Philippe Coutinho has said he hopes Liverpool fans "understand" his decision to move to Barcelona in an emotional post on social media.

The Brazilian forward, 25, completed his £142m move to the La Liga club on Monday after five years on Merseyside.

I am really not sure if it is an official policy of the organisers of our leagues that almost all participating clubs host our appointed match officials when they travel to honour their appointments. Whether it is official or not, the truth is that it has been happening.

Ghana Premier League champions, Aduana Stars managed a 1-0 victory over Dreams FC when the two sides clashed in the opening of their GHALCA-organised G8 pre- season football tournament at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi last Saturday.

A former chairman of the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA), George Lutterodt, says promising athlete Martha Bissah, is focused on her career and unfazed by talks of whether or not she would return into the national team.

He noted that it was important for the indefinite ban placed on Martha be lifted by the GAA before any meaningful talks of her returning to run under the Ghana flag.

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Isaac Asiamah, has revealed government's plan to reward Isaac Dogboe handsomely after knocking out Cesar Juarez to win the WBO Interim Super Bantamweight title last Saturday at the Bukom Boxing Arena with a fifth round TKO victory.

Former Ghana right-back, John Paintsil, says his focus is to build on his career as a coach and nothing would entice him to exchange the dug out for the pitch again.

According to him, he has successfully completed his coaching course in South Africa and he is now the head coach of Vision Explorer Academy, a division two side which he is aiming to guide to the premiership soon.

Isaac Dogboe made a strong statement last Saturday about his intent to capture the WBO Super Bantamweight title, taking out Mexican Cesar Juarez in five rounds after which he threw down the gauntlet to the Mexican champion, Jessie Magdaleno. 

He warned his next opponent that he was coming after him when they clash in a mandatory title defence in the United States in the next few months.

Premier League champions, Aduana Stars, Ebusua Dwarfs, Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko all made winning starts to their GHALCA-organised G8 campaigns at the weekend. Aduana laboured to beat newly-promoted side Dreams FC 1-0 at the Baba Yara Stadium last Saturday, Hearts also recorded a similar win over newly-promoted Karela FC in Cape Coast on the same day.

Ghana Premier League champions Aduana Stars put their best foot forward at the start of the GHALCA G8, beating newly promoted Dreams FC by a lone goal at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi on Saturday to take a temporary hold at the summit.

Playing before a virtually empty stadium, the two sides displayed uninspiring performance, lacking the cutting edge to deliver the kill when it mattered most.

Kumasi Asante Kotoko punished wasteful Premier League newcomers, Techiman Eleven Wonders, with a lone goal to join Aduana on top of Group B on the second day of the GHALCA G 8 pre-season tournament at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi yesterday.

Kotoko and Aduna are joined on three points on four-team group after one match each.

Site Five are champions of this year’s annual Inter Site/Community football gala organised in Tema to climax the yuletide.

They beat Site One 4-2 on penalties after a goalless drawn game in regulation time to lift the trophy, a set of jerseys, football and a cash prize of GH¢2, 000.

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has assured the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) that Ghana will welcome an opportunity to host any future CAF football competition.

Speaking at the 26th annual CAF Awards ceremony at the Accra International Conference Centre last Thursday, the President said the country was ready to accept any challenge thrown at her to host competitions of the continent’s football governing body.

Arsene Wenger crashed out of the FA Cup in the third round for the first time in his long Arsenal career and the worst of it was his view was perfect.

Wenger sat in the stands and suffered as his second-string team conceded four against Nottingham Forest, a team without a permanent manager and wallowing in the depth of the Championship.

Diminutive Isaac Dogboe of Ghana knocked out his Mexican opponent, Cesar Juarez in the fifth of their scheduled 12 round bout to win the WBO Interim Super Bantamweight title.

Barcelona will sign Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho in a £142m deal, one of the most expensive transfers of all time.