It has been barely two (2) years since former Blackstars Captain Asamoah Gyan officially retired from active football.
After his retirement, he went for a coaching course and currently has a UEFA B coaching licence.
However, according to the former captain, he was approached by the Ghana Football Association to coach one of the National teams but he turned them down.
Asamoah Gyan in an interview claimed that his reason for turning down the offer was because the time wasn’t right.
He explained that not that he is not interested in coaching the team but he believes now is not the time for him.
“The timing was wrong but let us see what happens in the future. I won’t entirely rule out the possibility to coach because we don’t know what the future holds,” he said.
The First National Bank (FNB) last week Wednesday signed a five-year sponsorship agreement with the organisers of the Accra Marathon, Dansoman Keep Fit Club (DKFC). The sponsorship marked the return of the nation’s most prestigious road race after a seven-year hiatus.
Past Sponsorship and New Beginnings with FNB
The foremost Accra Marathon had been without a sponsor for seven years with no hope in sight after long-standing headline sponsor, Milo, one of Nestle Ghana Limited brands, parted ways with the marathon. Thus, it was all joy when the new marriage between FNB and DKFC was consummated to restore this renowned national pastime.
FNB’s Commitment to the Accra Marathon
To underline FNB’s commitment, not only did the Chief Executive Officer, Warren Adams, initial the dotted lines for his outfit on that memorable occasion, he also immediately announced November 11 (which is Accra Hearts of Oak’s birthday) as the date for the revival of the much-anticipated 42.2 kilometer race and topped it up with the unveiling of the athletes’ vests to satisfy the curiosity of marathon fans.
Future Prospects for FNB Accra Marathon Sponsorship
It is our wish that the new sponsor will go beyond the initial five-year sponsorship to sustain the massive interest in the FNB Accra Marathon and also keep the dreams of long-distance runners alive. As part of the repackaging to get more people along, the exciting race has been rechristened “First National Bank Accra Marathon,” while the corporate world has been integrated into the new concept, aside from the men’s and U-15 boys’ categories.
Reviving Year-Round Athletic Activities
As was the case in the previous editions, the comeback of this annual event is expected to keep runners active all year round as they seek to outdo each other for honours. More so, it will afford the national selectors an opportunity to pick some lucky athletes to represent the nation in major international competitions.
Impact of the Accra Marathon on Ghana Athletics
It goes without saying that the long absence of the Accra Marathon has taken some shine from Ghana athletics as is evident in the country’s failure to feature long-distance runners or athletes in the Olympics and the World Athletics Championships in recent times. The strategic intervention of FNB is certainly a good omen for Ghana Athletics.
Future Stars of the FNB Marathon 2024
With consistency, it will not be surprising to see the new kid on the block, William Amponsah, and other potential long-distance runners making the nation proud again on the global stage just as the Fred Adongos, Alhaji Alhassans and the Emmanuel Amoos did in the past.
Catalyst for Revival: Security Services Sports Association Games
We also believe that the FNB Accra Marathon will serve as a catalyst for the revival of the Security Services Sports Association Games as it unveiled new talents for the various security services. For starters, Alfred Amegashie, won the maiden Accra Marathon in 1987 as a police officer, so were multiple winners, Adongo and Alhassan, employees of the then Customs, Excise and Preventive Service.
Historical Impact of the Accra Marathon
In short, most of the past winners of the Accra Marathon had a romance with the security services, hence the need to support this marathon initiative to produce more talents for the future. The older generation still relishes the annual Mobil Games which used to gather the nation’s best athletes for national trials at the Accra Stadium prior to major international competitions.
Nostalgia for Past Ghanaian Athletics Glory
Those were the days of John and Leo Myles-Mills, Emmanuel Tuffour (Koora), Nelson Boateng, Timothy Hesse, Eric Akogyiram, Solomon Amegatcher, Ahmed Ali, Ibrahim Hassan, Aziz Zakari, Diana Yankey, Veronica Barwuah, Martha Edusei, Philomena Mensah, among others. Most of these athletes hoisted the national flag at the Olympics and the World Championships and left an indelible imprint in the minds of most Ghanaians.
The Promise of FNB for Future Ghana Athletics
However, the same cannot be said of today. That is how FNB will also be remembered for years to come for its immense contribution to Ghana sports if it is able to keep its promise and even takes it to the next level with even better packages in the years ahead.
Recognition of FNB’s Bold Sponsorship Move
We seize this opportunity to hail FNB for taking such a bold step to rescue the FNB Accra Marathon and rekindle the dreams of many an athlete at a time Ghana athletics is in the doldrums. Who knows, perhaps the five-kilometer race for students and the 10-kilometre race dedicated to corporate entities could also unearth some great runners for the nation.
Chris Hughton ticked all the boxes, hit the right buttons and gave the appropriate responses, with sound bites that will be music to the ears of many a fan and the media.
At his unveiling yesterday as the head coach of the Black Stars, the 64-year-old coach was very clear on his mandate and the high expectation of Ghanaians as he gave insights into how he hoped to steer affairs during his 21-month contract period, with a promise to turn around the national team’s fortunes.
He was confident that he had the right support from the Ghana Football Association (GFA), his employers, to ensure a successful tenure.
As the technical advisor to the Black Stars technical team from March to December last year, Ghanaians had long expected the experienced coach to take over the national team. So there was a mix of excitement and cautious optimism when he was confirmed as successor to Otto Addo, with his appointment seen as a smooth transition and a determined effort by the FA to build on the positives of the World Cup squad.
