I think what Ghana has lacked is the ability to maintain their shape and discipline when the stakes are really high.

In 1992 Ghana was favourite to clinch the trophy and the BlackStars who had not clicked for a decade were in great form. The BlackStars lived up to their tournament bidding as one of the favourites to win it. They had a certain Abedi Pele, the playmaker and the reigning African footballer of the year and Tony Yeboah , a renowned goal scorer determined to shine on the African Stage in their line up. Ghana was a match away from clinching the trophy in a tense match against the other tournament favourite Nigeria with a star-studded team of Rashidi Yekini, Sampson Siasia, Stephen Keshi, Augustine Eguavon, Finidi George, Victor Ikpeba etc.

Abedi was no doubt man of the match that day, having tormented the Nigerian defence the whole of the match and having equalised Nigeria’s lead in the stroke of halftime to dent the confidence of the Nigerians. Ghana then went on to score in the second half with a nicely worked goal finished by Prince Polley. The clock was ticking and the BlackStars were in control of the match only for Abedi Pele who had already received a yellow card for dangerous play to see red mist – a moment of madness which saw him snub the referee resulted in another yellow card! The BlackStars’ talisman and the player of the tournament, was not going to make the final!

The rest is history and we all know what happened in the finals. Everyone wonders whether the result would have been different had Ghana had their best player on the pitch just like the Ivorian’s had their best player Alain Gouamene in goal.

Fast forward to 2006 World Cup and our midfield general Micheal Essien was shown a double yellow card in a match with the USA in which Ghana won, but this meant Ghana had to face Brazil without our midfield engine. Brazil went on to tear Ghana’s midfield to pieces and blow Ghana away.

Then in 2008, Ghana hosted the African Cup under a “Host and Win” motto. A resurgent Ghanaian team who were coming to the tournament on the back of a very good showing at the World cup were hoping to win their first tournament in 26 years. They had had the misfortune of losing their talismanic captain in Stephen Appiah through long term injury but with Michael Essien at the helm of the BlackStars, Ghana was hoping to make a great impact on the tournament and win at home. Things had gone according to plan and Ghana had reached the quarter finals after beating the likes of Morocco and an in-form Guinea team. Once again, it was Nigeria in the quarter finals and as expected, it was a tense match especially when Nigeria had taken the lead through a penalty. Ghana equalised through Micheal Essien on the stroke of half time and things were looking good for Ghana. In the second half, Ghana dominated the game and it was clear there was only going to only one winner that day but a moment of madness from our stand-in captain John Mensah through an unnecessary tackle on a Nigerian player resulted in a straight red card. What was heart-breaking was that the ball was going out of play and the Ghanaian defence was not in any way threatened; Clearly this was unnecessary and an archetypical Ghanaian loss of concentration. This was a player in his prime, our defensive stalwart, the Black Star’s “rock of Gibraltar”! Ghana nevertheless were inspired after the incident and got a goal to seal the game though “Ga Mantse” Agogo. But exactly like 1992, Ghana was to get their comeuppance in the following match with Cameroon. This was a semi-final Ghana had to win to play Africa’s most in-form team and the defending champions Egypt. With our defensive rock sat out for the match, the BlackStars had little choice but to soak up the pressure and hope to catch the Cameroonians on the counter attack knowing their Achilles heel in the ageing Rigobert Song. The match had been fairly balanced until Cameroon exposed Ghana’s “Mensah-less” defence and scored a goal that was to take Ghana out of the competition. This behaviour didn’t end there, and at the 2010 World Cup itself Ghana had beaten the USA again in one of the most fiercely contested matches of the tournament in the last 16, only to have in my view the best player on the pitch that day (the one who actually fed Asamoah Gyan with the famous through ball to seal the win) Dede Ayew be taken out of the next game through the accumulation of yellow cards. Another meaningless Yellow Card in our long history of unnecessary Card accumulation.

Ghana met Uruguay in the quarter final without Dede Ayew. This is not to say that the result might have been different but consider this, this was a player so inspired he had been voted man of the match in two previous matches before the match with the USA. Who knows? This is for the reader to speculate what might have happened that day had Dede been on the pitch.

So as the BlackStars prepare to win this 2012 tournament, I personally wouldn’t be worrying about their motivation to win given the price at stake, neither would I be worried about complacency given the examples we’ve witnessed during the qualifiers itself, were Nigeria, Egypt and Cameron were all put to the sword, but I would be worried about the BlackStars’ composure and discipline when the stakes are really high – the crucial matches.

