LIVE
Home Blog Page 1553

Black Stars Players To Start Arriving This Weekend Ahead Of Nigeria Clash

Emenike Agu
-
0
Black Stars Players To Start Arriving This Weekend Ahead Of Nigeria Clash

Players invited for Ghana’s game against Nigeria for the 2022 World Cup playoff will start arriving in the country on Sunday March 20

The Ghana FA is yet to announce the Black Stars squad for the doubleheader with just a few days for the team to open camp.

The move by the Ghana FA to delay in announcing the squad is part of the strategies been adopted by the Ghanaians ahead of the game against their West African rivals.

Black Stars interim coach Otto Addo has already submitted the squad to the Ghana Football Association for review.

The sqaud is dominated by players to have made the AFCON squad and will also feature some debutants who are playing actively for their clubs.

Ghana captain Andre Ayew has been ruled out of the game due to suspension but is expected to be in camp to support the players.

GHANAsoccernet.com understands that all the players invited for the clash have received their invitations and will start arriving in the country on Sunday.

The Black Stars will open camp on Monday March 21, 2022 in Cape Coast.

Ghana hosts Nigeria on March 25 in the first leg at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium.

The second leg comes off four days time in Abuja at the Moshood Abiola Stadium.

Caf Sends Inspectors To Re-Evaluate Cape Coast Stadium

Emenike Agu
-
0
Caf Sends Inspectors To Re-Evaluate Cape Coast Stadium

Ghana are set to be stripped of the chance of hosting the first-leg of their decisive 2022 FIFA World Cup playoff qualifying tie against Nigeria at their much-fancied Cape Coast Stadium later this month after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) sent it stadium inspectors to Kumasi on Sunday, Ghanasoccernet.com can exclusively reveal.

This is the clearest indication from Africa’s football governing body that this month’s titanic clash could be moved to Kumasi instead of the Ghana Football Association (GFA)’s favoured Cape Coast Stadium that had been initiallly approved for the game.

It comes after CAF officials inspected the Kumasi Sports Stadium in the Ashanti Regional capital on Sunday afternoon ahead of the league match, clearly indicating that the change of venue for the match is very much on the cards.

The three-man CAF inspection team was taken to observe the Kumasi Stadium by the GFA’s Alex Asante who is in charge of international competitions before the report on the visit was sent to CAF.

The report from the officials on Sunday will result in this week’s final decision from CAF on whether the match should be moved to Kumasi from Cape Coast.

There have been complaints about the pitch in Cape Coast after it hosted an Independence Day parade on 6 March to mark the country’s 65th anniversary.

Officials of the National Sports Authority began work on the field last week but it looks like it will not be in good condition for the 25 March showdown.

The Nigeria Football Federation filed a complaint and request for a venue change after photos of the bad nature of the Cape Coast Stadium field went viral.

The pitch of the stadium, that is supposed to host the Black Stars versus Super Eagles blockbuster, was left in a terribly bad shape after it was pounded with Independence Day activities on Sunday.

The newly-built stadium in central Ghana has been left in terrible condition following the Independence Day parade on Sunday.

Military and police horses hit the ground for several hours during the parade to celebrate Ghana’s 65th Independence which has left the pitch looking like a cassava farm.

The grass, that was approved by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), has suffered severe damage and the surface look brown, making it unplayable.

The pitch would look unrecognizable for CAF officials who gave the greenlight to the Cape Coast Stadium to host the match that would attract global attention.

That is because global television stations will be beaming the match live on their screens and the poor state of the pitch would project Ghanaian and African football in a very bad light.

Top stars from both sides and their foreign clubs would also be worried that their players could be prone to serious injuries if they play on a pitch of such nature.

The players from the top clubs would also not be able to play their best football on a pitch of such nature which has been the bane of African football and how administrators take the issue of pitches for matches seriously.

This has sparked fears that the game could be relocated to another venue to avoid any embarrassment for African football and CAF has responded now by sending its inspectors.

With just some few days remaining for the crucial World Cup playoff against Nigeria, the NSA started emergency repair work at the Cape Coast Stadium but this exercise could be in fuitility if the game is moved to Kumasi.

Ghana played all home games in the group stages of the qualification in Cape Coast.

After the first-leg, the Black Stars will travel to Abuja in four days time for the second-leg and the winner of the playoff will progress to the World Cup in Qatar.

EU member states agree new package of sanctions against Russia

Zoe Maven
-
0
EU member states agree new package of sanctions against Russia

European Union member states have agreed on a fourth package of sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, according to the office of the French EU presidency Monday.

