The President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kwesi Nyantakyi, says poor remuneration of footballers in the local league is accountable to their abandoning the league for unpopular destinations in Asia, such as Thailand, Vietnam, among others.

The GFA boss made the observation last Monday at the opening ceremony of a two-day Media and Marketing seminar for Premier/Division One Clubs in Accra.

Mr Nyantakyi, who owns Ghana Premier League side, Wa All Stars, disclosed that clubs were helpless when offers came in for their players from such countries because currently no club in the Ghana Premier League was able to offer a player $1,000 as monthly wage.

He said, "By making our league competitive, it means that we will be able to raise revenues and pay attractive salaries to our players and stem the perennial tide of the exodus to Europe.

Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have been banned from all football-related activities for eight years by FIFA's Ethics Committee.

Football's world governing body's Ethics Committee ruled Monday that both FIFA president, Blatter and his UEFA (European football's governing body) counterpart Platini had broken FIFA Code of Ethics relating to conflicts of interest, breach of loyalty and gifts.

The pair was cleared of bribery and corruption allegations.

Black stars and  FC Copenhagen defender, Daniel Amartey, has donated a set of football boots, running boots and footballs to newly promoted Division One side, Vision FC, last Saturday at the Legon Ajax Park.

The presentation took place after Vision Fc’s friendly goalless drawn game with Premiership-bound Dreams FC.

The donation was not financed by Daniel Amartey alone but with support from Addidas Denmark and Paramount Sports Management, Graphic sports can confirm.

The mortal remains of Ghana soccer legend, C.K. Gyamfi, were laid to rest at his hometown, Okorase, in the Eastern Region last Saturday.

The state burial was preceded by a memorial and thanksgiving service at the State House in Accra where he was laid in state last Friday for Ghanaians to pay their last respect.

Former Ghana midfielder Abdul Razak has insisted that he doubts the chances of Black Stars deputy captain Andre Ayew to win the 2015 Africa Player of the Year accolade.

Ayew, 26, has been named in a three-man shortlist for the CAF award alongside four-time and reigning winner Yaya Toure as well as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but the 1978 winner tips Yaya Toure, to win it for fifth consecutive times.

“I have won the award before and know how it feels and would wish same for Ayew,” Razak told Nhyira FM.

Two of Ghana's cruserweight boxers,  Brimah Kamoko, also known as Bukom Banku, and his long time pal, Ayitey Powers, have dispelled rumours among Kumasi fans that their 'repeat or revenge' fight on Boxing Day at the Baba Yara Stadium was just to make money and not to exhibit any great fight.

Banku told a press conference that the rumour could only gain currency if the purse was going to be shared, 'but this is a winner takes all; so it cannot be true. '

Fans in the Garden City remain divided over the competitiveness of the upcoming bout on Saturday after the sell-out first fight at the Accra Sports Stadium months ago, which was won by Banku on a unanimous points decision.

Former IBF welterweight champion, Joshua Clottey, is considering reverting back to the junior middleweight clas following his defeat to Gabriel Rosado in the USA last Saturday.

The 38-year-old moved up in weight just to make this fight but after losing on a unanimous decision to the American, the Ghanaian is reconsidering his decision.

" I don't feel comfortable at this weight class, I want to go back down to 154 and continue to fight at junior middleweight," Clottey said after his defeat.

Hundreds of Ghanaians from all over the country yesterday converged on the State House in Accra to pay their last respects to Nana Charles Kumi Gyamfi, one of the successful coaches in the country’s history.

It was not surprising to see many people paying their last respects to the man credited with the honour of leading Ghana’s Black Stars to all their African Cup of Nations (AFCON) glory, both as a player and a coach.

It was a real celebration of life as tributes shared memories of his achievements, re-emphasising what was already known, but they strongly depicted him as a great and true sportsman who remained humble and warm-hearted throughout his life.

Ghanaian football legend, Charles Kumi Gyamfi (C.K. Gyamfi), will be laid in state at the forecourt of the State House in Accra today at 7 a.m. The state burial service will mark the start of the final funeral rites of C.K. Gyamfi 85, who died on September 2, 2015 at the Cocoa Clinic in Accra.