To bring home the trophy, the BlackStars must avoid accumulating unnecessary Cards that have always blighted their chances. Period!

Frederich Maafo, UK

Sports Features of Tuesday, 24 January 2012

Source: Maafo, Frederich

NOLLYWOOD FILM WITH AMERICAN APPEAL MAKES HISTORICAL LIMITED THEATRICAL RELEASE ACROSS THE USA AND AFRICA

“Paparazzi Eye in the Dark” is a romantic mystery feature film that has cross over potential and is seeking limited theatrical screenings across the USA and Africa. The aforementioned movie features A-List Nollywood actors from Africa and B-List talent from America. The English language film, shot in Atlanta, Georgia has much higher standards of production than most of its genre and tells the story of an aspiring photographer (Van Vicker) who enters the lucrative world of paparazzi photography and unwittingly captures a major scoop that puts him in the center of the city’s biggest murder mystery. The film features Nollywood’s sexiest A-List actor Van Vicker, famed Nigerian director/actor TChidi Chikere, Nigerian actress JJ Bunny, Ghanaian recording artist Koby Maxwell, Nigerian/American actor Chet Anekwe, American actress Syr Law of Tyler Perry’s”Diary of a Mad Black Woman”, and Bayo Akinfemi of the Hollywood Blockbusters “The Tuxedo” and “Bullet Proof Monk”. It’s also directed by Nigeria’s Bayo Akinfemi, cinematography and editing by American filmmaker Black Magic Tim, and produced by Ghana’s Koby Maxwell and Liberia’s Dr. Clarice Ford-Kulah, and executive produced by Great Moments Productions.

Hoping to be the breakthrough film to introduce the fast growing Nollywood subculture to mainstream audiences, the film is unique because it is a part of an ongoing revolution in Nollywood filmmaking where quality is now put before quantity. It features a strikingly beautiful and universal cast, incredible crossover music, excellent sound/picture quality, and professional acting. It appeals to universal audience and is a collaborative effort of Nigerian, Ghanaian, American, Jamaican, and a host of other African countries’ talents and is the first to propose a theatrical release of this magnitude. The film has gotten much support from various businesses, agencies, and African press, but is currently extending its ad campaign to domestic markets reaching its core fans in the United States and Africa. To date, Paparazzi Eye in the Dark has won 5 NAFCA Awards and been nominated for 4 Ghana Movie Awards, which will be held in Ghana on December 25, 2011. Please join us on December 9, 2011 (6 PM) at the Silverbird, Ghana for the premiere of Paparazzi Eye in the Dark

An initial postponement of the concert from October 1 to October 8 due to a last minute football match between Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko could not deter patrons from filling one-fourth of the 40,000 seater capacity sports stadium.

The show that was billed to start 8pm finally took off around 11:00pm. After some comic performances which at a point nearly got the crowd booing the performers off stage, young dancehall songstress, Kaaki instantly brought life back into the show that was taking an early nose dive.

She looked hot on stage with curves very appealing to the eyes. She was not only well endowed in voice; she was also well gifted physically as her tight cloths exposed every single inch of shape she has been endowed with.

Singing her popular tune, Too Much and as if she was riding an imaginary stallion, Kaaki was already corrupting the naughty minds of patrons – she was a delight to watch.

Quick performances from Nii and Yaw Siki of Wope Dodo fame after Kaaki’s performance psyched up the crowd who were now in a party mood.

But it was the Man Insane, Kwaw Kese the King of the Streets who changed the complexion of the show dramatically. Dressed in camo, Kwaw Kesse brought his iconic energy-filled madness onto the stage.

Performing Ma Kwan and some of his latest tunes such as Popping which ushered Daddy Opanka onto the stage, fans were upstanding singing alongside Abodam who was equally trilled to be on stage.

It was right after Kwaw Kese had paved the way for Tamale based musician Sheriff Ghale that the weather decided to take a toll on the show. It started drizzling and looked as if it was going to be a minor drizzle but patrons were wrong! It poured heavily forcing everyone to seek shelter.

For about 30 minutes it poured, finally ceasing maybe through a 911 call to God with a passionate plea for the rain to stop for the show to continue. Right after the rain, Okomfo Kwadee got the round two of the show going.

It was a joy seeing him on stage after a long while. Performing with a live band, Kwadee was back in his elements, the fluidity he was known for was all on display on stage. He got the crowd miming to his songs.

R2Bees followed next. R2Bees’ performance was marred by an unexpected technical hitch that saw them perform without any instrumental. They had no choice but to only rhyme and rap their songs on stage. Tried as the technicians did, they could not resolve the issue. R2Bees left without giving off what they were known for especially their very expectant tune Agyei.

