Andy Murray will no longer be working as Novak Djokovic’s coach.
The decision, said to be by mutual agreement, means Murray will not be by Djokovic’s side when he chases an eighth Wimbledon title in July.
Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, joined forces with Murray in November.
Under Murray, the Serb reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open, ultimately retiring injured after losing the first set.
The 37-year-old has had a difficult season by his high standards, losing his first match in four of his past five tournaments, as well as being beaten in the Miami Open final by 19-year-old Jakub Mensik.
“Thank you, coach Andy, for all the hard work, fun and support over last six months on and off the court – really enjoyed deepening our friendship together,” Djokovic said.
“Thanks to Novak for the unbelievable opportunity to work together, and thanks to his team for all their hard work over the past six months,” Murray added.
“I wish Novak all the best for the rest of the season.” For all the promise of Melbourne, the Murray-Djokovic partnership ultimately lasted only four tournaments. Djokovic has taken a wildcard into next week’s Geneva Open, having so far failed to win a match on clay this year.
Dutch international of Ghanaian descent Jeremie Frimpong will reportedly join Premier League giants Liverpool on a five-year deal, Africasoccer.com has reported.
Frimpong is joining the Reds as a replacement for England international Alexander Arnold, who is set for Liverpool departure.
The enterprising right-back is departing Anfield as a free agent after failing to extend his contract with the English outfit.
However, Liverpool have identified the former Celtic defender, who plies his trade for Bayer Leverkusen as the perfect replacement for Arnold and are said to be close to sealing a deal worth €40 million.
Frimpong will sign a contract that will keep him at Liverpool until the summer of 2030.
Frimpong has been consistent in last two seasons for the Bundesliga outfit. He was instrumental when Leverkusen secured the Bundesliga title last season.
This season, Frimpong has scored five goals and provided 12 assists in 48 appearances across competitions for Leverkusen.
Ghana Premier League powerhouse, Asante Kotoko, has opened talks to reappoint Charles Kwablan Akonnor ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Following the dismissal of Prosper Narteh Ogum, the club has named former club player Abdul Karim Zito as the interim coach until the end of the season.
Zito has been tasked with winning the Premier League title and the FA Cup title.
However, with four matches to end the season, a report has emerged suggesting that Kotoko have opened talks with Akonnor, who coached the club from 2018-19.
The report, however, adds that the negotiations are still in the early stages, with both parties yet to reach an agreement.
Asante Kotoko over the weekend secured a final berth of the FA Cup by beating Berekum Chelsea at the TNA Park in the semifinals by 1-0.
They will now turn their attention to the Ghana Premier League this weekend and will face Dreams FC at the Tuba Astro Turf in the Matchday 31 games.
Ghana U-15 star John Andor is set to travel to Brazil for a two-month trial with football giants Santos Academy.
The 15-year-old winger-cum-forward was one of the brightest stars for Ghana during the CAF U-15 African Schools Football Championship held in Accra last month.
JoySports understands that Andor had already caught the attention of the Brazilian club before Ghana’s U-15 team traveled to Israel to participate in the Montelido Promise Tournament.
Known for his rugged style, tireless work rate, and explosive pace on the wing, Andor plays with a turbo-like energy, relentless and electric.
He was named Best Player at the Montelido Promise Tournament in April, a competition Ghana went on to win.
He then lived up to expectations at the African Schools Championship, ending the tournament as Ghana’s joint top scorer with two goals—tied with teammate Ignatius Cyril Hagan and added one assist to his tally.
His performances earned him the title of Ghana’s Best Player at the tournament.
Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has revealed that plans to set up a Sports Fund are near completion.
The fund aims to provide not just “spiritual” support but much-needed financial backing to various sports Federations.
Ghana’s sports governing body has faced financial challenges in recent times, affecting participation in major competitions including the national hockey team who had to withdraw from a continental tournament.
The country’s Men’s relay team competed at the World Relays in China without support from the Ministry.
