Every year, Ghana sports provides a ton of front-page material and 2021 was no exception. So before you flip the calendar to 2022, take a minute to review our Top 10 sports stories of the year.
Thank you for letting us be a part of the action throughout the year!
Black Satellites conquer Africa
On Ghana’s 64th Independence anniversary (6th March 2021), the Black Satellites (Men’s U-20 football team) gave Ghanaians the best present as they won the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
They beat debutants Uganda 2-0 in the final to claim their 4th crown in Mauritania with Hearts of Oak striker Daniel Afriyie Barnieh, who was captain of the team, scoring both goals.
Not only did they clinch the ultimate, attacking midfielder Fatawu Issahaku was named the tournament’s Best Player while Ibrahim Danland picked up the Best Goalkeeper award.
Hudson-Odoi visits Ghana
Fresh off winning the UEFA Champions League with Chelsea, Callum Hudson-Odoi visited Ghana and he was overwhelmed by the warm reception.
The winger, born in England to Ghanaian parents, trended for days as he thrilled fans in a community football match and watched the Matse derby between Hearts of Oak, a club his former footballer dad represented, and Great Olympics.
He ended his tour with a visit to the Jubilee House where he paid a courtesy call on President Nana Akufo-Addo.
Deliberate own goals mar 2020/21 season
The 2020/21 domestic season ended disgustingly as Inter Allies defender Hashmin Musah went viral after deliberately scoring two own goals in a Ghana Premier League match in order to foil a ‘match-fixing plot’.
Musah purposely put the ball through his own net twice in an eventual 7-0 defeat against AshantiGold.
The centre-back went on to tell reporters that he did so with the intention of ruining what he believed to be a pre-arranged 5-1 win for AshantiGold.
Musah, Ashgold President Kwaku Frimpong and son Emmanuel Frimpong and others were all charged with match-fixing in September.
Since then, the issue seems to have died down.
Hearts of Oak finally champions
Back in July, Hearts of Oak were crowned Ghanaian champions for the first since 2009. The Phobians ended their over-a-decade drought after edging out sworn rivals Asante Kotoko in a tight title race.
They added the FA Cup to end the season with a domestic double.
Men’s 4x100m relay make Tokyo final
In August, Ghana’s sprint relay team qualified for the 4x100m men’s final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
The quartet of Sean Safo-Antwi, Benjamin Azamati, Emmanuel Yeboah and Joseph Paul Amoah set a new national record (38.08 seconds) to achieve a spot in the final.
Unfortunately, they got disqualified in the final because their last baton change happened outside the changeover zone.
Samuel Takyi takes bronze
Before the relay heartbreak, Samuel Takyi ensured Ghana wouldn’t end the games without a medal as it had been the case in the last six editions.
The boxer won Bronze in men’s featherweight in Tokyo by reaching the semi-finals, where he lost to eventual silver medallist Duke Ragan of USA.
CK Akonnor sacked
Football dominated once again after the Olympics, with the Black Stars taking centre stage as head coach Charles Akonnor was sacked after 20 months in charge.
Milovan Rajevac returns
Eleven days after GFA parted ways with Akonnor, Serbian Milovan Rajevac was unveiled for a second stint.
South Africa protest against Ghana dismissed
South Africa lodged a protest with FIFA after they were beaten 1-0 by Ghana in World Cup qualifiers in November. South Africa alleged match-fixing as Ghana benefited from a controversial penalty decision, but they couldn’t prove it at FIFA.
Their protest got dismissed.
Hasaacas Ladies dominate Women’s football
Hasaacas Ladies were by far the best women’s team in the country in 2021. They won all domestic titles including the Women’s Premier League and the FA Cup.
Hasaacas won the WAFU Zone B and finished second at the maiden CAF Women’s Champions League.
Compiled by Enoch Fiifi Forson|3new.com|Ghana