4×4 followed and the technical hitch that bedeviled R2Bees had been resolved. 4×4 were once again proving their Waist and Power on stage capping their performance with their smash hit Yesi Yesi.

Ghana’s fastest rapper and the king of the ever popular azonto, Sarkodie entered the stage in grand style erupting the stadium. The venue was now electrified as Sarkodie began inundating the packed crowd with song after song.

When he finally dropped his You Go Kill track – hell broke loose! Not even Bola Ray could turn down the lust of dancing to the azonto song. Bola had tried earlier to deceive the crowd that he was equally a master when it comes to the azonto dance but now was the time of reckoning and yes he did deliver.

Sarkodie prepared the stage for the ultimate battle of the night. It was arguably an expectant battle between Ghana’s Samini and Jamaica’s Mavado as to who rules dancehall music. While the two artistes had shied away from this alleged competition, the patrons at the stadium knew that was definitely on the menu.

Samini was the first to appear on stage flanked by men who hoisted the flag of Ghana and the spiritual flag of Ethiopia. The little said about his fashion sense on the night, the better – this got some fans angry arguing his costume was not African enough. Samini started slowly with many wondering whether this was the Samini they knew.

Not knowing he was just warming up. Samini can indeed be deadly – he knew how to communicate with the crowd and the manner he went about it was just a delight to watch. One thing that has made Samini an icon is his ability to do free-style virtually about anything and this night was no exception.

He managed to manipulate the fans to remove their cloths – even the ladies at the venue nearly fell for the trick. He also asked fans to pull out their mobile phone with their screen lights on, he asked for the stadium lights to be put off and what a beautiful sight it was – it looked like the sky filled with tinny bright stars – he sang about it too.

Samini dished out most of his popular tunes including Gyae Shi and Sweet Mistake setting the bar high – a record Mavado had to break – it was a tall order for the Jamaican visitor who was playing in an away match.

Filled with high adrenalin, Mavado also burst onto the stage uttering the word, “Ache saaaa,” tickling the excitement nerves of the thousands who couldn’t wait to see the Messiah man. He started his show with his tune, I’m so Special – the stadium was jamming with hungry dancehall enthusiasts.

Mavado kept jamming for several minutes serving several of his world acclaimed tunes including I’m On the Rock, Messiah, Pepper, Gangsta For Life ( Weh Dem A Do ) and Hope and Pray.

While Mavado’s stint on stage was much longer than Samini’s, Samini’s performance was felt more than Mavado’s. Samini connected with the crowd and was very fluid in his performance. Mavado brought to bear Jamaica’s style of show performance where artistes keep pulsing whenever they are performing a track.

In all, the 2011 Fantasy Jam lived up to its billing recording one of the largest crowds in a single show.

Source: MyJoyonline.com

The four-time African champion has not added to its continental trophy cabinet since 1982, and Appiah is optimistic that the drought will end in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea next year. Ghana came close to winning the ultimate prize in Angola 2010, but lost 1-0 to a solid Egyptian side in the final.

Within an inch of clinching qualification to the 28th edition of the continental flagship, Appiah is already tipping his former teammates to shine.

“They have the chance to win, the future is very promising,” the Zamalek target said, according to Citi FM. “At Angola 2010, they went to the final and I strongly believe they have the credentials of winning that particular tournament to put smiles on the faces of millions of the people in the country.”

Ghana needs to defeat Sudan in the Group I decider come October to book a ticket at the next Nations Cup as both countries are joint top, with the former having a superior goal difference.

Appiah noted that it will not be an easy task, but believes in the current crop of young players to send the west African nation back to its glory days.

“It won’t be easy but I think they want to be part of history so I think they will do their best and make that count,” he added.

Soccer News of Thursday, 15 September 2011

Source: goal.com

Fabolous will share the stage with some of Africa’s best acts from Nigeria and Ghana.  Already, word about Fabolous’ concert in Ghana is making rounds in gossip circles.

