Asamoah Gyan in FourFourTwo Magazine…



It’s good to be Black Star’s Asamoah Gyan -right now! Young, good looking and fit, a 13 million pounds deal with Sunderland, two goals against (my favourite football team) –Chelsea, and now a recording artist –what’s not to love? You can read more about Ghana’s favourite son in an interview with FourFourTwo magazine, their November 2010 Issue (its still available). http://fourfourtwo.com/

Film: Football Fables by Baff Akoto

A trailer for the award winning film Football Fables which lifts the lid on African football migration. Meet some of the best young talent in the world and the middle men who earn a living making sure its their cream that rises to the top!


Award winning director Baff Akoto talks with Monita Rajpal about his new film "Football Fables" on CNN's Inside Africa show

***There’s a really weird place you get to when you own a model agency, –and you start to feel like a pimp [you are selling a person, after all] –and I guess those who sponsor footballers in Ghana must feel the same, -because beauty like football skills –saves lives [especially in Ghana], -turning those at the very top of-their-game into international stars [and every member of the Facebook/Myspace generation wants to be a star]! -But I’ll never forget the day I was doing research on Footballers of Ghanaian origin and stumbled across a Wikipedia page [it had a comprehensive list of most of our prolific players] –and the shock of finding [some of] our lesser known players -playing for clubs in countries like: Mumbai FC (India), Hoang Anh Gia Lai (Vietnam), FC Akzhayik (Kazakhstan), Dalian Shide (China), Jeju United FC (South Korea), FC Ceahlăul Piatra Neamţ [Romania], Sporting Cristal (Peru), Polis Di-Raja Malaysia Football Association, FC Kuban (Russian), JEF United Ichihara Chiba (Japan), Hapoel Nazareth Illit F.C (Israel), MKE Ankaragücü (Turkey) and even clubs in much poorer African countries like the Central African Republic [Sporting Club de Bangui]; -places you know can be difficult/racists and lonely for a young African man on his own [needs must –I guess].


I presume, if you’re a young hopeful -fighting poverty; with the weight of your entire family on your shoulders, –and a sponsor [who’s been feeding you and your family for years] –wanting his ‘share-of-the-deal’ -you’ll take any club [in any city, in any country] if you aren’t the next Michael Essien, –just to get paid! And I understand that –because on one hand it’s truly wonderful to use your God given talents to make a living -but on the other hand –I really feel for these lesser known players –because not only are they dealing with obvious physical limitations [football is tough on the body] –and thus like models, -footballer only have a short career lifespan –but many return back home burnt out, -with no pension to see them through their twilight years…

I remember the wonderful Kwaku Ofosu Asare [presenter of 'Sports with Kwaku' -OBE Television] hosting an event with German/Ghanaian footballer, Anthony Baffoe to raise money for old Ghanaian players on OBE TV sometime back; –I wonder, is the Ghanaian government doing anything for past national players?  Anyway, the following is a review about the above film by Baff Akoto [I'm afraid I haven't seen it yet but can't wait to watch it] ....enjoy


Documentarian Baff Akoto follows the path of emerging footballers from their African homelands to the bright lights of Europe's big league.

Exposing the extent to which Europe’s top clubs seek to plunder African talent on the cheap, this is a sobering insight into grassroots football. With visas limited to established stars and agents being prepared to rip off everybody to line their own pockets, making the leap from local celebrity to overseas superstar is a dispiriting business. Indeed, for every Sulley Muntari, there are hundreds of Francis Boadis, who catch the eye of scouts in their youth but never get to fulfil their dreams. Contrasting the manager and academy systems that operate in Ghana, this acute documentary also captures the pitiable poverty that instils in these gifted kids the desire to succeed.

An insightful and, at times, sobering journey through a multi-billion dollar industry. [Reviewed by David Parkinson  for empireonline.com]  -Credit: http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=136830

For cinema listings and more info about Football Fables / Baff Akoto please visit: http://www.footballfables.co.uk/

Former South African president Nelson Mandela sends heartbroken Asamoah Gyan a message of condolence.......

JOHANNESBURG – Heartbroken Ghana star Asamoah Gyan received a message of condolence from Nelson Mandela after his devastating penalty miss led to his team’s dramatic World Cup exit against Uruguay.


Former South African president Mandela, who sent a letter of support to the Ghana team before the match, was further moved to pass on his sympathy to Gyan upon seeing the forward in a flood of tears after missing a chance at winning a place in the semifinal.

Delayed gratification is the best…..Ghana has paid it ‘dues’ –we will win next time….