The scheduled funeral rites include a memorial service which will take place tomorrow at the Okorase Methodist School Park at 10 a.m.

The memorial service will be followed by a thanksgiving service at the Rev. Joseph Clegg Memorial Methodist Church in Kaneshie, Accra, on Sunday.

Imagine what it would be like if you suddenly lost one or two of your front teeth. Smiling, talking, eating—everything would suddenly be affected.

Mouthguards, also called mouth protectors, help cushion a blow to the face, minimizing the risk of broken teeth and injuries to your lips, tongue, face or jaw. They typically cover the upper teeth and are a great way to protect the soft tissues of your tongue, lips and cheek lining. Knowing how to prevent injuries like these is especially important if you participate in organized sports or other recreational activities.

When it comes to protecting your mouth, a mouthguard is an essential piece of athletic gear that should be part of your standard equipment from an early age. In fact, studies show that athletes are 60 times more likely to suffer harm to the teeth if they’re not wearing a mouthguard. While collision and contact sports, such as boxing, are higher-risk sports for the mouth, you can experience a dental injury i

The chairman of the Premier League Board(PLB), Welbeck Abra-Appiah, who announced his resignation at the end of last season, might not have his intended rest from mainstream football activities as the Ghana Football Association(GFA) has compelled him to stay until  further directed.

Abra-Appiah, together with his vice, Ashford Tettey-Oku have been directed by the GFA to stay in office in what appears as a fresh mandate handed them.

The two are the only ones on the board whose appointments emanated from the GFA and the decision to extend their mandate is part of a general one taken by the football controlling body to keep all its sub committees working despite the election of new members to the Executive Council and the Regional Football Association.

Ghana's Joshua Clottey will be aiming to use Philadelphia-based brawler, Gabriel Rosado as a stepping stone for a world title shot when the pair clash in a catchweight bout on the Luis Ortiz-Bryant Jennings undercard tomorrow at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

At 38 years, another defeat for the former IBF welterweight champion, Clottey, who is moving up in weight to face Rosado could spell an end to an impressive career, which has seen him win IBF welterweight and WBA International super welterweight titles.

However, a win against Rosado(21-9, 13 KOs) - a fighter who has not won an official boxing match since 2012 - could set him on a path to bigger and better fights against the likes of the WBC middleweight champion, Saul Alvarez and the unified WBA, IBF, WBC and IBO middleweight champion, Gennady Golovkin.

Traditional wrestler, John Dekagbe, took silver at the just ended second Africa Zurkhaneh Sports and Koshti Palkivani championship in Adis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The one-week Africa ranking competition climaxed last Tuesday at the Ethiopian capital.

The young wrestler was Ghana’s only representative at one of the continent’s largest wrestling competitions which featured over 20 countries.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP)  Presidential candidate for 2016, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, yesterday gave 11 surviving members of Ghana’s 1965 AFCON team an early Christmas gift when he presented GH¢25,000 cash to them.

The money was meant to redeem a pledge the NPP Presidential candidate made to the team at their Golden Jubilee fund-raising dinner on December 3, 2015 at the Sun Lodge Hotel.

Nana Akufo-Addo personally handed over the cash to five members of the 1965 AFCON team who paid a courtesy call on him at his residence in Accra.

The members - Reverend Kofi Pare, John Bortey Naawu, Dodoo Ankrah, Wilberforce Mfum and Reverend Osei Kofi were in his house to express their gratitude for his immense support during their Golden Jubilee celebrations which came off on December 3 and 4, 2015.

The race for the 2015 African Player of the Year Award of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has been narrowed down to a three-horse affair for Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and Gabon.

Ghana’s midfield sensation, Andre Ayew, who plays for English Premier League side, Swansea City, has again been shortlisted to contend with last year’s winner, Yaya Toure of Cote d”Ivoire and Manchester City fame and Gabonese sensation, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Borussia Dortmund.

This brings back memories of the 2011 edition in Accra which saw Toure snatching the prestigious prize away from Ayew in front of his countrymen.