Ghana likely to play remaining home games in Nigeria after Baba Yara stadium ban
A monumental embarrassment awaits Ghana, after the Confederation of African Football withdrew approval for the use of the Baba Yara Stadium for AFCON Qualifiers.
The CAF inspection team, on their last visit to Ghana, identified several issues, including a playing field that was deemed unsuitable for competitive matches. Uneven surfaces, poor drainage, and inadequate grass cover were some of the issues raised.
According to CAF, persistent issues at the venue, as well as others in Ghana, such as Cape Coast Stadium and Accra Sports Stadium have resulted in the continent’s governing body asking Ghana to select an alternative venue from among those approved outside Ghana, for Matchday 3 and 4 of the AFCON qualifiers in October.
In light of this, the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Nigeria, seems like the most likely alternative for Ghana, according to Joy Sports sources.
Largely due to its close proximity to Ghana, the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, and two other likely alternatives, in the Stade Félix Houphouët Boigny and the Stade de la Paix, both in Côte d’Ivoire, are being seriously considered.
Other options for Ghana will be Cameroon’s Japoma Stadium, located in Douala and the Berkane Municipal Stadium, in Morocco, where Ghana played Niger.
Ghana is expected to make their decision known to CAF within the coming days.
Yampotatocarrot: Na wa o... I read to actually find out why the deal didn't scale through, only for him to say what even someone that wasn't involved in the negotiation will say
Which one is, "minor issues and small problem"... See enthusiasm wey I take dey read sef... Lol
uvie66: ..... the thing weak me, he said he was involved in the deal and knew why the deal fell through but then gave a very vague reason why it fell through, minor details, medical bla bla bla. At the end he added nothing to what we already know.
There had been rumours that the deal didn't go through because Osimhen was greedy and wanted too much money. There had been counter rumours that it didn't go through because Chelsea were offering him peanuts. The rumours said that both sides were on bad terms (Osimhen was angry at Chelsea and Chelsea was angry at Osimhen).
What Mikel says in the podcast is that it was none of those things. The reason the deal didn't go through is because of time. He said that he didn't sleep, he was awake till 4am talking to both sides. Both sides had reached a compromise and they were on good terms, but there was not enough time. He said that even if the deal was finalised, it was already too late to do a medical.
He said that he knows where they stopped in the deal, so it'll be easy if they have to pick it up again in January.
Former Super Eagles midfielder John Obi Mikel has revealed why Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen’s proposed switch from Napoli to Chelsea collapsed on deadline day.
The 25-year-old who was heavily linked to The Blues and other suitors in France, and Saudi Arabia, had a broken relationship with his Italian employers and tendered a transfer request to leave the club a year after helping Napoli end their 33-year wait for a league title 2022-23 season when he was crowned Serie A’s top scorer with 26 goals furious with the Italian side.
Speaking on his Obi One Podcast, Obi admitted that the reigning African Footballer of the Year was ‘very, very close’ to joining Chelsea this summer and revealed why the deal fell through.
The Chelsea icon who had said Osimhen was the final piece of the puzzle at Stamford Bridge denied allegations suggesting that the deal failed to materialise because of his fellow countryman’s greed.
Mikel said: “I hear a lot of people saying this and saying that about Victor and how greedy he is, blah, blah, blah. ‘Take a pay cut and come to Chelsea’ blah, blah, blah, stuff like that.
“I know the kid. I know the boy. I just want to say that that is absolutely not true. Victor is not a greedy boy. He’s not a greedy guy; he only wants to get what he deserves and that’s not a problem.”
During the transfer window, it was reported that Osimhen sought a weekly salary of around £500,000, an extraordinary amount. Although Chelsea was interested in acquiring a striker, they could not meet these demands. Mikel strongly refuted these claims.
“No, he wasn’t asking for all this b******t,” Mikel asserted. “I know what happened; I was in the midst of everything. So I can tell everybody that is definitely not true.
“He just wants to play football and get what he deserves and that’s not a problem. A player knowing what he’s worth and demanding to be paid what he’s worth, that’s not a problem.
“Our negotiations were very, very close, but there were just some minor issues and small problems we couldn’t overcome. I know what the club offered him, and we had to reach a compromise. There were some small issues with paperwork, medicals, and other details that prevented us from finalizing the deal.”
Meanwhile, Osimhen has since left Napoli for Turkish Super Lig side Galatasaray, on a season-long loan, after agreeing to a new release clause of £75m with Napoli and a January break-out from Galatasaray should a big club show interest in signing him.
The Nigerian marked his return to competitive football on Saturday with a goal that helped the Super Eagles kickstart their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with a 3-0 win over Benin Republic.
“I’m really super excited to be part of the Galatasaray family. I can’t wait to give my all for this club and make the most of this new journey with such an amazing group and the fans. I’m ready to create unforgettable memories together,” Osimhen said ahead of his first game for Galatasaray.
Sports › Ghana Likely To Play Remaining Home Games In Uyo After Stadium Ban by naptu2(op): 5:38pm On Sep 11, 2024
