Kylian Mbappe has admitted that his relationship with Antoine Griezmann is complicated but insisted that suggestions of an all-out rift are well wide of the mark.
The Les Blues skipper was blamed in some quarters after Griezmann announced his international retirement back in September after making 137 appearances for his country and scoring 44 goals.
Griezmann has been a key player for Les Bleus for over a decade and was integral to their triumphant 2018 World Cup campaign in Russia.
Fingers were pointed in the French media at Mbappe following Griezmann’s decision. The Real Madrid star had been made captain of side in 2023 after the retirement of Huge Lloris at the expense of Griezmann.
This promoted speculation of unrest in the France camp ahead of Euro 2024, with Mbappe confirming that he had cleared the air with his team-mate and understood his ‘disappointment’ at being overlooked.
Ahead of France’s Nations League quarter-final against Croatia, the striker has sought to quiet chatter once more, insisting that he and Griezmann are in a good place – while also accepting that the situation is complicated by their club allegiances.
‘We often talk with Antoine,’ he told Le Parisien. ‘I love his son, he’s a football fanatic, he reminds me a bit of myself when I was little. I love him, Amaro.
‘But after that, it’s true that it’s complicated because we’re in a city where our two teams are real rivals.
‘But I can assure you, we have a very good relationship with Antoine. He’s already invited me to his house quite a few times for a barbecue.
‘It hasn’t happened yet, but we’re sure to get there. We live next door, in the same building.’
Arsenal are set to open formal talks with Bukayo Saka over a new contract as the forward enters the final two years of his current deal.
Saka has been unavailable since December after sustaining a serious hamstring tear in the victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park – an injury that eventually required surgery.
But his importance to Mikel Arteta’s team remains unquestioned with the club preparing to meet the player’s representatives over a contract extension.
Arsenal want to avoid any uncertainty regarding their star player’s future and will make securing Saka to a longer contract one of their top priorities.
The 23-year-old England international signed his current contract – understood to be worth a minimum of £10m per season – in 2022.
But that contract is due to expire at the end of the 2026-27 season with early moves towards opening concrete talks already initiated. The process is expected to accelerate in the not too distant future.
Clubs across Europe will be intrigued to see how discussions develop, with Saka widely recognised as one of the top attacking talents in European football.
Before signing his existing deal, Saka was a subject of interest for Manchester City and there will be no shortage of suitors again if club talks do not go smoothly.
But Arsenal will be hopeful that an agreement can be reached given their emergence as title challengers under Arteta, while their continued participation in the Champions League may also be a factor in persuading Saka to re-sign.
For now, Saka is focusing on his long-awaited return to fitness after his hamstring operation.
Following Sunday’s win over Chelsea, manager Arteta said Saka had a good chance of returning soon after the current international break.
Arsenal’s next game is against Fulham at Emirates Stadium on 1 April.
Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman were named in the Nigeria squad by new coach Eric Chelle on Tuesday for crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
Osimhen has not featured in any of Nigeria’s first four games in the qualifying campaign due to injury but returns with his country still searching for their first win in Group C after three draws and a defeat.
The Super Eagles are second from bottom in the group and trail leaders Rwanda and South Africa by four points.
Ademola, the reigning African Footballer of the Year, is also included and is having another impressive season with Atalanta, scoring 18 goals in all competitions.
Nigeria travel to Rwanda on 21 March and then welcome bottom team Zimbabwe to Uyo four days later.
Former Mali boss Chelle was appointed by Nigeria in January and tasked with turning around their slow start in World Cup qualifying, after they secured a place at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations late last year.
Ghana’s Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams says Black Stars players should not travel in economy class, stressing that comfort is essential for their performance.
His statement follows President John Mahama’s directive barring newly appointed ministers from first-class travel as part of cost-cutting measures.
While acknowledging the policy’s importance, Adams maintained that national team players require better travel conditions to perform at their best.
“You can’t put players in economy class because they rely on their legs for performance, and they need enough space to stretch,” Adams said on TV3 Sports Station. “You don’t expect them to squeeze in economy and then deliver on the pitch. If it’s a short flight, like from Accra to Kumasi, it’s manageable, but for long trips, at least business class is necessary.”
His comments come as the Black Stars prepare for their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Ghana will host Chad at the Accra Sports Stadium on March 21 before travelling to Morocco to face Madagascar on March 24.
The debate over travel arrangements for national teams has been ongoing, with concerns about player welfare and performance.
Ghana Football Association (GFA) Communications Director, Henry Asante Twum, has dismissed any concerns over Thomas Partey losing the Black Stars captaincy, insisting that the Arsenal midfielder is focused on the team’s success.
