During a distinguished 20-year playing career that included spells with Chelsea, Real Madrid and AC Milan, Michael Essien played under some of the best managers in the game.

But it wasn’t a desire to follow in the footsteps of Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti or Guus Hiddink that motivated one of the finest midfielders of his generation to try his hand at coaching.

The Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Henry Asante Twum has acknowledged that the Black Stars' failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) "will always hang around our necks."

For the first time in two decades, the four-time African champions failed to secure a spot in the continental tournament, finishing at the bottom of Group F with just three points after three draws and three defeats.

Ghana Olympic Committee President, Ben Nunoo Mensah, has raised doubts about the competence of coach Otto Addo in securing Ghana's qualification for the 2026 World Cup. 

Addo is facing growing pressure after failing to secure a spot for Ghana in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to be held in Morocco.

Speaking on Asempa FM on December 2, Mr Mensah expressed his concerns, saying, "I have not been convinced about Otto Addo's coaching abilities, especially against Niger. In crucial games, the coaches play a key role, and based on the AFCON matches and what I expected from him, I don’t think he is competent enough to qualify Ghana for the 2026 World Cup."

At least 56 people, including children, have died after fans at a soccer game in Guinea allegedly clashed over a disputed call by the referee, authorities said Monday.

The stampede broke out on Sunday afternoon at the stadium in the city of Nzerekore during the final of a local tournament between the Labe and Nzerekore teams in honor of Guinea’s military leader, Mamadi Doumbouya.

Ghanaian forward Thelma Baffour etched her name in history as the second Ghanaian to win the prestigious CAF Women’s Champions League.

She was part of the TP Mazembe side that clinched a dramatic 1-0 victory over Morocco’s AS FAR Club in last Saturday’s thrilling final.

The future of Black Stars Head Coach, Otto Addo, remains uncertain as the Ghana Football Association (GFA) initiates critical consultations with key stakeholders, including the government, to determine his fate after the GFA Executive Council (ExCo) was unable to reach a decision during a tense review meeting last Wednesday, leaving the coach’s position in limbo.

The 47-year-old coach is under intense scrutiny following Ghana’s failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco—a historic setback for a nation accustomed to being a tournament regular for over two decades. 

Pep Guardiola admits his players are suffering and that Manchester City’s dire winless run is making him lose sleep.

Six defeats and a draw is the worst sequence of the Catalan’s managerial career. And things do not get any easier for City.

Ghana's national football team, the Black Stars, are grappling with a worrying surge in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.

The Black Stars have been dealt a significant blow as a worrying surge of ACL injuries has sidelined key players, jeopardising their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. 

The latest casualties of this alarming trend are Alidu Seidu and Abdul  Fatawu Issahaku, both sidelined with ACL injuries within just a week and are ruled out for the remainder of the European season. 

Bournemouth are expected to entertain offers for Antoine Semenyo amid interest from Liverpool, sources have told Football Insider.

Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, senior correspondent, Pete O’Rourke, revealed that the Cherries will not stand in the player’s way should he wish to make the move in the summer.

However, sources say a deal is unlikely to take place in January as Bournemouth do not want to sell mid-way through the season, while Liverpool are prioritising other positions.

Premier League heavyweights, Accra Hearts of Oak, delivered a scintillating second-half performance to defeat Ghana Immigration FC 4-0 in their MTN FA Cup clash at Pobiman Hearts Park yesterday.

Hearts, under the guidance of Coach Aboubakar Ouattara, fielded a largely rotated squad, opting to rest key players. 

Former MTN FA Cup champions, Dreams FC, wobbled into the Round of 32 stage of the competition yesterday, courtesy a 4-3 penalty shootout victory over visiting Heart of Lions at their adopted Tuba Astro Turf Park.

Having been forced to a barren draw in regulation time, Dreams FC needed a face-saver to placate the livid home fans and Yaw Danso and Ishmael Addo offered that lifeline on a platter to end Lions' knockout dreams.

On the flip side, Skipper Joseph Esso, Derrick Atta Agyei, Isaac Yaro and Ebenezer Adade converted their kicks to keep the FA Cup dream alive.

Francis Amu of Fenton Curley Group (FCG) delivered a stunning performance to clinch victory at this year’s National Cycling Championship held in Olebu, Ablekuma, in the Greater Accra Region last Saturday.

The 30-year-old professional cyclist outpaced a strong field of experienced riders and a peloton of youthful challengers to secure the title in a gruelling 100km Criterium.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ashaiman, Ernest Henry Norgbey, has urged the youth of the area to emulate boxer, Sampson Segbedzi, and said he should also be an inspiration not just in sports, but also in every field of endeavour.

Segbedzi, who previously held the Universal Boxing Organisation (UBO) Africa welterweight title, last week defeated Isaac Commey at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra to add the Ghana national welterweight belt, as well as the Pugilistic Syndicate of Tanzania (PST) title to his collection.

Defeated boxer, Isaac Commey and his team have petitioned the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) to nullify the decision to disqualify Commey and declare Sampson Segbedzi winner during their national welterweight fight last week Sunday.

The 34-year-old Commey started the fight well and appeared to be on top in the opening two rounds but Segbedzi, 26, turned the tables by dominating the third round before scoring a knockdown in the 4th to establish control. 

In the fifth round, a flagging Commey, who already had twice been accused of low blows by his opponent, did the unthinkable by headbutting Segbedzi which was clearly seen by almost everybody present at the Bukom Boxing Arena in the early hours of last Monday.

Growing up in extreme poverty in a small village in western Kenya, Emmanuel Wanyonyi's daily life was marked by hardships.

Forced out of school aged 10, he worked long hours herding cattle. Sometimes he earned less than $2 (£1.58) a month.

Wanyonyi endured exploitation, switching jobs regularly after sometimes going unpaid, yet the man who would become the reigning Olympic 800m champion persisted because shelter and food were provided.