Italian football federation (FIGC) president Carlo Tavecchio resigned on Monday, a week after the national team failed to qualify for the World Cup finals.

Referees Association president Marcello Nicchi told reporters that Tavecchio had quit during a meeting at FIGC headquarters in Rome.

Four sacks in eight games aren't unacceptable by any means. For Ziggy Ansah, it’s not too shabby. That’s twice as many sacks the Detroit Lions‘ defensive end had last season and that took 13 games to accumulate.

Not only has the production been low, but his injuries are mounting. A nagging ankle hampered Ansah in 2016 and this season has been plagued by a knee issue. The past two games he’s been inactive with a bad back.

The Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) has named Mohammed Sahnoon, president of the Ghana Cycling Federation, as Chef d’Mission for Ghana’s team at next year’s Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast City, Australia. He would be assisted by Cillian Walsh, president of the Ghana Shooting Federation.

The appointment of Messrs Sahnoon and Walsh were part of a new policy by the GOC to name head of contingents to various teams well ahead of schedule to ensure early preparations for their respective competitions.

Ghana’s Under-20 female football team, Black Princesses are through to the final round of the 2018 Women’s World Cup (WWC) qualifiers after beating Kenya in their second round qualifying tie.

The Princesses yesterday, beat Kenya 5-1 in their second leg in Nairobi to end the second round tie on an aggregate of 10-1 having won the first leg 5-0 in Cape Coast two weeks ago to keep their campaign to qualify for the 2018 WWC in France on course.

The Ghana Premier League is set to lose some of its key players as three of the most influential stars in the just-ended campaign have almost sealed new deals overseas.

Ghanaian fans, already starved of big-name players in the elite competition, will miss Stephen Sarfo, Thomas Abbey and Ahmed Toure as the trio are close to signing for foreign clubs after undergoing trials in Kuwait and South Africa last week.

Undefeated Ghanaian pugilist, Isaac “Royal Storm" Dogboe, has fired a salvo at Caesar Juarez describing his upcoming WBO Interim Super Bantamweight title bout against the Mexican as a "David and Goliath” affair.

Dogboe (17-0, 11 KOs) noted that he was ready to prove himself by beating a more experienced fighter in Juarez (20-5, 15 KOs) to prove he is more than an underdog in their bout.

The Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) has congratulated Anthony Baffoe, General Secretary of the Professional Footballers Association of Ghana (PFAG) and Ibrahim Saanie Daara, Deputy General Secretary of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) on their appointments by the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF).

Baffoe, was last Thursday, named the Deputy General Secretary of CAF, while Saanie Daara, was drafted onto the Media Experts panel of the continent's football controlling body.

Chris Nathaniel, a world renowned sports agent and founder of NVA Entertainment Group, is in the country to recruit football talents for the international market.

The UK-based agent, who currently manages Ghanaian youngster Edwin Gyasi, told the Daily Graphic in an interview last Tuesday that his vision, among other things, was to offer a different approach to the traditional football agency that people were used to.

Former Ghana international Anthony Baffoe has been appointed as Deputy General Secretary of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in charge of Development and Competitions.

The 52-year-old former Ghana defender was born in Germany to a Ghanaian diplomat.

Black Stars attacker, Frank Acheampong, says the constant improvement in the standard of the Chinese Super League (CSL) influenced his decision to join Chinese Club Tianjin Teda on a permanent deal.

The 22-year-old spent a six-month loan deal at the Chinese club where he helped them to avoid relegation before signing a permanent contract this month.

Dutch-born Black Stars forward, Edwin Gyasi, says his decision to opt for Ghana other than his country of birth is because he feels more Ghanaian than Dutch.

The 26-year-old offensive midfielder, who plays for Aalesunds in Norway, told the Graphic Sports in an interview via phone yesterday that he had never regretted his decision and would work hard to command a permanent place in the national team.

A veteran football administrator, Fitzgerald Barkers-Woode, alias Nana Fitz, has urged the president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kwesi Nyantakyi, and his executive members to humbly resign en bloc to avoid sinking Ghana football further into the deep seas.

Nana Fitz fired the salvo at the top FA hierarchy following Ghana’s failure to qualify for the Russia 2018 World Cup, saying his style of running the FA as his personal business has contributed to the dwindling fortunes of football development in recent times.

The Life Patron of Asante Kotoko Sporting Club, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has given Dr Kwame Kyei the nod to manage the club for another season while charging the technical team and playing body to restore the glorious past.

For the good work done in his first year, Otumfuo decided to extend the term of office of the board chairman for another year and tasked him to choose his own management to run the club.

The budget of the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS) has been slashed down to GH¢32,799,500, representing 30 percent reduction of last year’s budget of GH¢46,910,275.

The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, who announced this when he delivered the 2018 national budget in Parliament last Wednesday, also said a sports fund would be created to improve sports development in the country.

Former Ghana international Michael Essien is likely to extend his contract with Indonesian side Persib Bandung for the 2018 season, his agent Amougou Mathieu has disclosed.

Essien joined Persib in March this year as a marquee signing on a one-year deal worth a reported 800,000 euros a year with the option of an extension.