“It’s not a problem for Thomas Partey that he’s no longer the Black Stars captain. It’s not about individual aspirations,” Asante Twum said on Sporty FM.
Partey, who served as the deputy captain to Andre Ayew, maintains same position under Jordan Ayew.
Ghana will face Chad at the Accra Sports Stadium on Friday, March 21, before travelling to Morocco for a clash with Madagascar on Monday.
The Black Stars currently sit second in Group I with nine points, level with leaders Comoros. Credit: ghanasoccernet.com
Africa’s qualification tournament for the 2026 Fifa World Cup resumes on Wednesday 19 March, as the continent’s heavyweights look to move closer to a berth at the global showpiece.
Matchday 5 of the group stage will kick-off on Wednesday evening with a trio of games across the continent, the most notable of which sees Cameroon looking to move clear at the top of Group D when they face hosts Eswatini in neutral Nelspruit (South Africa).
The Indomitable Lions have been to eight World Cups and will back themselves to stay atop their group, though tension clearly remains between Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) president Samuel Eto’o and head coach Marc Brys.
“I’m not answering that. We’re here for the Lions’ list. No one congratulated me on qualifying [for the Africa Cup of Nations],” said Brys when asked if he had congratulated Eto’o on his election to the Confederation of African Football [CAF] executive committee.
On Thursday, Mozambique will have the chance to take a further step toward their first ever World Cup appearance when they host Uganda in a Group G clash in Cairo (Egypt).
“I think that when you believe in the work you are doing, and the results are there for all to see, it gives you the opportunity to dream,” said coach Chiquinho Conde. “Now, desire is always the soul of success, when you want something great and you truly commit to it, you start to believe that anything is possible.”
Friday’s focus will fall on Groups C and I. In the former, Nigeria will be looking to get their campaign back on track when they face surprise leaders Rwanda in Kigali, while South Africa (tied with Rwanda) will back themselves to defeat Lesotho in Polokwane.
The Super Eagles are entering a new era under the tenure of coach Eric Chelle, who already has the buy-in of key forward Victor Osimhen.
“I’ve spoken to him a couple of times and clearly understand the objectives he has set for himself and for the players,” said the Galatasaray striker. “It takes more than a coach to win football matches. Players must also be at their best, show commitment, and bear in mind that we can all fly together to reach our goal.”
In Group I, Ghana will need a win at home to Chad in Accra – especially in the wake of their shocking failure to qualify for the next Afcon. Coach Otto Addo finds himself under enormous pressure, and has called for support from the Greater Accra Chiefs and supporters at large.
“We have difficult matches ahead of us, and the country needs urgent victories to go to the World Cup, and for that, I believe we need to support ourselves, especially the GA Chiefs and the entire people so that everybody can be happy,” said the under-fire tactician.
Friday also features Egypt and Morocco looking to continue their dominance of Groups A and E with respective away matches against Ethiopia and Niger, while Saturday is headlined by a top-of-the-table Group B battle between Sudan and Senegal in Benghazi (Libya).
The Falcons of Jediane have excelled under the leadership of former Ghana coach James Kwesi Appiah (especially considering the civil war ongoing in their country), while the Teranga Lions will have a chance to blood 19-year-old winger Assane Diao, who was born in Spain to Senegalese parents and plays his club football for Serie A’s Como.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor and the former Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, are in a battle of nerves.
The two are flexing their muscles in what looks like a ‘Who is Who’ contest. It is not readily apparent how this legal fisticuffs would end, suffice it to say, whereas the OSP appears to be enforcing its laws, Ken Ofori-Atta is also protesting against what he sees as violations of his rights.
WARNING
The OSP, in a statement released on Monday, March 17, 2025 warned Ken Ofori-Atta that if he fails to attend upon the OSP on June 2, 2025 the office will place him on its wanted list again.
According to the statement signed by the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, the Office in good faith removed Ofori-Atta from the wanted list upon formal request and assurances from the latter.
It went ahead to issue the warning that, “Mr Ofori-Atta is mandatorily required to appear in person before the OSP on June 2, 2025. If Mr Ofori-Atta fails to attend the OSP on the scheduled date, he shall be re-entered on the OSP’s list of wanted persons and the OSP shall consider him a fugitive from justice; whereupon the OSP will cause the issuance of an Interpol Red Notice in his regard and also cause the initiation of extradition proceedings in any jurisdiction in which he may be found.”
TRIGGER
The OSP, however, acknowledged the lawsuit by Ken Ofori-Atta. “The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) acknowledges a lawsuit filed by Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta, contesting the OSP’s prior declaration that he was a wanted person and a fugitive from justice,” the SP wrote.
