However, the west African country also produces great athletes in other sports. Read this piece further to find out who are the most popular athletes from Ghana today.

Janet Amponsah – Athletics

Janet is regarded as the best female sprinter in Ghana right now. She has won medals in the 4 X 100 meters relay at two African Championships, one held in Marrakech, Morocco, and the other in Asaba, Nigeria.

Janet also took part in the 4 X 100 meters relay and 200m races in the 2016 Olympics Games held in Brazil. Her other achievements include finishing runners-up behind Marie-Josee Ta-Lou of Ivory Coast at the 2018 Women’s 100 meters final at the African Senior Athletics Championships held in Asaba, Nigeria.

Isaac Dogboe – Boxing

Isaac Dogboe hails from Ghana’s capital Accra. His family relocated to London when he was still young. However, he still represented his motherland in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Although he did not excel in the Olympics, he went on to become a dreaded featherweight African boxer. Having a flawless record helped Isaac become a world champion aged 23.

He later lost his title to Emanuel Navarette from Mexico and also lost the rematch. These are the only losses in his professional boxing career. To date, his record stands at 21-2, and looks keen to reclaim his world champion status. His achievements have made him a popular athlete not only in Ghana but worldwide. In fact, many boxing bettors on Betway believe he has what it takes to regain his title.

Thomas Partey – Football

Thomas Partey comes from Krobo Odumase in Ghana. Before his move to Arsenal from Atletico Madrid, not many fans knew much about the Ghanaian defensive midfielder. He is also the Black Star’s vice-captain. However, after switching allegiance to London-based club Arsenal, Partey became a popular African footballer loved by many fans globally.

His current contract with The Gunners also makes him one of the highest-paid athletes at the club. The midfield general takes home 13 million GBP annually. Many commentators believe he will become a bigger player in Europe should he find his form at Arsenal next season.

Nadia Eke – Triple Jump

Nadia Eke was born in Accra, Ghana, in 1993. She is a top Ghanaian triple jumper with an illustrious career. Some of her accolades include finishing tenth in the Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow, won silver at the African Championships in Marrakech, Morocco, and emerged seventh at the IAAF Continental Cup. In addition, she won bronze at the African Games in Brazzaville in 2015 and was African Champion in 2016.

Her exploits on the track have seen her qualify to represent her country at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She holds the Ghanaian Triple Jump record of 14.33 meters.

John Paul Amoah – Sprinter

John Paul Amoah is a 100 and 200 meters sprinter from Ghana. He has taken part in top competitions in the continent, including the 4 X 100 meters relay and 100 meters at the 2019 African Games. He finished fourth in the 2019 African Games 100 meters final.

Amoah’s personal best in the 100 meters is 10.01 seconds and 20.08 seconds for 200 meters. He set both records at the 2019 NCAA Division I Championships. His personal best for the 200 meters race also helped break the national record previously held by Emmanuel Tuffour, a three-time Olympian. Amoah will represent Ghana at the Tokyo Olympics.

Final thoughts

There are many other top athletes with Ghanaian roots, so even if you’re not a Betway sports betting fan, you are still most likely aware of at least a handful of talented athletes, especially football.

Nevertheless, the ones mentioned here stand out from the rest. Who is your favorite Ghanaian athlete?

The post Most popular athletes in Ghana now appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Partey on Thursday signed a new deal with the Madrid based club which will keep him at the club till 2023.

The Ghanaian international has played 35 times for Atletico Madrid this season and has scored three league goals.

The 24-year-old joined Atletico in 2011 and made his debut for the club in 2015 after spending the previous three seasons out on loan.

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By: Daniel Koranteng/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post La Liga posts news of Partey’s contract extension in Pidgin appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Karim Abdul Razak, Mohammed Gargo, Michael Essien and Stephen Appiah are some of the most notable names which come to mind when you think of prominent Ghanaian midfielders, and one name will soon be fit to be considered in this elusive company.

Thomas Teye Partey has fast become one of Europe’s most talked about midfielders after his blistering form in 2017 for both club and country. The Atletico Madrid midfielder who after a slow start to his Atletico career has slowly worked his way into the plans of manager Diego Simeone, and is now just one start away from equaling his total tally from the previous two seasons combined. Partey is the embodiment of your typical African central midfielder, possessing immense physical attributes in addition to his exceptional technique. Standing tall at a height of 1.82m, Partey is also very imposing figure on the pitch with the added bonus of having in the aerial advantage over opponents.

