Ghana will play China in an international friendly in the next Fifa friendly date on August 15, the president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kwesi Nyantakyi has disclosed to Goal.com Ghana.

He said the game will be played in Beijing as part of preparations towards the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign.

The Black Stars are yet to play any major international friendly under the tutelage of coach Kwesi Appiah since he took over in April.

However, the four-time African champions have been impressive in recent times trailing Sudan in Group D on the road to Brazil 2014.

Meanwhile, Nyantakyi has also revealed that Ghana’s next Afcon qualifying game against Malawi in September will be played at the Accra Sports Stadium instead of Kumasi – the stronghold of the national team.

It is highly expected that the game will be played during the day at about 3pm.

The President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Kwesi Nyantakyi is in the United Kingdom for the 2012 Olympics Games.

Nyantakyi, who is a member of FIFA's Organising Committee for the Olympics, will be working for the world governing body during the event in the United Kingdom.

He will be based in Coventry where he will supervise the organisation of football matches involving men and women during the three-week event.

Fred Crentsil will act as the leader of the GFA while Nyantakyi is away for three weeks.

Nyantakyi said his participation in the Olympic Games will greatly benefit Ghana.

"The Olympics is the biggest sporting event in the world and offers a lot of benefits," the GFA President said.

"It offers a lot of training and benefit to whoever has the opportunity to be a part of it.

"I believe that when I go the experience I gain will impact positively on my return on football in this country."

Crentsil was named as the stand-in leader of the GFA because he is the longest serving member of the Emergency Committee.

Meanwhile, Nyantakyi made some key announcements of a raft of proposed changes to the regulations of the GFA.

Below are some of the changes to be put before Congress in September:

*The phased implementation of the club licensing system.

*The proposal to use the single-judge system for the Disciplinary Committee.

*The reduction of the time for protests in respect of inter-club matches. Clubs must lodge protest no later than 24 hours from the end of the match. Previously it was 72 hours.

*The abolition of the review system in the legal processes of the GFA.

*The introduction of distinct home and away strips for clubs.

*The introduction of a unified calendar for all the leagues and competitions in the country.

*Protesting clubs won't benefit points-wise in certain protests.

Berekum Chelsea striker Emmanuel Clottey's two goals denied hosts TP Mazembe their first CAF Champions League win in a 2-2 draw on Sunday at the Stadium Mazembe / Lubumbashi.

The 24-year-old striker scored his 10th CAF Champions League goal this season away in Lubumbashi to inspire Bekerum from 2-0 at half time to finish level.

Mazembe looked like they were heading to their first Group B win after Tresor Mputu tried to steal the show with his first half brace in the 11th and 32nd minutes to stun the Champions League group stage newcomers.

However, Clottey lived up to his pre-match promise scoring his first from the spot in the 71st minute and earned the point for Bekerum six minutes from time.

Berekum stay top on four points until late Sunday evening ahead of the big Cairo Group A derby between second placed Al Ahly on three points and bottom placed Zamalek.

Zamalek are seeking their first win after losing 3-2 away to Berekum Chelsea in their opening Group A match on July 7 in Accra in a match Clottey scored a hat trick.

The Vice Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has added his voice to the many congratulatory messages that are still pouring in for Ghanaian BET award winner Sarkodie in a message of encouragement to the youth of Ghana.

Dr. Bawumia’s praise however came with an encouragement to the entire youth of the country to be enthusiastic in their chosen fields so as to significantly position Ghana on the international stage.

He said these in an interview with
Citifmonline.com minutes before his departure to the United States and Canada where has been invited by the NPP’s branches of these countries.

He also used the opportunity to applaud Black Stars midfielder Kwadjo Asamoah who just recently signed a contract with Italian football giant Juventus.

The former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana who has been touring the various regions in the country to restore hope to the people said “so far the campaign has been focusing on a key message which is one that would make Ghana globally competitive.

“As you know very recently some of our young people like Sarkodie has won an international award, we’ve seen also Kwadjo Asamoah just got transferred to Juventus and you have the Essien’s and the Muntari’s and so on doing so well out there but we want to build champions in Ghana who would be able to compete globally not just in sports or music but in business, agriculture, architecture, medicine and so on.