The American rapper has a huge loyal fan base in Ghana. An astounding performer by industry standards, he is sure to deliver a thrilling soft-sell debut performance in the West African country.
Born John David Jackson on the 18th of November 1977 in Brooklyn, New York, Fabolous begun from very humble beginnings in the underground hip hop world and subsequently carved a cult following for his style of music.
He had his major breakthrough in 2001 with the hit song “Can’t Deny It” from his debut LP Ghetto Fabolous. Ghetto Fabolous reached number three on the Billboard 200 chart and sold over 1.5 million copies by 2003.
It was followed by Street Dreams in 2003, Real Talk in 2004, From Nothin’ to Somethin’ in 2007, Loso’s Way in 2009, There Is No Competition 2: The Grieving Music EP & Loso’s Way 2 in 2010 and Loso’s Way 2:  Rise to power released this year with his current hit release, “You Be Killin Em” proving to be a hit on airwaves worldwide.  His works has extensively featured award winning artistes such as Ne-Yo, Trey Songz, P Diddy, Jeremih, Jermaine Dupri and T-Pain among others.

To date, Fabolous has released five albums, which have collectively sold millions of copies globally.  The very creative hip hop act that is, Fabolous has been nominated for several awards. In September 2009, he was ranked number eight on MTV’s Hottest MC in the Game list and received a Viewer’s Choice award for his “Throw It in the Bag” duet with The-Dream. Last year, he was nominated in the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or a Group category at the 2010 Grammy Awards for the song “Money Goes, Honey Stays” with Jay-Z and also two BET nominations for Best Collaboration and Best Viewer’s Choice for “Say Aah” with Trey Songz .
His My Time track featuring Jeremih is also popular among the hiphop community here in Ghana.
The above laurels are a confirmation of why his coming to Ghana is unique in every sense of the word. The organizers have said the musical experience at the Dome of the Conference Centre would offer a chance to his core fan base here in Ghana to witness live in action, one of the best lyrical MC’s in the hiphop world.

With more acts and details still to be unveiled, Fabolous in GH is certain to be a big event on the Easter musical calendar.
It is surely going to be a concert of a lifetime.

Rych Entertainment presents the exposure and album release party for Reezon.

click on the link below for the album review

http://www.ghanalinx.com/2010/07/25/ghanalinx-album-review-reezon%E2%80%99s-i-am-the-reezon/

President and CEO of Kustom Looks, Kwab Asamoah, will be pulling out all the stops for this once in a lifetime celebration. As the tailor to some of the most prominent African American political and business leaders in the Washington area, Asamoah, has created a stellar reputation in the fashion industry that has his competitors taking notice.  In less than five years, Mr. Asamoah was able to expand a meager custom apparel business operating from his home to a thriving and dynamic fashion corporation.

Growing up in Kumasi, Ghana in the 1970s, Asamoah was fascinated by uniforms: the white-crested dress shirts of school children, the traditional Kente cloth worn by professionals, with vibrant patterns and colors representing changing seasons.  Apparel was a status symbol, a way to distinguish oneself. Thirty years later the uniforms are vastly different. Asamoah’s all natural hand tailored custom suits, manufactured in his exclusive Bangkok factory, start at $695 and can range upward of $3,500. After earning a dual degree in Engineering and Physics, Asamoah left a comfortable six-figure salary as a Computer Consultant to fulfill his true passion as an entrepreneur.

His loyal clientele numbers in the thousands around the world and include national politicians, broadcasters, ministers, athletes, head of states, and business professionals. He single handily outfits 10% of executives that comprise the Top 100 Black Businesses in the United States.  Kwab Asamoah can easily be recognized by his signature “tape” and speaks to his passion and commitment to his craft.  In 2010 he was awarded the Entrepreneur of the Year Award for his outstanding contribution to the business and fashion industry.

This exciting VIP event includes general admission with exclusive VIP sections. Guests will be treated to a 3 part fashion show from 7-10 PM produced by runway Trainer/Coach Ernest Osei of eKOP Productions. The fashion show will showcase Kustom Looks’ male and female collections including professional wear, evening wear, formal wear, and casual wear. Afterwards, attendees will be entertained until 4 AM by an exclusive launch party Sponsored by Ameyaw Debrah, JQ Promotions, Ghana Linx, Ghana Planit Events, and Bobby Trump Productions. With the combination of the talents of these sponsors and the international recognition of Kustom Looks behind the wheel, this event is sure to be one to remember.

IN CELEBRATION OF GHANA’S 53RD INDEPENDENCE ★
~ 21+ ELEGANT EVENT FOR THE MATURE, GROWN & SEXY

THIS IS A 21 AND OVER ELEGANT AFFAIR

VENUE:
THE LUXIRIOUS 1001 NIGHT CLUB- 72 STEELES AVE W @ YONGE- BEHIND MOORE’S CLOTHING STORE

RED CARPET ENTRY—– DRESS TO IMPRESS!!!
LIVE PAPARAZZI STYLE CAMERA’S ON SITE ….