Speaking during a meeting with the Ghana Olympic Committee, the Member of Parliament for the Buem Constituency acknowledged the ongoing financial difficulties but expressed optimism about improved support for future competitions.
“The Ministry has engaged with many of you on the matter of a sports fund and we are inching close to getting that really done,” Kofi said.
“When it is done, it will reduce some of the situations where we only give spiritual backing without the necessary financial backing.
“[With the Sports Fund] We back you spiritually and we back you with what it takes to participate”
Both aiming to end a long wait for Coppa Italia glory, AC Milan and Bologna will clash on Wednesday night, when this year’s final takes place at Stadio Olimpico.
The clubs met as recently as last week in Serie A, as Milan fought back to win 3-1 on home turf, but they now reconvene in Rome with silverware at stake.
In a curious precursor to the cup final, Milan met Bologna at San Siro for Serie A’s Friday night contest, and a comeback win helped the hosts draw within two points of their visitors in the standings.
While their opponents last lifted the Coppa Italia in 2003, Bologna have only done so twice before – most recently in 1974, when they beat Palermo on penalties.
After a run of 13 defeats and four draws against Milan in Serie A, Bologna finally broke that winless streak at Stadio Dall’Ara in February, but Friday’s loss at San Siro dented their dreams of successive Champions League appearances.
So, there could be several twists and turns in the ‘Eternal City’, where it might take extra time to split two teams that sit side-by-side in Serie A.
The Rossoneri are in better form than their Rossoblu rivals, and with their trophy-winning know-how, they can lift the Coppa Italia for just a second time this century.
Real Madrid will attempt to keep the title race alive for at least an extra 24 hours when they welcome Mallorca to the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Mbappe, Real Madrid
Los Blancos are seven points adrift of La Liga leaders Barcelona following Sunday’s 4-3 defeat in El Clasico, while the visitors head into matchday 36 in ninth position.
Real Madrid are on the verge of relinquishing their La Liga crown to their old foes Barcelona after their title hopes were effectively quashed by Sunday’s defeat at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.
As a result, Los Blancos could hand the title to their rivals on Wednesday if they fail to beat Mallorca, while a win would at least keep their faint hopes alive for another 24 hours before Barcelona face Catalan rivals Espanyol on Thursday.
While the title may be slipping away, Real Madrid will still be keen to finish with a strong set of results in their final three games against Mallorca, Sevilla and Real Sociedad, as they look to deliver a fitting send-off to Carlo Ancelotti, who is set to depart to become Brazil’s new head coach, paving the way for Xabi Alonso to take over at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid will want to delay Barcelona’s title win by at least 24 hours, and they will also be keen to produce a response following Sunday’s disappointing result in El Clasico.
Valencia will continue their quest for European qualification when they travel to Mendizorroza for Wednesday’s La Liga fixture against Alaves.
Meanwhile, the visitors are battling to preserve their top-flight status with just a point separating them from the bottom three. Alaves are hovering above the drop zone after winning eight, drawing 11 and losing 16 of their 35 La Liga matches this season.
Kike Garcia, Alaves
El Glorioso carried a three-game unbeaten streak into Sunday’s meeting with fellow Basque side Athletic Bilbao after drawing with Sevilla and Atletico Madrid on either side of a narrow 1-0 victory against Real Sociedad.
The defeat has left Alaves just one point clear of 18th-placed Leganes, and they remain three points better off than Las Palmas with three games left to play against Valencia, Real Valladolid and Osasuna.
As they turn their focus to Wednesday’s home fixture, Alaves may be concerned by the fact that they have failed to score more than one goal in any of their previous 12 league matches since they netted two in October’s defeat to Real Valladolid.
The hosts will also take confidence from the fact that they have avoided defeat in each of their previous five home meetings with Valencia, including victories in their last two encounters at Mendizorroza.
The hosts remain without the services of defender Abdel Abqar, who has missed the last four matches with a hamstring injury.
Alaves boss Eduardo Coudet is hopeful that Kike Garcia will be ready for Wednesday after being left on the bench at the weekend due to an adductor issue.