Partey joined the 2014 La Liga Champions in 2011 as an 18-year-old from Ghanaian side Odometah FC but only made his first senior appearance for the side three years later in a home win against Espanyol after spending 2 years on loan at Mallorca and Almeria. Partey, in the last two seasons, has largely been used off the bench getting very limited time on the pitch. He made 9 starts in the 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 seasons combined, but there was no doubt about Partey’s potential as he continuously showed glimpses of his abilities in the limited time he was given on the pitch.

Partey’s decision to accept a 5 year contract renewal from Atletico in the summer of 2017 came as a surprise to many who thought a move away from the club would’ve provided him more opportunities to shine. But fast forward to 2017/2018 and the Ghana international is almost the first name on the Atletico team sheet.

Partey has started all but 3 of Atletico’s league games this season scoring twice and producing two Man of the Match performances. His 90th-minute winner against Deportivo this season summed up the sort of influence he’s had on the Madrid club this season. He has however been quick to praise his club manager Diego Simeone for his transformation this season. Simeone gave Partey his debut at the club and was the main reason why the Ghana international signed the contract extension with the club.

“Simeone allowing me time to develop was important and I had to wait for my chances. The manager spoke to me many times in the past to keep me involved and now I am playing more.

“He is great at motivating the players and makes it clear to us how he wants us to play and how we can continue to improve,” Partey said.

Partey’s remarkable evolution has also been seen in his performances with the Black Stars. The midfielder who made his debut for the side in June last year under former Head Coach Avram Grant, has grown to become arguably the most important player for the Black Stars. He showed glimpses of his true potential at the AFCON this year where he was one of the standout players in the Black Stars team which lost in the semifinals to eventual champions Cameroon. He scored his first goal for the team in September in a 2018 World Cup qualifier against Congo at the Baba Yara Stadium grabbing a late equalizer for the team in a 1-1 draw. Partey then went on to cement his status as one of the Africa’s leading midfielders when his hat-trick against Congo days after, in the return leg of the qualifier helped Ghana to an impressive 5-1 win in Brazzaville.

Partey is made up of the power of Essien and the attacking mind and drive of Yaya Toure. His tactical discipline and ability to read the game is what sets him apart from the rest. The central midfielder’s versatility has also come to light in recent weeks in his performances for the Madrid based side. As evidenced by the heat maps above, Partey has exhibited a tremendous versatile ability, akin to what Essien had in his prime days. In the game against Deportivo, he spent his 90 minutes powering up and down the right side of midfield; and in the game against Chelsea, he excelled playing centrally – a testament to his overall prowess as a midfield general. It seems that Simeone has finally found a way to fit his Ghanaian gem in his side, and this new role is working to perfection.

The story of Partey is one of sheer will and determination to succeed; the young man who left the shores of Ghana as a teenager, and had to adapt to a completely different culture and way of life, while having to focus on his football. From struggling to make the bench to becoming a fan favourite, Partey has arrived and the world is taking notice!

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By: Daniel Koranteng/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post From Odumase to Madrid: Partey has arrived [Article] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The two players featured for the Black Stars in the 2017 AFCON tournament in Gabon where Ghana finished 4th.

At club level, they helped their clubs across the 2016/ 2017 season.

Partey contributed 16 appearances to Atletico Madrid’s 3rd place finish at the end of last season in Spain and Atsu played 32 matches in Newcastle United’s Championship-season winning campaign that gave that gave a place in this season’s Premier League.

The shortlist also has the likes of Eric Bailly of Cote d’Ivoire and Manchester United, Mohammed Salah of Egypt and Liverpool, Vincent Aboubakar of Porto and Cameroon and 2017 AFCON Best Player, Christian Bassogog of Cameroon and Henan Jianye, and Sadio Mane of Senegal and Liverpool.

According to CAF, “the winner will be decided by votes from the Head Coaches/Technical Directors of the National Associations affiliated to CAF, members of the CAF Technical and Development Committee and a panel of Media Experts.”