“We want local Ghanaian champions that would give us that global competitive edge. That is why Nana Akuffo Addo is focused so much on the message of education because that really becomes the channel through which we’re going to build the skill base that Ghana needs to compete globally.

He added that “we wish all of them and I know that there are many more talented Ghanaians who are going to conquer on the international stage and we should all stand ready to support them, encourage them and push them to take Ghana’s name higher and higher.”

Dr. Bawumia would be away for about two and a half weeks propagating the message of the NPP for revolutionary Ghana under an Akufo Addo presidency.

Victory celebrations by residents of Manya Krobo following the resolution of a long standing legal dispute over the boundaries of Akuse have degenerated into chaos.

Reports indicate that Residents of Manya Krobo have clashed with a deployment of Akuse police.

The residents, intent on converging in Akuse for massive victory celebrations have met with strong resistance by the police who are bent on preventing them from doing so.

Narrating the ongoing fracas, to Citifmonline, President of Krobo Youth Group; Kloma Gbi, Philip Tetteh Padi said the police are warding off incursions by Manya Krobo residents into Akuse by firing teargas and warning gunshots.

‘There is chaos at the place as I speak to you right now because the police are preventing the people of Manya Krobo from entering the town (Akuse) with teargas and warning shots but the people are also bent on moving in at all cost, so they are in full force and are also pushing the police gradually into Akuse’, Philip reported.

He said the police were insistent on preventing the planned victory celebrations because they claim there was an issue with security but the celebrants did not see eye to eye with them, ‘and that is the cause of the whole problem’.

It will be recalled that the chiefs and people of the Manya Krobo Traditional area decided to congregate in Akuse, Saturday July 21 to celebrate their recent victory in the long standing boundary dispute which had engulfed Akuse and its surrounding communities.

The celebration was slated to take place at Post Office Square at the center of the Akuse Township amidst rich cultural performances under the auspice of Nene Sakite II, Konor (Paramount Chief) of the Manya Krobo Traditional among others.

The intended celebratory spectacle was aimed at stamping the authority of the Manya Krobo State over Akuse and provide the platform for the chiefs to set the record straight on the history, location and ownership of Akuse and its allied settlements.

It followed the declaration as unconstitutional- by a nine-member panel of the Supreme Court on June 13, the Legislative Instrument which sought to illegally place Akuse and some communities in the Dangme West District in the Greater Accra Region.

In 2010, a Parliamentary Sub Legislating Committee in an attempted re-demarcation exercise and acting on the Local Government (Creation of New District Electoral Areas and Designation of Units) Instrument, 2010 (LI 1983) realigned some Electoral Areas – Zongo New Town, Akutue, Osukutu, Bungalow, Amedeka, Salon and Natriku- at Akuse, originally part of the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality in the Eastern Region to Danmge West (Now Shai Osudoku) in the Greater Accra Region.

The exercise sparked off a chain of legal battles leading to the suspension of some national events which were supposed to have taken place in the area including the Biometric Voter Registration exercise (ongoing at the moment) as well as the District Assembly Elections which is currently pending in the entire municipality.

Chairman of the Planning Committee, Nene Okpatapkla Sasraku IV, had said earlier, “Now that the Supreme Court has given its final verdict, we are coming out to retell the history to clear the misconception about the ownership and location of Akuse and the surrounding communities”.

“It is not necessarily about celebrating the victory because Akuse has always been for Krobos and its retention in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality was expected; we are mainly going there to assert our authority over the place and to set the records straight for Ghanaians to know”.

Two suspected armed robbers narrowly escaped death after being beaten to pulp by residents of Hansonic, a suburb of Dansoman in Accra.

The two suspects are reported to have robbed some Dansoman residents of their possessions.

Narrating the incident to Citi News, an eyewitness who gave his name only as Charles said the “two robbers were escaping on a motor bike after a robbery in the area when a Toyota truck knocked them down at the main Dansoman junction. This enabled the residents to beat the two till the police arrived at the scene.”

According to him, “the police retrieved items such as ladies purse, ID Cards and an unknown amount of money.”

