allies), Isaac Twum (Inter Allies), Eric Kwakwa (Medeama SC), Kweku Asuandzie (Wa All Stars), Sabhan Laryea (Hearts of Oak), Latif Atta Blessing (Liberty Professionals), Emmanuel Ocran (Wa All Stars), Samuel Tetteh (WAFA), Evans Mensah (Inter Allies), Emmanuel Osei Baffour (AshantiGold)

Forwards

Saddick Adams (Berekum Chelsea), Richard Arthur (Wa All Stars), Musa Ibrahim (Hearts of Oak), Lawson Bekui (Dreams FC).

Japan To Host Ghana In International Friendly May 11