The awards event will be held in Accra on January 4, 2018.

Here is the full shortlist:

African Player of the Year

1. Ali Maaloul (Tunisia & Al Ahly)

2. Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso & Lyon)

3. Cedric Bakambu (DR Congo & Villareal)

4. Christian Atsu (Ghana & Newcastle)

5. Christian Bassogog (Cameroon & Henan Jianye)

6. Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)

7. Eric Bailly (Cote d’Ivoire & Manchester United)

8. Essam El Hadary (Egypt & Al Taawoun)

9. Fabrice Ondoa (Cameroon & Sevilla)

10. Fackson Kapumbu (Zambia & Zesco)

11. Jean Michel Seri (Cote d’Ivoire & Nice)

12. Junior Kabananga (DR Congo & Astana)

13. Karim El Ahmadi (Morocco & Feyenoord)

14. Keita Balde (Senegal & Monaco)

15. Khalid Boutaib (Morocco & Yeni Malatyaspor)

16. Mbwana Samata (Tanzania & Genk)

17. Michael Olunga (Kenya & Girona)

18. Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)

19. Moussa Marega (Mali & Porto)

20. Naby Keita (Guinea & RB Leipzig)

21. Percy Tau (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)

22. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Borussia Dortmund)

23. Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)

24. Thomas Partey (Ghana & Atletico Madrid)

25. Victor Moses (Nigeria & Chelsea)

26. Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon & Porto)

27. William Troost-Ekong (Nigeria & Bursaspor)

28. Yacine Brahimi (Algeria & Porto)

29. Youssef Msakni (Tunisia & Al Duhail)

30. Yves Bissouma (Mali & Lille)

Atsu and Partey are the only Ghanaians on the list.

CAF also released a 30-man shortlist for the Best African Player based in Africa.

African Player of the Year – Based in Africa

1. Achraf Bencharki (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)

2. Ahmed Fathi (Egypt & Al Ahly)

3. Alkhaly Bangoura (Guinea & Etoile du Sahel)

4. Ali Maaloul (Tunisia & Al Ahly)

5. Aristide Bance (Burkina Faso & Al Masry)

6. Ayman Majid (Morocco & FUS Rabat)

7. Aymen Mathlouthi (Tunisia & Etoile du Sahel)

8. Ben Malango (DR Congo & TP Mazembe)

9. Dean Furman (South Africa & Supersport United)

10. Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)

11. Elsamani Saadeldin (Sudan & Al Merreikh)

12. Fackson Kapumbu (Zambia & Zesco)

13. Fawzi Chaouchi (Algeria & MC Alger)

14. Geoffrey Serunkuma (Uganda & KCCA)

15. Jeremy Brockie (New Zealand & Supersport)

16. Junior Ajayi (Nigeria & Al Ahly)

17. Karim Aouadhi (Tunisia & CS Sfaxien)

18. Mohamed Meftah (Algeria & USM Alger)

19. Mohamed Ounnajem (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)

20. Muaid Ellafi (Libya & Ahly Tripoli)

21. Nasr Eldin Ahmed (Sudan & Hilal Obeid)

22. Oussama Darfalou (Algeria & USM Alger)

23. Percy Tau (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)

24. Sabelo Ndzinisa (Swaziland & Mbabane Swallows)

25. Saber Khalifa (Tunisia & Club Africain)

26. Saladin Said (Ethiopia & Saint George)

27. Sylvain Gbohouo (Cote d’Ivoire & TP Mazembe)

28. Tady Etekiama (DR Congo & AS Vita)

29. Taha Yassine Khenissi (Tunisia & Esperance)

30. Tarek Hamed (Egypt & Zamalek)

By: Citi Sports

The post Atsu, Partey in 2017 CAF Player Of The Year shortlist appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Atletico needed a 56^th minute screamer from Partey to rescue a draw after a less than impressive performance against Azerbaijani champions Qarabag.

The Spanish side needed to win the game to put pressure on Chelsea and Roma at the top of group C but fell behind in the first half through a fine header from Qarabag’s Spanish midfielder Michel.

Atletico who are still yet to register a victory in this season’s competition were given an advantage when Qarabag were reduced to 10 men a minute after Partey’s wonder strike, but they were still unable to break down the group minnows.

