By Bernard Neequaye

The 2016 MTN FA Cup champions, Bechem United, face a daunting task in their effort to retain the title, having been handed a very threatening Round of 16 away  tie against Berekum  Chelsea on Sunday.

Last year, Bechem defied all odds to get to the final, but this season with most Ghana Premier League (GPL) clubs keen on winning a trophy, Bechem may not realised their dream of claiming a back-to-back title, unless they are able to at least stop Chelsea on Sunday.

You know that moment when you're competing in the long lump, land in the sand and then your hairpiece falls out...

No? Well Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor does.

With one more week to end round one, League Leaders Tesano Spinners look set to keep their position on top of the ladder as they come up against Team Baboo tomorrow at the D.G. Hathiramani Sports Hall of the Accra Stadium.

The Stanbic Bank/Graphic Sports-sponsored league will also witness second-placed SmartLine@Emefs engaging the Ghana Fire Service ping-pong team in one of this weekend’s top liners.

Former Ghanaian international footballer, Nii Odartey Lamptey, says the court ruling that brought a finality to his protracted divorce from Gloria Appiah, his wife of 23 years, ends a tortuous chapter in his life and opens up a fresh beginning, especially as the verdict ensured all his major properties to him.

He says the favourable ruling which brought a closure to the case would enable him to redirect his energies into relaunching his football academy project.

Berekum Chelsea Coach Randolf Armah has promised to stop Bechem United from defending their MTN FA Cup title when they go head-to-head in Sunday's Round of 16 clash at the Berekum Golden City Park.

Coach Armah said Chelsea were determined to eliminate the title holders from the competition, fully convinced that this is the right time to do that.

The Court of Appeal in Gavle, Sweden has set July 10 as the date for Ghanaian midfielder Kwame Bonsu's challenge of his marital rape and assault conviction.

Bonsu, 22, was handed a two-year jail term on last Friday (June 9) after he was convicted of marital rape and abuse of his ex-wife Marie Magnusson by the Gavle District Court.

Juventus wing-back Kwadwo Asamoah has hinted that he is ready to make a return to the senior national football team, the Black Stars, after recovering from his injury troubles.

Nagging injuries had kept Asamoah out of the Stars squad for almost two years, and the Juve midfielder opted out of the Stars’ squad that participated in the 2017 African Cup of Nations last January.

Black Stars skipper, Asamoah Gyan, was last Tuesday night honoured with the Order of the Star, the topmost award of the 2017 Calcio Trade Ball (CTB), an event which celebrates the footballing ties between Ghana and Italy.

The second edition of the CTB which was held at the residence of the Italian Ambassador, Giovanni Favilli, and organisers, Arthur Legacy Sports, presented Gyan with a citation praising his immense contribution to the senior national football team as well as other sectors of the country.

Black Stars coach, Kwasi Appiah, has commended the debutants he paraded in last Sunday’s AFCON qualifier against Ethiopia for vindicating him and proving that, given the chance, they can also do something for the nation.

Coach Appiah took a risk by starting Lumor Agbenyenu, Thomas Agyepong and Raphael Dwamena, in addition to putting home-based goalie Richard Ofori in post and featuring also fairly new Ebenezer Ofori for the all-important 2019 Group F Africa Nations Cup opener which also marked his return to the Stars as the head coach.

Gloria Lamptey, the estranged wife of former national youth star, Nii Odartey Lamptey was unsuccessful in her bid to get a 50 per cent stake of his assets after the Accra High Court ruled against her in a divorce trial.

According to starsports.com.gh, the court presided over by Justice Cecilia Don-Chebe Agbevey on Wednesday afternoon ruled that Gloria was adulterous and did not merit a 50-50 split of Odartey's entire assets after having three children out of wedlock.

Veteran coach J.E. Sarpong has commended coach Kwasi Appiah and the Black Stars for their splendid performance against Ethiopia at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium last Sunday. However, he says Appiah must widen his net by scouting for more players in the domestic leagues and abroad to provide him with a lot of options, as well as create competition for positions among the playing body.

He noted that despite the Stars’ impressive 5-0 win against Ethiopia, it was too early to describe the team as a formidable side ready to win major trophies for Ghana.

Sometimes luck is not all we need. For a forward, you simply get the ball across the line, by all means.

If Dominic Adiyiah gets this one chance over the line, at just 20 years he will have already eclipsed his accomplishments from a year ago. On this day, however, the 2nd of July 2010, his header two minutes from time is goal-bound, yet within Luis Suarez’s reach; Suarez’s hand to be precise.

Young Ghanaian striker, Sani Dey, is making the headlines in the lower leagues of Canadian football with his goal-scoring exploits.

The 19-year-old former student of Labone Secondary School in Accra enrolled in the Mohawk University in Ontario last year and jumped straight into the school’s soccer team.

With the heat on defending champions Immigration to catch up with league leaders Tesano Spinners, they come up against struggling Western Table Tennis Club in the round one match of the Week seven fixture of the ongoing Stanbic-Graphic Sports sponsored table tennis league this Saturday at the D.G.Hathiramani Sports Hall of the Accra Sports Stadium.

The Immigration trio of Emmanuel Commey, Felix Lartey and Derek Abrefa has been offlate subdued by the spinning and smashing prowess of Nigerian duo, Rilwan Akanbi and Ahmed Bello of Tesano Spinners.

Chelsea will begin their title defence at home to Burnley when the 2017-18 Premier League season kicks off on the weekend of 12-13 August.

Newly promoted Newcastle host Tottenham, while Brighton welcome Manchester City and Huddersfield visit Crystal Palace.