DRESS CODE: CLASSY, ELEGANT, CLEAN & SOPHISTICATED
We reserve the right to refuse entry
ID IS A MUST!!!! SECURITY IN FULL EFFECT!!!!
=============================================

LIVE PERFORMANCES BY HIPLIFE INTERNATIONAL SENSATIONS FEATURED FOR THE NIGHT INCLUDES:

★ STRAIGHT FROM FROM TOUR IN NIGERIA & GHANA– > RUNS T & JAE BAZ

★AO & FREEMAN PERFORMING THEIR HIT SINGLE “HIPLIFE CANADA”

★FACBOIS PERFORMING THEIR HIT SINGLE “SIKA NIE” NOW ON RADIO STATIONS WORLDWIDE…
Visit www.facbois.com

★ OSAGYEFO A.K.A JAE CLIPPA WITH HIS NEW SINGLE “NA MA SORE”

★SPEK WON performing his hit single “HIPLIFE”- Vote for on Flow 93.5 f.m

★QUABENA JAY A.K.A. MAPHIA RETURNING FROM HIS TOUR IN GHANA WITH HIS HIT SINGLE “EDIE NTI” FEATURING A.S.E.M.
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YOU WILL BE MUSICALLY ENTERTAINED ALL NIGHT LONG:

♫ ::::.. HIPLIFE & CLASSIC HIGHLIFE ::★::.. DJ SHORTY- GHANA’S #1 DJ
♫ :::★:::….. R N B & HIPHOP ::::★:…. DJ D-NYCE- LADIES FAVORITE DJ
♫ :::★:::.. OL’ SKOOL & 90′S ::★:::….. MAJOR EDITION-
♫ ::★ :::.. REGGAE & NAIJA TUNES …………… DJ SPINALONG- UPTOWN FRIDAYS
& DJ TRAXX- LIVE FROM U.K.

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EVENT PICS TO BE FEATURED IN THE MONTH OF APRIL GHANAIAN NEWSPAPER- MAKE SURE YOU DRESS TO IMPRESS~~

INFO: 416-389-5681 afroentertainment@gmail.com
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THIS EVENT IS PROUDLY SPONSORED BY:
- AFRO ENTERTAINMENT ~ “Putting Africa on the map”
- LIONPALM ENTERTAINMENT
- BLUE ICE GEAR ~ “We got you covered”
- ALEX YEBOAH PRODUCTIONS ~ “Lights. Camera. Action”
- WWW.GHANALINX.COM- “Bridging the Gap”
- WWW.AFRICANTASTEMAKERS.COM
- THE CHALEY FRESH MOVEMENT-
- DOLLAR$ ENT & QUABENA MAPHIA
- 1001 NIGHTCLUB- Official Independence Venue Sponsor
- URBANIZED MAGAZINE- Event pics to be featured in this magazine
- WWW.HYPE-RECORDS.COM- Official Record Label Sponsor
- www.lavish-world.com- Win a free purse w/ an adv tix
- & Ghana @ 2010 World Cup Movement- Red, Gold, Green Movement
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TICKET OUTLETS:
TORONTO:
AFRO ENT: Free Deliviries @ 416-389-5681
AFRO BEAUTY SUPPLIES- Sheridan Mall- Mackee Eba @ 647-339-7079
PROMOTA LINKS- 647-219-1042

DOWNTOWN TORONTO:
BIG SPIKE- 416-802-2610

SENECA COLLEGE: AMA MILLIE- 647-219-5090

BRAMPTON:
- XQUISITE TOUCH- Queen & McMurchy- 905-456-1114

OSHAWA/SCARBOROUGH:
- Harlem- 905-999-7737

MISSISSAUGA:
-GH LINX OFFICE- 647-258-1788 @ SQUARE ONE MALL

ST. CATHERINE’S/NIAGARA FALLS:
SWERVE BARBERSHOP- 276 ONTARIO ST- 905-658-6046

WINDSOR/LONDON: AMAKYE- 519-977-5390

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WINNING PRIZES:
-BEST DRESSED FEMALE WINS A FREE BOTTLE OF MOET
-BEST DRESSED GENTLEMAN WINS A FREE BOTTLE OF HENNESSY
- ONE FREE TICKET TO GHANA, WEST AFRICA IN JUNE FOR WORLD CUP 2010
- 2 FREE WINDSOR SPORTSWEEND PACKAGES TO SEE FABOLOUS LIVE IN CONCERT.
- WIN DINNER FOR TWO @ Golden Gate Restaurant- Islington/Elmhurst