The details of the sanctions were not disclosed, but the French presidency said Russia’s “most-favoured nation” trade status would be revoked.

This could open the door to the bloc banning or imposing punitive tariffs on Russian goods and putting Russia on a par with North Korea or Iran.

Sanctions were set to include an import ban on Russian steel and iron, an export ban on luxury goods including cars worth more than 50,000 euros and a ban on investments in oil companies and the energy sector, according to diplomatic sources.

Earlier in the day, diplomats said they would also add Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich and 14 others to the EU list of sanctioned Russian billionaires

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has also said the EU was working to suspend Russia’s membership rights of leading multilateral institutions, including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

The latest sanctions will be formally in place once they have been published in the EU’s official journal, which will follow soon.

U.S. Says To Keep Up Economic Pressure On Russia

Zoe Maven
-
0
U.S. Says To Keep Up Economic Pressure On Russia

Deputy U.S. Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo says the United States will continue take actions to put pressure on Russia’s economy and take away resources from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Asked if the Biden administration would meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s demands to close international waterways for Russia and to implement a full trade embargo against Moscow, Adeyemo said the US would take actions consistent with Zelenskiy’s goals, but declined to be specific.

He said pressure on the Russian economy would be kept up in order to stop their ability to project power.

The Treasury’s No. 2 official said that Western sanctions were already causing a “financial crisis” in Russia that is forcing difficult decisions on how it finances its war efforts.

Russia has two dollar-denominated bond payments due on Wednesday and has said it is prepared to pay in roubles – a move tantamount to a default.

He added that Russia currently is in a position where they are going to have to make choices about what debts they pay going forward and those choices will ultimately put Putin in a position where he has to make a decision about whether he continues the invasion or stops that invasion.

Sudan Court Jails Senior Officers Over Failed Coup

Zoe Maven
-
0
Sudan Court Jails Senior Officers Over Failed Coup

A Sudanese military court has sentenced a former chief of staff to nine years in prison and five senior officers to five years each after they were convicted of orchestrating a coup attempt in 2019.

The case dates back to July 2019, three months after the military overthrew Sudan’s longtime autocrat, President Omar al-Bashir, amid a popular uprising against his Islamist-backed rule.

Sudan’s now-ruling military says the failed attempt sought to sabotage a power-sharing deal between the generals and the pro-democracy movement that led the uprising.

However, a military coup last October did away with the power-sharing and upended Sudan’s fragile democratic transition, which has also faced uphill security and economic challenges since al-Bashir’s ouster.

The top officer sentenced Monday by the court in the capital of Khartoum was Gen. Hashem Abdel-Muttalib Babakr, who only three years ago, was named chief of staff by the transitional military council that seized power after al-Bashir’s ouster.

Two military officials said the military court also downgraded Babakar to lieutenant general, his previous rank. The two spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case with reporters.

The five other officers convicted of the coup attempt — three major generals, a brigadier and a lieutenant colonel — were working for the military and the national intelligence and security services, said the two officials. All of them were arrested at the time of the attempt, the two added.

The court also dismissed two other generals, including a former deputy commander of Sudan’s Air Force, from service and acquitted three officers, according to the officials.

Exploring Gateway Of India, An Arch Built From Basalt Stone

Angel Gimalo
-
0
<strong data-src=Exploring Gateway Of India, An Arch Built From Basalt Stone" title="Exploring Gateway Of India, An Arch Built From Basalt Stone" />

The Gateway of India is an impressive arch monument that was built on the waterfront at Apollo Bunder area, which is located at the end of Chhatrapati Shivaji Marg in Mumbai, within the Republic of India.

Completed in 1924 in order to commemorate the landing of King George V and Queen Mary at Apollo Bunder on their visit to India in 1911, the arch is built from basalt stone in interesting Indo-Saracenic style.

Facing the Arabian Sea, it certainly is the unofficial icon of the city of Mumbai and it serves as a reminder of its rich colonial British history.

The foundation stone of this bold monument was laid on 31 March 1913, however, it took 10 years for the entire work to be completed, with land reclaim from the sea, building a new seawall, renovating the jetty which was used primarily for fishing by the locals, being some of the reasons for the delay.

Combining the elements of the Roman triumphal arches together with the Gujarat’s architecture from 16th century, the Scottish architect George Wittet definitely made something which deserves to be seen first when someone comes to Mumbai.

As it was the case, most of the people who came by sea, first saw the Gateway of India and its flawless and exquisite architectural lines, nevertheless, the large arch that has a height of about 26 meters (85 feet) is accompanied by four turrets which are adding to its elegance.

