Sports
WAFCON: Ghana’s Parliamentary minority caucus celebrates female team, donates GH100,000
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Appreciative Ghana’s Parliamentary Minority on Tuesday donated GH¢100,000 to the Black Queens in honour of their bronze medal finish at the 2024 TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.
The donation was announced during the team’s visit to Parliament as part of their national victory tour.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin made the presentation on behalf of the caucus, describing it as a token of national gratitude for the team’s outstanding performance. The gesture received bipartisan applause on the floor, marking a rare moment of unity in the house.
The donation followed the Black Queens’ return to Ghana, where they were met with a hero’s welcome at Kotoka International Airport in Accra on Monday. The players, proudly displaying their bronze medals and dressed in national colours, were greeted by cheering fans, waving flags, and traditional drumming.
Team captain Portia Boakye lifted her medal high amid jubilant scenes, symbolising the squad’s resilience and determination throughout the tournament. The welcome party included CAF 2nd Vice President and Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Iddie Adams, GFA Vice Vice President Mark Addo, and others.
Earlier on Tuesday, the GFA hosted the team to a special breakfast in Accra, celebrating their historic run. GFA President Simeon-Okraku praised the players and reaffirmed the Association’s commitment to growing women’s football in the country. Technical staff led by head coach Kim Lars Björkegren also joined in the celebrations.
The Black Queens clinched third place at WAFCON 2024 after a 4–3 penalty shootout victory over South Africa, marking their best continental finish in recent years. The achievement has been described as the result of years of hard work, reforms, and investment in the women’s game.Abuja Formula 1 Grand Prix tickets
The Sports Ministry has hinted at further honours for the team, with plans underway for an official ceremony to recognise their performance and encourage continued progress in women’s football development.
The Guardian
Spain are the latest team to confirm their place in the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup.
The European champions thrashed Austria 3-0 in their Round of 32 clash on Thursday evening.
It was a display of complete dominance by Luis de la Fuente’s men, as they lived up to their pre-tournament billing as favourites.
Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring for Spain in the first half, before Pedro Porro doubled their advantage in the 66th minute.
Oyarzabal continued his fine scoring form with a second late on.
They will now face the winner of Portugal.
Other teams confirmed in the last 16 are: USA, England, Belgium, France, Brazil, Norway, Morocco, Paraguay, Canada and Mexico.
Spain coasted past Austria and into the World Cup last-16 on Thursday, thoroughly outclassing their opponents in a 3-0 knockout win with a brace from Mikel Oyarzabal and a Pedro Porro header.
The European champions controlled possession and sliced through the Austrian defense in a typically dominant performance in Los Angeles, as Hollywood stars Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem and singer Rosalia cheered on.
The win — which could have been by a greater margin, with a disallowed goal and a free kick off the woodwork — sets up a tantalizing round-of-16 clash with either Portugal or Croatia.
The SoFi Stadium was a sea of red and excitement was sky-high over the first visit by a bona fide World Cup favorite to America’s second city.
Spain ratcheted up the pressure gradually through the first half, creating a string of chances after the first hydration break.
Marc Cucurella thought he had scored from a Lamine Yamal corner, but Pau Cubarsi was judged to have encroached on Austria’s goalkeeper.
Alexander Schlager then made a superb diving save, pushing Oyarzabal’s low shot around the post.
Austria’s defense finally buckled in the 36th minute. Pedri pinged a ball wide left to Cucurella, whose cross to Oyarzabal was calmly side-footed past the ‘keeper.
Spain’s dominance grew further, with Yamal tormenting the Austrians, mainly from the right flank.
An Alex Baena free kick hit the crossbar, and Yamal’s close-range follow-up shot was well saved.
Austria spurned a rare chance at the other end. Romano Schmid played in a late-arriving and unmarked Stefan Posch, but a terrible first touch meant he lost the ball before even attempting a shot.
‘Ole’
After the break Spain continued knocking on the door without quite putting the game to rest.
Austria sent on two giant strikers — Sasa Kalajdzic and Marko Arnautovic — and immediately went long, with Kalajdzic putting a header over the bar.
But in the 66th minute, Spain struck again. Baena lifted a cross onto the head of Pedro Porro, who nodded in his first goal for Spain.
Some dogged defending kept the scoreline respectable, including a goalline clearance by David Alaba from Yamal, who was substituted off to rest moments later.
Spain sprayed passes around the pitch as the final minutes ticked down, eliciting “Oles” from the crowd, as attention turned to a sterner test on Monday in Dallas.
In the 89th minute, a pinpoint Cucurella cross found a completely unmarked Oyarzabal in the penalty area, who slotted the ball home.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Ex-Arsenal striker, Ian Wright, has named the only team that can stop France from winning the 2026 World Cup.
Les Bleus qualified for the last 16, thanks to a 3-0 hammering of Sweden, with captain Kylian Mbappe scoring twice.
Mbappe is leading the race for the Golden Boot with six goals and two assists.
France will take on Paraguay in the next round, as they seek to play in their third consecutive World Cup final.
Didier Deschamps lost the 2022 tournament to Argentina on penalties and Wright has claimed only Lionel Messi and co can stop them again.
“It’s going to take something [to beat France],” Wright said.
“It’s going to take an Argentina because of the warrior nature of Argentina.”
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