On the other side of the world, Ghana defender Harrison Afful was involved in an eye catching team performance when his Columbus Crew side brushed aside New York City FC 4-1 in Game 1 of the MLS Conference Semifinals.

Afful rounded off the scoring for his side in the 92^nd minute with a jaw dropping solo effort when he went past three players before calmly slotting the ball past the keeper.

The victory put Columbus Crew, who also have fellow Black Stars defender Jonathan Mensah in their ranks, in pole position to qualify for the Conference finals.

Below are the goals from the duo:

Click here for Harrison Afful’s goal

Click here for Thomas Partey’s goal

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By: Daniel Koranteng/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Partey, Afful score for their clubs appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Richmond Boakye Yiadom, starting in place of the injured Asamoah Gyan, put the Black Stars ahead after good work on the left by Thomas Agyepong.

Thomas Partey doubled the Black Stars’ lead a minute later with his second in two games against the Congolese.

Congo pulled a goal back after Lloyd headed in from a corner, but the Stars restored their two-goal lead after Partey fired home for his second of the game right before half-time.

Partey completed his hat-trick when he run through on goal in the second half and finished into the top corner.

Boakye-Yiadom put the icing on the cake with his second of the match with a neat finish.

The result means the Black Stars have five points from four games, two points behind Uganda and one behind Egypt, with the two sides set to face each other later tonight.

Kwesi Appiah made five changes to the team that drew 1-1 with Congo on Friday.

With captain Asamoah Gyan and Andre Ayew ruled out of the game with injury and Jordan Ayew suffering a stomach ache, Appiah handed starts to Thomas Agyepong, Afriyie Acquah and Richmond Boakye-Yiadom.

The Black Stars chances of making the tournament in Russia had taken a huge blow after the draw in Kumasi and any result other the win would have ended them altogether.

The Congolese started the game brightly and created a number of chances, coming closest through Bifouma who run through on goal but was thwarted by keeper, Richard Ofori.

The Black Stars however, took the lead against the run of play as Thomas Agyepong, beat his man on the left and cut the ball back into the box.

Ebenezer Ofori’s mishit was diverted into the path of Richmond Boakye-Yiadom who tapped the ball home.

The lead was doubled seconds later as Atsu run clear on the left and crossed into the box for Boakye-Yiadom whose deflected shot fell for Partey who didn’t miss.

Richard Ofori was forced into another good save but Congo pulled a goal back when Lloyd headed home from the resulting corner.

Partey restored Ghana’s two-goal lead right at the end of the half, latching onto Atsu’s pass to fire home at the keeper’s near post.

The Congolese started brightly in the second half as well but found the Stars’ centre back pairing of Jonathan Mensah and Daniel  Amartey a tough nut to crack.

Richard Ofori made a number of decent saves to keep the Black Stars ahead with Daniel Amartey chipping in with one particularly key tackle.

Partey made the points safe as he raced through a tiring Congolese defence to fire into the top corner.

Richmond Boakye-Yiadom made his case for a starting spot even stronger, finishing after latching onto a pass from Atsu

Citi Sports Man of the Match

Thomas Partey has scored four goals in his last two games for the Black Stars, all against Congo

Black Stars XI

Richard Ofori, Harrison Afful, Lumor Agbenyenu, Daniel Amartey, Jonathan Mensah, Afriyie Acquah, Ebenezer Ofori, Richmond Boakye Yiadom, Thomas Agyepong, Thomas Partey, Christian Atsu

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Partey nets hat-trick as Black Stars hammer Congo appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Cosafa President Suketu Patel said the event, which was to be played between 13-28 September, has fallen foul of “financial and logistical constraints”.

However, Cosafa remains hopeful of staging the tournament in a new host country in November/December.

An announcement is expected by the end of the week.

Patel added: “Cosafa is pleased to report that it has now secured the necessary resources to host a tournament in November/December of this year.

“One of the requirements of the commercial partners is that the tournament is played in their country, and Cosafa has written to the relevant national association to seek permission to host the 2014 Cosafa Cup in their territory.

“Currently we await response to our request which has been promised by the end of this week.”

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Source: BBC Sport

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