Hearts of Oak’s expatriate coach, Kenich Yatsuhashi, will continue in his job contrary to speculations that he was on the firing line following the team’s string of unimpressive shows since taking up the technical reins at the Phobians, writes Andy Quao.

At a Strategic Committee meeting of Hearts in Accra yesterday, which was highly speculated to deal a blow to the Americo-Japanese coach, such an action was hardly considered as the beefing up of the playing squad was what dominated the agenda.

According to inside sources at the meeting, what was paramount was the launch of a strong bid for some Premier League players to augment their squad at this stage of their off-season preparations.

The source told the Graphic Sports yesterday that the meeting did not take a decision on the coach, but rather completed the signing of some top Premier League players and launched the bid for others.

The technical team of the Black Starlets (National Under 17) will from today embark on a tour of the 10 regional capitals to scout for players born on or after January 1, 2000 and groom them for selection into the team.

The exercise, which is expected to end on January 31, will begin in Tamale today and tomorrow and will continue in Bolgatanga on Sunday, Wa, Sunyani and Kumasi on January 25, 2016.

It will then proceed to Takoradi on January 26, with stop-overs at Cape Coast, Koforidua, Ho and end in Accra on January 31.

During the tour, a mini tournament will be organised for the players with the able support of the Regional Sports Development Officers (R.S.D.O)’s and coaches.

The biggest sporting event, this year, takes place in Brazil, where the Olympic Games will be staged.

Already qualified for that great showpiece, are the Black Queens, the national senior women's football team, that in spite of official discouragement, are not afflicted by expiration of inspiration.

Since February last year, the Black Queens have not been paid their bonuses, in a typical Master-servant relationship, condemned to living on shoestring budget while sports ministry hierarchy live it up with lavish lifestyles.

Yet, an even worse fate could befall their male compatriots, Black Bombers, the national amateur boxing team.

It has a chance to qualify for the Brazil 2016 Olympics, and join the Black Queens to raise the flag of Ghana, in a quest to mark a new territory and win for the nation her first gold medal at the senior Olympics.

In a preemptive strike to avert non-qualification, the president of the Ghana Amateur Boxing Association,

Defending champion of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana’s (SWAG) Footballer of the Year, Harrison Afful, would wish to guard his title  for the second time when SWAG converge for its flagship awards in May.

Afful who plies his trade with MLS side Columbus Crew SC, would battle against his international teammates, Andre Ayew of Swansea and Shanghai SIPG’s Asamoah Gyan, ancidentally, the same duo he beat to pick the previous award.

The trio have been outstanding for both club and country, particularly the Swansea midfielder who has been inspiring and scoring three goals to help the Black Stars qualify for the grand finale of the 2015 AFCON.

Gyan’s was equally phenomenal during the year under review having captained the national team to the AFCON final as well as his fine form for the Chinese club last season.

Actress Juliet Ibrahim has described her experience hosting the just ended 2015 Glo Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards held at the Abuja International Conference Centre, as a dream come true.

Juliet who is virtually not known as an event hostess put up a splendid performance at the event, which had many on social media and other platforms praising her performance on the night.

Juliet’s hosting the event also generated further discussion due to the fact that she was an usher at the 2007 edition of the awards and nine years later, she moved from escorting guests to their seats to co-hosting the prestigious event this year.

In an interview with Showbiz on Tuesday, Juliet Ibrahim said hosting the event was part of Gods plan for her life to bring her to the next stage in her career.

The Accra Hearts of Oak Old Players Association (AHOOPA) under the patronage of the former Metropolitan Chief Executive of Tema, Robert Kempes Ofosuware, will on Sunday hold their annual end of year get-together at the Dolphins Event Centre, Tema.

According to the chairman of AHOOPA, Evans Aryee-Quaye, the meeting will bring together celebrated heroes such as, Peter Lamptey, Sam Suppey, Ali Jarraa, Sam Johnson, James Commey Bortsie, Tetteh Chandu,  Amankwa Mireku, Ayitey Dormon, Collins Paha, Adjah Tetteh, Justice Ampah, Desmond Amoah, Sam Amartefio, among others.

The president of the Ghana Hockey Association (GHA), Mr Richard Akpokavie, has bemoaned the neglect of hockey over the last four years.

According to the hockey boss, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has not offered any budgetary support for the sport in preparation for local and major tournaments, a situation that has affected the morale of players and officials.

In an interwiew with the Daily Graphic, Mr. Akpokavie said “For the last four years, we have not received any pesewas from the state which is having a negative impact on our activities”.

Newly elected president of the West African Football Union Zone B, Kwesi Nyantakyi, says he will develop strategies to improve the standard of the game within the sub-region, particularly in the Zone B jurisdiction.

Addressing the media after he was retained in office, in an election held in Accra last Tuesday, Nyantakyi said he would introduce various categories of football competitions for the youth, women as well as inter- club tornaments among the countries in Zone B which includes Nigeria, Niger, Benin, Togo, Côte D'Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Ghana.