Valencia will head into the midweek fixture in a confident mood after putting together a 10-game unbeaten run, and we think that they will extend that run by claiming a narrow victory over an Alaves side that have found goals hard to come by in their recent home games.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Ancelotti ‘never had a problem’ with Real Madrid
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti says he has “never had a problem” with the club and does not want to “make a big deal” out of his impending departure for the Brazil national team.
Commenting on Monday’s announcement, Ancelotti said: “If I didn’t have the press conference today, it would be fantastic. There are things I can’t explain right now because I’m at Madrid and I want to respect the shirt.
“From 26 May onwards, I’ll be Brazil’s coach. It’s a very important challenge, but I want to finish the final stretch of this fantastic adventure here well.
“I never had problems with Real and never will have problems with Real. It’s a club that lives dearly in my heart, but everything in life has a date to end.
“I couldn’t be Madrid coach for the rest of my life. It comes to an end for many reasons. The club may need a new impetus. I’m not making a big deal out of it.
“A thousand thanks to this club. And we’ll carry on. I’ll always be a Madrid fan. It’s the end of an era. Spectacular. I never thought I’d coach Madrid for six years, and now it’s happened.”
The Criminal Division ‘4’ of the High Court in Accra has granted bail in the sum of GH¢15 million to Solomon Asamoah, former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), over his alleged role in a US$2 million financial loss to the state.
Presided over by Justice Comfort Kwasiwor Tasiame, the court ordered that the bail be justified by two sureties who must present title deeds to immovable properties situated within Accra.
In addition, Asamoah was directed to surrender both his Ghanaian and British passports to the court’s registry and report to investigators three times a week—specifically on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
The charges stem from payments made in 2019 to Africa Investor Holdings Limited for the proposed development of the Accra SkyTrain project, a light rail urban transport initiative that was never executed.
The pleaded not guilty to the charges to all six counts, including conspiracy to commit a crime, wilfully causing financial loss to the Republic, and intentional dissipation of public funds, all contrary to the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), and the Public Property Protection Decree, 1977 (SMCD 140).
Also standing trial is Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, former Board Chairman of GIIF.
However, his plea was deferred as he is currently out of the country receiving medical care following surgery. The court has adjourned his plea taking to May 20, 2025.
According to the facts presented by the Deputy Attorney-General, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, the GIIF, under the leadership of Asamoah and Ameyaw-Akumfi, authorised the disbursement of US$2 million to Africa Investor Holdings for the SkyTrain project without the requisite approvals or due diligence.
The Deputy A-G claims that the funds, which were to support feasibility studies and project preparation, yielded no results as the urban railway system was never built.
The Accra SkyTrain project was part of a broader government initiative launched in 2018 under the Ministry of Railways Development to promote public-private partnerships in mass urban transportation.
The controversial deal included a shareholders’ agreement between GIIF and Africa Investor Holdings, a company registered in the Seychelles, promising 10% equity for GIIF in the prospective operating entity.
Investigations revealed, however, that no substantial progress was made, and the project never materialised despite the significant financial commitment.
In their bail application, defence lawyers argued that Mr. Asamoah was not a flight risk, noting that he had voluntarily returned to Ghana to cooperate with investigators, and had previously been granted bail without violating its terms.
They also informed the court that he is the primary caregiver for his 90-year-old, bedridden mother.
Deputy Attorney-General did not oppose the bail in principle but urged the court to impose conditions commensurate with the seriousness of the alleged financial loss.
A 21-year-old porter has been sentenced for stealing a commercial vehicle valued at GH¢40,000, following a trial at the Dansoman District Court in the Greater Accra Region.
Denis Boateng, who pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing, was convicted and sentenced on April 28 by Her Honour Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit.
The prosecution was led by Chief Inspector Kwadwo Aboagye.