Yesterday, Hughton sounded very optimistic about his tenure and looked unruffled by the weight of expectation of Ghanaians, who have a high regard of him as an elite coach with a wealth of experience at the highest level of football to take the right decisions and also have the boldness to ward off external influences in order to succeed.
Next Thursday, when he leads the Black Stars against Angola at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi in the first of back-to-back African Cup of Nations qualifiers, Hughton knows that Ghanaians not only expect Ghana to qualify for the tournament as a matter of course but also win the competition in Cote d’Ivoire to banish a 42-year continental title drought.
Qualifying for and winning the next AFCON are prime targets set for the coach, including a successful 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
These are also realistic expectations of Ghanaians, who now expect Hughton to put his words into action and get off to a winning start on Thursday.
Expectedly, Hughton said his aim was to build a competitive side capable of competing for trophies in future competitions, but added that inasmuch as he was determined to work to the best of his ability to get the best out of his players, he could not guarantee a trophy for Ghana.
Surely, no coach can guarantee a trophy, particularly the AFCON, but for a country whose last continental success dates back to 1982 as Africa’s first four-time champion, and having seen other countries overtake her on the table of most successful sides, there is no doubt that Ghanaians expect nothing short of success at the 2024 AFCON, perhaps, even more than qualifying for the next FIFA World Cup.
After missing the trophy three times in 1992, 2010 and 2015, the 2024 AFCON must be a major priority of the FA and the new head coach, and together they must fashion a strategy to ensure success in Cote d’Ivoire next year.
Anything short of that will be seen as a monumental failure on the part of any coach, not least Hughton, whose credentials as a former coach of three English Premier League sides and one-time assistant coach of the Irish national team will be on the line.
With his rich experience, knowledge of the terrain and familiarity with the players, the Daily Graphic expects the coach of Irish and Ghanaian heritage to succeed where his predecessors had failed to justify the huge sacrifices taxpayers will be making to ensure a successful tenure.
Top talents have never been in short supply in the Black Stars and Hughton has at his disposal a pool of gifted young and experienced players plying their trade in the top leagues of Europe around whom to build a solid team hungry for success.
It is also welcome news the assurance by the coach that he would spend a lot of time in Ghana to watch the local leagues and help develop top talents, instead of junketing round the world under the guise of monitoring his foreign-based legion, as was the case with expatriate coaches in the past. It is important that the coach shows a lot of interest in local competitions for those competitions to also benefit from his rich experience in the game.
While the Daily Graphic calls on Ghanaians to exercise patience and support Hughton to build a winsome side over time, it is our expectation that he takes bold and impartial decisions on player selection and team harmony devoid of personal or other third-party interests that can undermine overall team success. He cannot afford to drop the ball.
Life for millions in Türkiye and Syria changed forever last Monday, as two consecutive earthquakes sent shockwaves across hundreds of miles.
Nine hours apart and with magnitudes of 7.8 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, the quakes rocked Türkiye and Syria and were the region’s strongest in nearly a century.
The death toll from the quakes is more than 22,000 as of yesterday, with many still missing and critically injured.
The World Health Organisation put the number of people affected by the disaster at 23 million. At least 6,000 buildings collapsed, many with residents still inside them.
Rescue efforts continue to be the top priority, with some 25,000 deployed in Türkiye and thousands more from overseas — but a bitter winter storm now threatens the lives of the survivors and of those still trapped under the rubble.
Syria, ravaged by 12 years of war and terrorism, is the least prepared to deal with such a crisis. Its infrastructure is heavily depleted, and the country remains under Western sanctions. Thousands of those in the affected areas are already refugees or internally displaced people.
With the dust of the catastrophe still settling, regional analysts are zoning in on the longer-term ripple effect that the catastrophe could have on Türkiye, a country whose 85 million-strong population was already mired in economic problems — and whose military, economy, and politics have a major impact far beyond its borders.
The ABTVGH mourns with the governments and people of Turkey and Syria over the loss of lives and property.
We are equally troubled by the inability of the rescuers to find the Ghana international soccer star, Christian Atsu. Mr Atsu joined Turkish Super Lig side Hatayspor in September 2022 after spending nearly a decade at Chelsea and Newcastle United.
The coach of Christian Atsu’s Turkish club, Hatayspor, said last Wednesday that the Ghana midfielder had not been found following the devastating earthquake in Türkiye. As the rescue effort is ongoing, we remain confident that the player will be found.
For us, the response of the world holds valuable warnings and lessons that extend well beyond the two countries hit by the earthquakes.
The prompt help that Türkiye, in particular, has received from parts of the world shows that the international community can — if it decides to — put geopolitics aside to help a country in need.
Many Syrian victims of the earthquake were already refugees in their own country, living in makeshift homes. Parts of earthquake-hit Syria are controlled by rebel groups; yet the country’s government insists that all international aid must be routed through its agencies.
While the Syrian government must work with aid groups to ensure that help reaches all parts of the country’s territory, regional players, such as Türkiye and Iran, and global powers — the US and Russia — must reflect too.
Meanwhile, the scenes of death and despair in Türkiye and Syria should also serve as an overdue reminder of the risks Ghana faces in ensuring that our buildings are regulated.
While pleading for more aid for the victims of the earthquake, particularly in Syria, we urge our district assemblies to take a cue by ensuring that earthquake-prone zones within localities are properly mapped out so that construction does not take place there.