“We will be organising football games among women, youth as well as inter club competitions to improve the standard of football in our zone.” Kwesi Nyantakyi stated.

World football's governing body FIFA has dismissed secretary general Jerome Valcke.

The Frenchman, 55, was provisionally suspended from football for his alleged involvement in a scheme to profit from the sale of World Cup tickets.

He was released from his duties on 17 September after being accused of a series of FIFA ethics code breaches.

Appointed in 2007, the former right-hand man of FIFA president Sepp Blatter has denied any wrongdoing.

"The duties of the secretary general will continue to be assumed by the acting secretary general, Dr Markus Kattner," read a FIFA statement.

FIFA's ethics committee said on 7 January that it had decided to open "formal adjudicatory proceedings" against Valcke after studying a report submitted by its investigatory chamber.

Valcke has also been accused of being party to a potential £6.8m ($10m) bribe paid to Jack Warner, the former head of the North and Central America football governing body, CONCACAF

Chelsea full-back Baba Rahman has voiced his frustration at a lack of playing time since joining from Augsburg.

The Ghana international joined Chelsea from the Bundesliga in August 2015, but has so far been unable to secure regular first-team action at Stamford Bridge.

Rahman, 21, has made just four Premier League appearances so far and is determined to get more action in the second half of the season.

"Of course it is frustrating for any footballer to be forced to watch from the stands," Baba told Sport Bild.

Alhaji Sulemana Braimah aka, Alhaji Hearts, a former board member of Accra Hearts of Oak, has paid glowing tribute to the late Godwin Nii Dzanie Kotey, aka Alloway, describing him as a boxing colossus whose death is a big blow to Ghana boxing.

Alloway passed away last week in Accra after a protracted illness.

Recounting the days of his deep involvement in boxing promotions when his agency, the River Park Promotions Syndicate, managed the likes of Ike Quartey, Gbese Tyson, and many others, Alhaji Hearts said Alloway was the brain behind all that effort.

Ashgold CEO, Kudjoe Fianoo, has announced his intention to contest the chairmanship slot of the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) when nominations open for elections tentatively scheduled for March this year.

Fianoo told the Daily Graphic yesterday  that for the past  three days  both his office and home had been inundated with people from the football fraternity to contest the slot to help salvage the sunken image of the association.

A former administrative manager of GHALCA during its golden era when the once prestigious Top4 tournament was introduced, Fianoo describes as crying shame the pitiable state the association finds itself which has brought shame to great football stalwarts such as Budu Acquah, Nana Sam Brew Butler, Joseph Ade Coker, Lepowura Alhaji MND Jawula, I.K Edusei and others who blazed the GHALCA trail.

It is common knowledge to every football fan in Ghana that some few decades ago, football gala was a competition which served as a prelude for teams in the Premier League to be ready to engage themselves in a national league.

And the fans were there for the two-day, do-and-die challenge to showcase their new signings, their colours and capabilities. It was a lovely competition which began in earnest and ended late the second day at the Accra Sports Stadium.

It was something worth spending money to watch, and it dragged people from all corners of the land to the venue to cheer on their favourite clubs.

I recall one of those days when Accra Hearts of Oak fought on, to the finals to meet a very stubborn Akosombo Akotex in a grand finale and when Hearts emerged champions, it conjured a whole night's celebration which started at the Stadium with "Jama" to Chokor and its environs, and what a day to see our old men and women, boys and girls joining in the jubilation

Two FIFA presidential hopefuls yesterday laid out their respective visions for world football as they attempted to woo members of the WAFU (Zone B) ahead of FIFA Presidential Elections on February 26.

The duo, HRH Prince Ali Al-Hussein and Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, laid out their plans and objectives to WAFU Zone B delegates during a closed door meeting at their Congress at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra.

After the meeting, the candidates later gave journalists a rare insight to the messages they shared with the delegates.

First to address a large gathering of eager journalists was Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa who said he shared the vision of disgraced former FIFA boss Sepp Blatter and "would love to support an expansion to the FIFA World Cup tournament".

According to Sheikh Salman, 50, he had always supported Blatter until 2015 when he became the head of Asian football.

The strict-looking Asian Football Confederat

Two members of the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) are on the verge of pulling out of the association in protest against what they describe as disparaging remarks by their chairman, Alhaji Ali Raji, against their tribe.

According to reports, ex-GHALCA boss, J. Y. Appiah, is spearheading a campaign by two Brong Ahafo Premier League clubs, Aduana  Stars and Berekum Chelsea, to withdraw from the association following an alleged comment by Alhaji Raji to the effect that the G6 trophy must not go to a village.

In addition, the CEO of Berekum Chelsea, Nana Kwame Nketia, has stated that his board had already taken a decision to pull out of the association.