Boateng was charged with stealing contrary to Section 124(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
According to the facts presented in court, the complainant, Okai Ernest, a driver residing at Dansoman, had handed over his Hyundai Grace vehicle, with registration number GS 2879-17, to one Wisdom Frimpong for commercial transport operations. On December 3, 2024, the vehicle developed a fault and was parked at the Dansoman Korle-Bu Trotro station.
When the complainant returned with his driver and a mechanic on December 5 to fix the vehicle, it was nowhere to be found. A formal complaint was made to the police on April 8, 2025.
Boateng was later identified by informants and arrested at the Darkuman Police Station.
He was subsequently transferred to the Kaneshie Police Station, where the complainant positively identified him as the suspect.
In his caution statement to police, Boateng admitted to stealing the vehicle and selling it to a scrap dealer for GH¢2,000 at Darkuman Cable Wireless.
Efforts to locate the alleged receiver of the stolen vehicle proved futile.
Following investigations, Boateng was charged and arraigned for stealing.
The court delivered its decision after considering the evidence presented, including the accused’s own confession to the police.
Proceedings in the case involving accused person Daniel Koranteng took an unexpected turn on Tuesday after both the prosecution and the accused failed to appear when the case was initially called.
Defence lawyer Kofi Essel, who was present in court at the time, requested an adjournment due to the absence of both the prosecution and his client. The court granted the request and adjourned the case to June 17, 2025.
However, shortly after Mr. Essel left the court premises, Prosecutor Chief Inspector Nana Afuabamfoa Bamfo arrived with the accused, Daniel Koranteng, and the case investigator.
This led to confusion, as the presiding Magistrate noted that Mr. Essel had informed the court that the investigator had told him he had an assignment and would not be available for the day’s hearing.
The investigator, however, denied providing such information, creating a discrepancy between the lawyer’s submission and the prosecution’s account.
Chief Inspector Bamfo told the court that the case docket had been forwarded to the Attorney-General’s Department for advice.
She also revealed that a different defence lawyer—described as a female colleague—had called her to say that Koranteng had been granted bail by the Human Rights Court the previous day and that arrangements were being made to execute the bail.
In response, the Magistrate directed the prosecution to retrieve the Attorney-General’s advice and to file the bill of indictment ahead of the next hearing date.
Lawyer Kofi Essel later declined to comment publicly on the confusion, saying only that he “wanted things to be cool.” He added that he would call the prosecutor to update her on the next court date.
Former Director-General of the National Signals Bureau (NSB), Kwabena Adu-Boahene, has been re-arrested on fresh charges shortly after his release from a seven-day remand, the Accra High Court’s General Jurisdiction ‘10’ heard today.
The arrest took place late Monday night, mere hours after Justice Eugene Nyadu Nyante ordered Adu-Boahene’s release.
His defence counsel, Samuel Atta Akyea, informed the court that the former intelligence chief was only released near midnight, only to be immediately re-arrested “in respect of another matter which is not before this court.”
The embattled ex-official is already standing trial alongside three others including his wife Angela Adyei Boateng, in the case titled Republic v. Adu-Boahene & 3 Others.
Deputy Attorney-General Dr. Justice Srem-Sai represented the state in court on Tuesday as parties appeared to take directions for disclosure proceedings.
Justice Nyante questioned the state on whether it had filed all necessary documentation. “Have you filed anything? I take it that your witness statements have all been signed now. And we can reinstate his bail terms,” the judge asked.
Dr. Srem-Sai confirmed that the prosecution was ready to comply with filing requirements and noted that they intended to submit all materials within seven days.
However, a brief debate ensued over the timeline for filing disclosures. While the prosecution initially interpreted the 14-day deadline to begin from today’s date, the judge corrected them, emphasizing that it should count from the day the accused persons entered their plea.
“People’s liberty is at stake,” Justice Nyante noted. “Let us expedite things so that we don’t compromise people’s rights.”
The court has ordered the prosecution to file and serve its witness statements and disclosures on all accused persons no later than May 20, 2025.
The case has been adjourned to May 26, 2025, at 1 p.m. for a Case Management Conference (CMC).