He explained that Mr. Ofori-Atta formally requested the OSP “to remove his name from the OSP’s list of wanted persons with the assurance to the OSP that he would make himself available for questioning on a definite date.
The OSP, in good faith and on the basis of Mr. Ofori-Atta’s assurance, granted his request and removed his name from the OSP’s list of wanted persons pending his personal attendance at the OSP on the definite date.”
THE SUIT
Ken Ofori-Atta on March 13, 2025 filed a suit at the Human Rights Division of the Accra High Court. The application entered by his counsel, Justice Kusi-Minkah Premo, was for the enforcement of Ken Ofori-Atta’s human rights under Article 33 of the 1992 Constitution.
It was the case of the former Minister for Finance that the ‘WANTED’ tag placed on him by the OSP was unlawful and violated his fundamental human rights to personal liberty and free movement as guaranteed under Articles 14 and 21 of the 1992 Constitution respectively.
Mr. Ofori-Atta is challenging what he termed as an unfair, capricious and arbitrary act by the OSP by declaring him wanted.
He said it violated Articles 23 and 296 of the Constitution, as well as the OSP’s refusal to remove his picture as a wanted person from its website despite publishing that he had ceased to be wanted.
RELIEFS
Mr. Ofori-Atta is seeking a declaration from the court that the action by the OSP was unlawful as it had no statutory powers to declare a person wanted without the permission of a court and that it violated his fundamental human rights to personal liberty, free movement and to be treated fairly by administrative bodies.
He is also seeking a declaration that the Special Prosecutor, who is a lawyer, breached the legal profession rules when he responded to letters by his lawyers through a public press briefing and the OSP had also acted capriciously, arbitrarily and unfairly for continuously keeping his picture as a “WANTED” person on its website.
Mr. Ofori-Atta is also praying the court for an order to direct the OSP to immediately remove his picture as a “WANTED” person from the website of the OSP and order compensation for “unlawfully declaring the applicant ‘WANTED,’ publishing the same on its website, and keeping his picture on the wanted list despite a statement by the OSP that he was no longer a ‘WANTED’ person.
He is further asking the court to place an injunction on the OSP from carrying out its threat to re-declare him as a “WANTED person” and “a fugitive from justice.”
BACKGROUND
The OSP at a press conference on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, declared Ken Ofori-Atta, a fugitive from justice.
According to him, the former minister failed to respond to an invitation extended to him to attend the OSP on Monday, February 10, 2025.
Addressing journalists in Accra on Wednesday, February 12, 2025 the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, indicated that a few minutes prior to the press conference, “I signed a directive declaring a high-profile person a fugitive from justice.
The SP, Kissi Agyebeng, who addressed the press, stated that correspondence between the OSP and the lawyers of Mr Ofori-Atta did not indicate a definite date for which he could appear for questioning, making it possible to think he may not surrender himself, thus the decision to declare him wanted.
At the presser, Kissi Agyebeng listed five corruption and corruption-related cases the OSP is probing, for which the former finance minister is a suspect.
He is being investigated in respect of Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) and the Ghana Revenue Authority deal, the contract between the Electricity Company of Ghana Limited and Beijing Xiao Cheng Technology, the One Constituency One Ambulance initiative and the National Cathedral saga, and the utilisation of the tax refund account of the GRA.
The Minister, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah inspecting guards on parade
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, has launched government initiative to fight pollution of our water bodies by illegal miners, popularly known as “Galamsey”.
Code named Blue Water Initiative, about 400 individuals have been recruited and will operate under the name “Blue Guards.”
The sole aim of the guards, who are to undergo a two week security training, is the protection of the river bodies. The training is a collaboration between the Ministry of Lands and the Defence Ministry.
Launching the program, Minister Armah Kofi Buah, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembelle, reiterated that Ghana was endowed with a lot of resources and “we have consequently laid out laws and guidelines on how to mine for gold.”
Apart from this, the government was also committed to supporting every Ghanaian willing to go into mining, provided the person was willing to do responsible mining that would not hurt the environment.
He, however, regretted that some of the miners are destroying the environment, including our water bodies, hence the decision to introduce the Blue Guards.
Upon assumption of office, Minister Armah Buah indicated,” I’ve taken very major steps to get the people of Ghana understand how serious this crisis is. I’ve gone to traditional authorities, I’ve visited Members of Parliament.
“I’ve visited key stakeholders, including media, to let us understand that this fight is not going to be a fight for the Ministry of lands or natural resources or the Ministry of Environment alone is going to be a collective fight for our future survival.