I woke up this morning feeling like I had an elephant sitting on top of me, or even worse, –like I had been in a car crash, –in some sort of nightmare, -only to have last night come tumbling back at me in all its ‘emotional-ups-and-downs’ Asem! I remember my Jojo crying hysterically as we lost the ‘beautiful game’, -and the scenes from Oxford Street, Ghana –where our brothers had stopped celebrating, with many women [now] on their knees [exactly where I was –on my knees] and the images coming in -loud and clear from Montevideo [the capital of Uruguay], -where the Uruguayans were celebrating –naturally!

Fast-forward a couple of hours [and a few minutes in prayer –I promise to do much better tonight -Father God] and its just dawned on me that there’s a bigger picture [being painted here folks] –Amen, and what our boys were doing, -was paying their 'dues' [paying Ghana’s dues] –and we will win -next time folks. Because how spiritual was that match? We [and the rest of the world] saw just how hard our boys played [fought] –but for some unfathomable reason, –missing out! That penalty after we tried and tried to get ‘that’ ball into the goal –only to find it hitting the goal post after our Asamoah Gyan [a prolific scorer] just missed [stops to catch breathe] -was soo surreal! Our Prince Boateng also had one-failed-attempt-after another –when you and I both know that many of ‘those’ balls were destined for the goal! So what happened? Great lessons for another day/another World Cup –that’s what happened! Because many of us will certainly know what its like to be in a place [where you can see the finish line] –where you push and push and push; try and try and try –only to see it [seemly] slipping away from you –and the pain involved [too painful to comprehended]. Only to let it go –and for it to come back to you –and for you to win it/get it/achieve it etc –the second, third, tenth or twentieth time around –with such ease, grace and beauty etc –leaving you wondering why you had fought soo hard, been so afraid, or tried sooo hard before? God’s timing in these situations -is best and it also helps if you step away from the situation and see the bigger picture!

I remember [also] being upset with the commentators –because they [tended to give –in my books] quite a bit of respect to the Cameroonians, Nigerians and the Ivorians but didn’t show us that same level of respect [calling our men –boys, -and yes they are young but so what? It’s these same boys that will come back as men and win the cup for Ghana -next time!] until we -showed them [game-after-game] that we were [and are] a force to be reckoned with, –and watched, as one-by- one these great(?) teams [Cameroon, Nigeria and Ivory Coast] went out, -leaving us still in the game, and thus next time around, -we too will/should be given the same level of respect [if not more] as [an African] nation/force to be reckoned with! Also, even though these same commentators refused to acknowledge that four years ago -we were also the only African nation left in the game/World Cup [that we beat some of the so called big ‘football nations’ and the USA –then as now] –and have advanced much further, -they will have to acknowledge –next time, -that we too are a great team, –a great football nation [because we have paid our 'dues', earned our stripes as-it-were……Rome was not built in a day etc] -who can and will win the beautiful game/World Cup –next time [so help us God]!

A big thanks to the Black stars and their coach, –they have done us proud! I can’t wait to see some of our younger players in big premiership clubs......I see our Prince Boateng at Chelsea or Manchester United –don’t you? xx

Football: Why not watch The Black Stars at Smoothys [Accra, Ghana] this Friday……

“You are invited to Smoothys the NourishLab –the official viewing center for the Black Stars matches] this Friday [our heroes meets Uruguay]. Come watch the match on our HD plasma screens; we also have -free internet wifi and lots of give-aways [for those who can predict the score and win the competition]. After the match you can party with Xquisite Sounds and as usual -enjoy your favourite smoothies. This event is brought to u by Xquisite Solution and supported by Smoothys GH. The venue is: Smoothys, Opposite Compu Gh. N beside ADB Bank, Upper Oxford Street Osu Accra.”  Nana Kofi Baiden [Via Facebook]

Smoothys [Black Stars 4 Gold]

Friday, July 2, 2010
Time: 6:00pm - 11:30pm
Location: Smoothys Opposite Compu Ghana, Beside ADB Bank, Upper Oxford Street Osu

Sports: Kevin Prince Boateng & Adam Kwarasey to switch nationalities –and play for Ghana at World Cup 2010

Kevin Prince Boateng

Adam Kwarasey

**I won’t pretend for a second that I know anything about football, all I know is that the two brothers in question -Kevin Prince Boateng and Adam Kwarasey are gorgeous and they want to play for Ghana’s national team in the world Cup [and that’s fine with me]. The following is a more information about said footballers –and the upcoming World Cup from: http://www.ghanasoccernet.com/.

Title: Fifa set to approve Boateng to play for Ghana at World Cup
Date: Thursday, 22nd April 2010

Fifa is expected to approve the nationality switch of Kevin Prince Boateng in the coming days as the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has finally produced documents to back the ex-Germany star’s nationality switch.

The world governing body has started investigating the issue to approve the player’s desire to play for the Black Stars at the World Cup and beyond, Ghanasoccernet can exclusively reveal.

