The Black Stars of Ghana have dropped out of the top 50 countries in the FIFA World Rankings to 52nd place in the list released for the month of September on Thursday.

However, the Stars improved from ninth place in the August ranking to become the eight best team on the African continent for September.

The 2017 Tertiary Football League kicks off on Saturday, September 23 in Ghana’s two major cities.

Expectation and enthusiasm have reached a crescendo with 12 tertiary institutions lacing their boots in a 10-week football league.

Former Great Olympics coach, Tom Strand, has resigned from the club after failing to produce what was required of him by the Wonder Club.

Coach Strand believes it was the right time to quit the club to give another coach a chance as Olympics struggle to avoid relegation to the second tier league.

The winning bonus for the national Under-17 team, Black Starlets, has been maintained at $1,000 as they jet out to participate in the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup slated for India from October 6 to 28.

The Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Pius Enam Hadzide, confirmed this to the Graphic Sports during an interview last Sunday when he led the team and their technical handlers to a special dinner organised by the Indian community to wish the players well at the residence of the Indian High Commissioner to Ghana at Cantonments in Accra.

Black Starlets centre-back, Faisal Osman, has been ruled out of the Under-17 World Cup in India after suffering an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury during training.

As a result, the youngster has been released to go home and seek medical attention as the team prepares to travel to Abu Dhabi today for a training tour.

Ghana’s female Under-20 team, the Black Princesses, are hoping to get a good result when they meet in a Women’s World Cup (WWC) qualifier in Algiers on Friday.

The two sides meet in the first leg of the first round qualifier in a quest for a WWC ticket, with the Princesses chasing their fifth as against the Algerians’ first.

Ghana’s quest to clinch the West African Football Union (WAFU) Cup of Nations trophy faces its critical test when the Black Stars B face the Syli Nationale of Guinea at the Cape Coast Stadium tomorrow in the first group clash.

Ghana benefitted from a late penalty against the Gambia last Saturday to move into the group phase and face very tough challenges as Mali and Nigeria lie in wait for Maxwell Konadu’s charges later in the tournament.

Ghana’s Under-17 male football team coach, Paa Kwasi Fabin, has stated emphatically that his main target is to win the FIFA U-17 World Cup after more than two decades when Ghanaians last laid hands on the trophy.

The Starlets trainer said the team’s long absence from the competition has strengthened the team’s resolve to reclaim the lost glory as Coach Fabin is confident that his youngsters have “prepared very hard in order to make an impact”.

Ghana midfielder Sulley Muntari has released a statement denying reports that he was arrested and his car impounded by Italian security officials.

Multiple reports on Wednesday night stated that the former AC Milan and Inter Milan midfielder had been arrested with his vehicle impounded over a debt owed to his former agent.

Accra Hearts of Oak have played down a protest lodged against them by Aduana Stars over the use of an unqualified player in the 26th week league match at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The Dormaa-based side has protested against Hearts of Oak for using an unqualified player in the person of Leonard Tawiah in their Ghana Premier League fixture which ended 3-3.

The Garden City of Kumasi will once again become the nation’s athletics capital as 200 young athletes descend on the Baba Yara Stadium for the final of 2017 GNPC Ghana’s Fastest Human competition.

The Ashanti Region remains the heartbeat for track and field events and it comes as little surprise that Saturday’s competition to be run under floodlights will be dominated by runners from the region in first and second-cycle institutions, as well as from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

Black Stars skipper Asamoah Gyan has vowed not to succumb to pressure to retire from the senior national team.

Gyan in an interview with Kumasi-based Angel FM admitted that the Black Stars is going through difficult times but that will not force him into premature retirement from international football.

The India High Commissioner to Ghana and some prominent Indians representing Indian businesses in Ghana, including the Melcom Group of Companies, last Sunday hosted the Black Starlets and their technical handlers to a farwell dinner in Accra ahead of the team’s departure tomorrow for Abu Dhabi en route to India to participate in the 2017 FIFA Under-!7 which comes off from October 6 to 28.

The Indian High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr Birender Singh Yadav, on behalf of the Indian community in Ghana, said he was glad to be with the Starlets and officials and wished the team success at the tournament.

Black Stars deputy skipper Andre Ayew came off the bench to assist a goal and score another for West Ham United in their 2-0 win over Huddersfield Town on Monday night.

Ayew said the valuable Premier League victory over Huddersfield proved West Ham remain true to their name.

Frank de Boer has been sacked as Crystal Palace manager after five games and 77 days in charge.

Former England boss Roy Hodgson will replace him, BBC Sport understands.