Ashantigold midfielder, Eric Opoku, was the unsung hero at the 2014/15 PLB Awards after being crowned the Footballer of the Season to complete the Miners’ haul at the impressive ceremony at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel last Friday.

The combative Opoku defied stiff competition from the Goalkeeper of the Season, Richard Ofori of Wa All Stars, and Goal King Kofi Owusu of Berekum Chelsea fame, to grab the enviable prize and a $1,000 top-up from the chairman of the occasion, Mr Ernest Thompson.

It was an emotional spectacle to behold when the overwhelmed Opoku mounted the stage to be decorated by the Guest of Honour, Osagyefo Oseadeayo Agyeman-Badu II, Mr Thompson, PLB chairman Welbeck Abra-Appiah and GFA Executive Committee member, George Afriyie.

Footballers are noted for their luxurious lifestyle and Nigerian star, Mikel Obi, is one of such players who could be described as living his dreams to the fullest.

From a well-manicured lawn outside the building to the interior of the mansion awashed with state-of-the-art gadgets, living in that house will make one feel like a royal.

The Paramount Chief of the Dormaa Traditional Area, Osagyefo Oseadeayo Agyeman-Badu II, has tasked the Ministry of Youth and Sports to address the remuneration of athletes and sporting officials with dispatch to end the rampant bonus rows in recent times.

He also urged the Ministry to re-orient Ghanaian athletes to appreciate the significance of wearing the national colours at international competitions. “There is an urgent need to address the remuneration and bonus of our athletes and sporting personnel.

Ghana missed out on a ticket to next year’s Championship of Africa Nations (CHAN)  tournament slated for Rwanda after the local Black Stars lost 0-1 to Cote d’Ivoire in the return leg of their last qualifying tie last Friday to crash out on the away goal’s rule.

The Stars went into the return leg in Abidjan with a 2-1 advantage but paid for allowing their Ivorian opponents to score in the first leg in Kumasi, as Maxwell Konadu’s charges exited the qualifying competition after a 2-2 aggregate, which saw the Elephants advance to the final tonourmant on the away goal’s rule.

The CIMG Telecommunication Company of the Year, Vodafone Ghana, yesterday marked the Global Wellbeing Month with fun games for its staff members at the Burma Camp Leisure Centre in Accra .

According to the  Director of Human Resource at Vodafone Ghana, Mrs Stella Agyenim-Boateng, the games, dubbed “Business Fusion”, were intended  to motivate and improve bonding among staff members.

Members of Ghana's victorious 1965 (Africa Cup of Nations) AFCON squad yesterday paid a courtesy call on former President John Agyekum Kufuor to formally invite him to their Golden Jubilee celebration.

The delegation, which called on the former President at his residence in Accra, comprised Reverend Osei Kofi, Reverend Kofi Pare, Wilberforce Mfum, John Bortey Naawu, Dodoo Ankrah, as well as officials of the Despite Group of Companies.

FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, is appealing against his 90-day ban from football's world governing body.  The 79-year-old Swiss has been suspended from all duties while FIFA's ethics committee investigates corruption claims against its leader.

He was suspended last Thursday along with secretary general, Jerome Valcke and vice-president, Michel Platini.

The Ghana midfielder looks set to leave Schalke and move back to Serie A, it's a move that could suit all involved

Reports in Italy on Tuesday indicate that Kevin-Prince Boateng is on the brink of ending his miserable stay at Schalke 04 and securing a return to former club AC Milan.

Aston Villa will pay what is necessary to bring Remi Garde and his backroom team to the club, according to caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald.
Former Olympique Lyonnais boss Garde is the bookies' favourite tosucceed Tim Sherwood who was sacked on Sunday.

Spain's Garbine Muguruza beat twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 6-4 4-6 7-5 to reach the semi-finals of the WTA Finals in Singapore.

Muguruza, 22, topped her group with a 100% record to set up a last-four tie with Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska.

The under-siege Chelsea manager has a poor record against Saturday's opponent as he looks to salvage a disastrous start to the season for the defending Premier League champions.

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has dismissed criticism by former player Paul Scholes of his team's style of play, saying "sticks and stones will break my bones, names won't hurt me".
Ex-midfielder Scholes, who played 718 games for United, said he "would not enjoy" playing for Van Gaal and there was "a lack of creativity and risk".

His name is Kenichi Yatsuhashi and he is the first Asian to take charge of Accra Hearts of Oak’s technical affairs in their 104 years of existence.

Since the news of his appointment broke earlier in the week, Coach Yatsuhashi and his employers have been lambasted by sections of the media, as well as some football fans due to his modest credentials and little experience in the coaching business.

Despite the criticisms, the outspoken Japanese trainer has assured management, fans and the entire populace that he would live up to expectation, stressing that coaching is more about what the job holder can achieve with his team on the field of play than what certificate he brings to the job.

The Argentine genius turns 55 on Friday, but what sort of salary and transfer value would he command had he been born 25 years later? Would he be on Lionel Messi's level?

Even the song is out of date. It was the brainchild of Boca Juniors fans in 1981, when Maradona came to the club from Argentinos. $10 million at that time was an unimaginable fortune, paid with a hurried loan that included money up front, cheques that bounced and six Boca players as part of the deal. Eight years before, in 1973, Johann Cruyff had cost Barcelona just half a million, and in the same year as Diego's move River landed Mario Kempes, a World Cup winner, from Valencia for $4m. 

What was the difference? With 166 games and 116 goals for Argentinos, the No. 10 had shown unworldly talents and looked set to become the best player on the planet over the next decade. 

Defending champions, Nigeria kept their FIFA Under-17 World Cup title defence on course with an emphatic 6-0 win against Australia in their Round of 16 clash at the competition ongoing in Chile.

Victor Osimhen scored the first hat-trick of Chile 2015 to see him stand alone as the outright top goalscorer in the competition so far with seven goals.