But the nationality switch of Norway U21 goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey is still hanging by a thread as the documents required have still not been provided by the GFA.

Some members of the GFA vehemently denied a BBC report quoting Fifa last month that the extremely long delay in approving the nationality switches of the two players was because the federation did not provide all the documents needed for the approval.

Yet sneeringly, the GFA has now come up with the papers needed to approve Boateng’s quest to play for Ghana where his father hails from instead of Germany.

“The request from the Ghana Football Association concerning the player Boateng is now pending with FIFA and currently being investigated,” Fifa said in an exclusive statement to Ghanasoccernet.com.

This means if the player status committee sits within one month, the ex-Germany star will be approved to play for Ghana well in time for the World Cup which starts in South Africa on 11 June.

But the desperation of Kwarasey is expected to prolong as no papers have been provided for Fifa to clear him to compete for a place at the World Cup, Fifa told Ghanasoccernet.com.

“With respect to the player, Kwarasay, in summer 2009 the player personally contacted our services with regard to his possible change of association,” the Fifa statement read.

“However, since then no follow-up was ever received by the association concerned. As a result, there is no current pending case involving him, with FIFA.”

With the GFA delaying in providing the documents to back the goalkeeper’s switch, Ghana quest for a good replacement for Richard Kingson could be scuppered because of the GFA’s apparent lack of interest.

According to Fifa regulations on international switches, the player wishing to represent a new country must ONLY submit a written request to the world governing body seeking to player for another country.

But the federation the player wishes to represent must satisfy FOUR CONDITIONS including evidence of the player’s link to the country with a passport.

The GFA provided only a Boateng’s father’s birth certificate in its initial application which was rejected by Fifa on grounds that it does not prove his father is a Ghanaian.

Boateng’s father’s Ghanaian passport has now been provided which enabled the case to be opened by Fifa.

This means if the GFA had provided all the documents seven months ago when it applied for the switch, the Portsmouth start could have played for the Black Stars at the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.

This is because it took Mali only THREE WEEKS to secure ex-France U21 striker Mamadou Samassa switch to play for the West Africans.[Credit: www.ghanasoccernet.com]

More from PUMAFOOTBALL website ….the story of Samuel Aggrey -Ghana’s super fan

I'm really enjoying the PUMAFOOTBALL website –it’s a fun way for football virgins like me to ‘do’ football. I particularly love the following story about Ghana super fan -Samuel Aggrey and his lucky pot! …the PUMAFOOTBALL website is worth a visit for other fun features on football…..I’m telling you girls, -you won’t be bored….x

Title: Black Stars Lose the Pot
Posted by PUMA Football, January 25, 2010, 2:44pm

Ghana superfan Samuel Aggrey is not happy. He claims the Angolan police smashed his ceremonial pot following the Black Stars’ victory over Burkina Faso because they suspected him of being a witch doctor. PUMAFootball arranged to meet the man Ghanaians call ‘Obuor’ or ‘Stone’ to find out the truth.

In twilight, with the light failing and no electricity, the rundown former Ghana embassy makes a perfectly creepy location to meet the Africa Cup of Nations most controversial star. During the games, as he dances around the stands with a crazed leer on his scarlet red Easter Island sized-face, it’s easy to see why anyone would believe this character is capable of black magic.

Here, stripped of his body paint and without his trademark pot, the 36-year-old appears bonier and more fragile. Yet still there’s something other worldly about him as he talks about God, Ghana and, of course, those accusations.

Firstly, PUMAFootball wonders, what exactly was he doing during that Burkina Faso game when he was spotted sprinkling a mysterious powder into the pot on his head? “I’m just giving the prayer mora like a vim to support the Ghana players,” he explains cryptically in his patois English. “The pot was given to me by my grandmother who died when I was a child. Anywhere I take the pot it is lucky for Ghana people.”

Sounds like black magic to us. Is it? “No! I do not have the power. God has the power. But when you pray to God, God can give to you.”

Aggrey has now faithfully followed the Black Stars around the globe for 17 years. His passport, which includes stamps from places as far flung as Germany, Egypt and Japan, is a testament to his incredible dedication. So why does he do it? “You see I love my country,” he says beating his fist proudly on his chest. “I love the team because me, my heart and my soul is my country.”

[Credit: http://www.pumafootball.com/news/black-stars-lose-the-pot/]

Sports: John Mensah 4 Puma…

Recently, PUMA created one unity uniform for African national teams and invited artist Kehinde Wiley to paint a portrait of African togetherness. This film clip is a story of Africa, football, and unity through a painting featuring footballers: Samuel Eto'o, Emmanuel Eboué, John Mensah and artist -Kehinde Wiley. For more information about Puma’s work with African football teams please visit: http://www.pumafootball.com/