“Today, under the resetting Ghana agenda, we are proud to introduce the Blue Water Initiative, a comprehensive program designed to rehabilitate our polluted water bodies and safeguard our environment, fulfilling our commitment made within the first 120 days of this administration”.
He was hopeful that Blue Water Guards would help the John Mahama government to achieve its aim of protecting the environment.
“These are courageous young people who have been recruited from areas where our major river systems are under threat”.
The Training, Mr Armah Buah further indicated, would not end soon and that it would be a continuous process. “In collaboration with the Navy, we are moving to other regions, the Western North, Ashanti and all the other areas where our major rivers are under threat, to make sure we can have Vanguards who are going to die and save our country and I see the dedication in your eyes and I’m very convinced you will do that job”.
Lands and Natural Resources Minister stated the launch embodied the beginning of far reaching and modified efforts to safeguard our environment, promote sustainable practices and ensure a thriving legacy of generations.
He disclosed that the president in the coming week would take steps to also tackle the issues of our forest by launching a major initiative-the tree for life.
That aside, government would soon announce major amendments to how mining licenses are giving out to “ensure that we bring sanity and ensure that we decentralise the process and involve land owners who are chiefs and custodians in the process of giving out license”.
“This is a great job. It’s more than a job, and this is important. Let me emphasise this. We are creating a very important job for you, and thanks to the Minerals Commission’s collaboration, the benefits you are going to get will be very, very attractive. You are the first respondents in the fight to save the soul of our country.
I’m confident that you will discharge your duties with dedication, discipline and uncompromising integrity, upholding the trust reposed in you. May our collective efforts be crowned with success, and May future generations in health inherit a healthier, more sustainable Ghana,” he told the newly recruited water guards.
Deputy CEO of Minerals Commission, Emmanuel Anyimah, told the recruits that the major aim of the initiative was to safeguard the soul of our nation in the fight to restore sanity.
“Today we stand at the cross road of our nation as we launch the blue guards.”
He thanked the president for his commitment to fighting against the pollution of our water bodies.
Emmanuel Anyimah also thanked the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources for ensuring that the initiative had come to life.
Mr Edudzi Tamekloe donating the items to reps of Chief Imam
The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has donated assorted food items to the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, to help needy Muslims observe the Ramadan fast. The items included bags of rice, sugar, cooking oil and packs of milo, milk and water.
The NPA CEO (2nd left) in group photograph with the Chief Imam
In his remarks after the donation at the Fadama residence of the National Chief Imam, on Friday, the NPA Chief Executive, Mr. Godwin Kudzo Tameklo Esq. said the visit was to share in the bliss of the holy month of Ramadan.
“In this holy month of Ramadan, it is an opportunity to share so that those who have can share with those who do not have. One of the things I admire about Islam is the opportunity to share,” he said.
He expressed the hope that NPA’s gesture, which he described as a token, would inspire others to follow suit.
Flanked by his Deputies, Dr. Sheila Addo and Dr. Dramani Bukari, Mr. Tameklo Esq. lauded the National Chief Imam for his peaceful disposition and indicated that he had been instrumental in maintaining peace and stability in the country.
“I have always maintained that 32 years since 1992, one person who has been a source of stability in this country is the National Chief Imam.
“When he speaks, everybody listens. That is the extent of his control and influence”, he said.
The NPA Boss said in some countries, he would be said to be the shock absorber, working to resolve issues to ensure peace.
He said Ghanaians would continue to pray to the Almighty Allah to give him more life so that he continues to be stabilising factor.
Mr. Tameklo Esq. said in his readings about Islam, one person he admired in the religion is Caliph Abu Bakr, who was the first Caliph (Supreme leader) to succeed Prophet Muhammed (PBUH). Caliph Abu Bakr succeeded in expanding the religion.
He, therefore, asked the National Chief Imam to pray for him to also manage and grow the affairs of the NPA in the interest of the country.
Mr. Tameklo Esq. called for a special prayer for President John Dramani Mahama, whom he acknowledged as the son of the National Chief Imam to deliver on his mandate to promote the country’s socio-economic development.
Responding, the National Chief Imam commended Mr. Tameklo Esq. for the relief he had given to the Muslim staff of the Authority during the Ramdan.
He said Allah would reward the NPA Boss abundantly for the care shown to the Muslims to observe the fast.
“If you help people, Allah will help you especially in this month of Ramadan”, he said.
Sheikh Sharubutu prayed to Allah to preserve Ghana’s peace and prayed for President Mahama and his team to succeed in the governance of the country.
Sheikh Sharubutu thanked the NPA for the gesture and prayed to Allah to support Mr. Tameklo Esq. and his executive management in all their endeavours.
The NPA delegation included Directors, Heads of Department and officers.
