Carlos Queiroz has plenty to deal with as the Black Stars enter the fray against Panama looking to banish a long record of underachievementThat it took Ghana until 2006 to qualify for the World Cup, despite being African football’s dominant team of the 1960s, 70s and the early 80s, winning the Africa Cup of Nations four times during this period, reflects the topsy-turvy nature of their football odyssey.“The journey of the Black Stars over the last four decades has been marked by long periods of disappointment,” says Gary Al-Smith, one of the country’s most respected football journalists. “We had a surge between 2006 and 2017, when we qualified for eight straight semi-finals at Afcon but never won anything. Yes, we had a quarter-final appearance at the 2010 World Cup, but our record overall has been pockmarked with great highlights but never a trophy. There has been nothing to celebrate.” Continue reading...
The USMNT vs Paraguay match kicks off Group D at the 2026 World Cup with an experienced referee. Many things should be important in the 2026 World Cup debut for the USMNT and Paraguay in Group D, but one that could be decisive is who the referee will be. For this match, FIFA has appointed Danny Makkelie as the referee. The Dutchman is taking part in his second World Cup after being named to the edition in Qatar. Makkelie is 43 years old and mainly officiates in the Eredivisie. He has been an international referee for 15 years, with one of the biggest matches of his career being the first leg of the Champions League semifinal between Atlético Madrid and Arsenal this year. The crew The experience of this referee is not limited to the Champions League, a competition in which he officiated eight matches in the latest edition. Makkelie’s background also includes matches at the Euro 2024. Makkelie was the referee in the draw (Dan Mullan/Getty Images) In the modern era, it is very important to know who the main referee of the match is, because he is the one in charge of the action, which now must be complemented by those reviewing each play in the VAR booth. Makkelie’s teammates tonight are Hessel Steegstra (Assistant referee 1 – Netherlands), Jan De Vries (Assistant referee 2 – Netherlands), Yusuke Araki (Fourth official – Japan), Jun Mihara (Reserve assistant referee – Japan), Carlos Del Cerro Grande (Video Assistant Referee – Spain), Dennis Higler (Assistant VAR – Netherlands), and Khamis Almarri (Support VAR – Qatar). The antecedent Makkelie has already refereed the USMNT in the past. The memory is a good one, as it came in a 2-1 win over Germany on June 10, 2015, in Cologne. In that match, Mario Götze scored for Germany, Mix Diskerud equalized, and Bobby Wood decided the winner.
Carlos Baleba. Yes, he has had his moments, but since the rumour of a transfer to Manchester United he's completely fell off form-wise and he doesn't look as pivotal to our midfield as he used to. New Nigerian teenage wonderkid who might want to win trophies with Brighton, but barring injuries he should be off to the Championship first and prove he is worthy of a squad place next season.
For Antoine Semenyo, it was not so much a case of wrapped up in cotton wool but rather enveloped in a grey Ghana tracksuit. A couple of weeks out from their World Cup opener against Panama in Toronto, Ghana are in no position to take risks and so the Manchester City forward was rested in this friendly against Wales. He was one of the last players to join up with the squad at their base in Newport, his old stomping ground and where he spent six months on loan as a teenager.Ghana thought they would fly to Washington on Wednesday for a training camp with a victory finally under their belts and England, their second Group L opponents this summer, soon in their sights. After five straight friendly defeats since qualifying for the World Cup last October, they had to settle for a draw in Carlos Queiroz’s first game in charge after Lewis Koumas headed in a stoppage-time equaliser. Continue reading...
In a recent report, The Independent claimed that Tottenham Hotspur are planning to move in for Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba. It has been mentioned that Spurs have identified the C...
Following his defeat in the Monte Carlo final against Jannik Sinner and his withdrawal from the Rome Masters 1000, the uncertainty surrounding two-time defending Paris Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz's participation in this year's tournament has continued for several weeks. Ultimately, he has decided not to defend his title, citing an injury to his right wrist.