As the front faces the harbor, at the top of the gate, there is an inscription on which is written: “Erected to commemorate the landing in India of their Imperial Majesties King George V and Queen Mary on the Second of December MCMXI”, highlighting the historic visit of their Majesties to the once British colony which nowadays is becoming one of the strongest nations on the planet.

Perfect for organizing venues, the Gateway can host between 2,000 and 2,500 people, however it is the central spot where the locals are gathering, and there are plenty of street vendors and photographers which would create a unique experience to all those visitors who are visiting India for the very first time.

VAR To Be Used In Nigeria For The First Time On 29 March

Emenike Agu
-
0
VAR To Be Used In Nigeria For The First Time On 29 March

Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will be in use when Super Eagles host the Ghana Black Stars in the return leg of their World Cup play-off with Ghana on 29 March.

It will be the first time the facility will be used in the country. Bernie Raymond Blom from The Netherlands will be the VAR official, to be assisted by compatriot Rob Dieperink while Athanse Nkubito from Rwanda will be the referee assessor.

Gregorio Badupa from Guinea-Bissau will serve as match commissioner and Victor Lawrence Lual from South Sudan will be the general coordinator.

Cyclone Ana: Malawi Needs $84 Million For Mopping Up Operations

Angel Gimalo
-
0
<strong data-src=Cyclone Ana: Malawi Needs $84 Million For Mopping Up Operations" title="Cyclone Ana: Malawi Needs $84 Million For Mopping Up Operations" />

Malawi needs over U.S.$84 million to carry out its 4-month disaster management recovery plan, according to the deparment of disaster management (DODMA).

Cyclone Ana left a trail of destruction in her path.

Ana made landfall on the Mozambique coast on January 24, 2022 and later headed for southern Malawi hitting the country in the early hours of January 25, 2022.

The storm caused severe flooding across all districts in the southern region and some districts in the central region.

According to the DODMA disaster response report, over 995,000 people have been affected by cyclone Ana with Chikwawa district recording the highest number of those displaced.

In total, 190,000 people have been displaced, while 46 people died, 18 people have been reported missing and 206 people sustained injuries.

South Africa Electricity: 140MW Wind Farm Starts Feeding Grid

Angel Gimalo
-
0
<strong data-src=South Africa Electricity: 140MW Wind Farm Starts Feeding Grid" title="South Africa Electricity: 140MW Wind Farm Starts Feeding Grid" />

African independent power producer Red Rocket has announced commercial operations of its first wind farm in South Africa, Roggeveld, now feeding much-needed electricity into the grid.

The project that is situated on the border of the Northern and Western Cape Province, South Africa, has an installed capacity of 147MW and a contracted capacity of 140MW.

The project milestone will effectively near double red Rocket’s project asset base. Its renewable energy projects in operation, under construction, or awarded preferred bidder status across the continent now total 750MW.

The Roggeveld wind farm’s shareholding is held in majority by Red Rocket and AIIM’s IDEAS Fund via a holding company (51%).

Roggeveld Wind Power was awarded preferred bidder status under Round 4 of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers’ Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).

Mount Everest: Guinness World Record Officially Recognises Highest Tea Party

Angel Gimalo
-
0
<strong data-src=Mount Everest: Guinness World Record Officially Recognises Highest Tea Party" title="Mount Everest: Guinness World Record Officially Recognises Highest Tea Party" />

Guinness World Record has officially recognised the highest tea party that took place last year 21,312 feet above sea level at Mount Everest’s Camp 2 in Nepal.

Andre Hughes, an enthusiastic climber from Seattle, Washington, said that he had the idea during lockdowns and isolation. The lockdowns made him realise that it was not just the summits he missed but he missed the community more.

Hughes reported that it was not easy to carry the equipment to the top.

The crew faced a snowfall on the day of the party, which proved to be a tough complication. The supplies were carried by a yak, fighting the strong winds.

This was specifically special to Hughes as he had finally reached the camp after failing in 2019.

“The greatest things in life are often those shared,” Hughes said, adding he hopes the feat — held on May 5, 2021 — will “inspire others to seek their own dreams, no matter the heights.”

According to the report, Hughes’ “highest of high tea parties… exceeded the previous mark by thousands of feet in altitude and was full of complexities, including carrying supplies through the treacherous Khumbu Icefalls.”

1...1,5521,5531,554...2,559Page 1,553 of 2,559
Kingschat

© 2025 LN247. All Rights Reserved