Meanwhile, the Odorkor MTTU Commander, ASP Abdulai Mumuni who confirmed the incident to Citi News said the two suspects have been sent to Regional Police Headquarters for further investigations.

He explained that “the residents nearly lynched them but for the intervention of a military officer who happened to be at the scene, they would have been killed

Today marks 40 years that the First President of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah died in Bucharest, Romania, after battling with cancer.

Ghana’s first President is remembered among other achievements to have been the arrowhead of the independence struggle. The Communication Director of the Convention People’s Party, CPP Nii Armah Akomfrah told Citi News the party would hold a memorial service in honour of the visionary leader.

He said “it’s a sad occasion, it’s a solemn occasion but also its an occasion for all to reflect on where we’ve come as a nation and why the legacy of Nkrumah is still relevant. We’ll be taking a few more day after that to do different things globally and here in Ghana.

“It’s a big occasion for us and we hope that many people who cherish the memory of Nkrumah, many people who love and respect him would join us.”

Residents of Pakyi Number One near Kumasi woke up Saturday to the ghastly spectacle of the near-decapitated body of a pregnant woman in an uncompleted building.

Construction workers who had gone to work on the project discovered the body drenched in blood, with the underpants and bra lying close by.

Police made a fruitless search for the identity of the woman on Saturday and it was Sunday morning that they made a breakthrough.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Simon Denteh, Asokwa District Police Crime Officer, told graphic.com.gh that relatives of the deceased identified her as Akosua Mansa, 32, from Nkwanta Ofoase near Trede in the Atwima Kwanwoma District of the Ashanti Region.

Police are however yet to trace those behind the killing but the crime officer promised that the police would work hard to get to the bottom of the horrendous crime.

He consequently appealed to members of the public especially those from Pakyi and surrounding communities who had any information about the act to assist the police in that respect.

The grisly murder sent shock waves through the town and its environs, as people could not fathom the motive behind the crime.

ASP Denteh said it was too early to establish the reasons behind the act but did not rule out ritual murder.

Again, police suspected the woman was raped before being killed as whitish substance believed to be human sperms was found near the genitals.

Also found besides the mortal remains was gari and beans in a polythene bag.

According to the assembly member for Pakyi Number One, Mr John Forkuo, three men working on the building, informed him in the morning that they went to the site to find a woman dead in the structure with the head almost severed.

He said he briefed the chief of the town who directed him to inform the unit committee members of the area.

Mr Forkuo said he informed the Pakyi police and together they went to the site where they saw the body.

After the fruitless search on Saturday, an uncle of the deceased, Abdul Kadir went to Pakyi today to identify the body after police had shown him pictures of the slain woman.

ASP Denteh quoted Kadir as saying that the deceased last Friday sought permission to undertake a return journey to Pakyi but did not explain what exactly she was going to do there.

When up to the next day, the deceased had not returned, relatives wondered what might have happened to her.

In the evening of Saturday when according to Kadir they heard on radio about the murder of a pregnant woman, the family decided to go to Pakyi and to their shock, the deceased was found to be their own.

The remains of the deceased has been deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital mortuary pending post mortem Monday.

A programme aimed at providing a platform for young African entrepreneurs has been organized for over 60 young leaders from sub-Saharan Africa. Ghana was represented by Mr. Tonyi Senayah of Horsemanshoes.com and Ms Dorinda Saah of Dream Environment.

The Innovation Summit and Mentoring Partnership are to provide these entrepreneurs professional exchange and entrepreneurial hands-on training.

Welcoming the participants, the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton said, they believe strongly in the future of Africa, and their goal is to be a partner and a friend helping lead the way into the kind of future that is so well deserved.

President Obama and his Administration she added have made building strong partnerships with the people of Africa a key element of their foreign policy, because they are convinced that the story of the 21st century will be written in large part by African citizens.

She urged them to use their talents and skills to help bring greater prosperity, progress, and a better future to all of the people whose efforts so desperately need to be supported and encouraged them to educate Americans about their home countries and the exciting new developments underway on the continent.

The programme featured sessions with inspirational business leaders and entrepreneurs. Participants were placed Cities in the American workplace and exposed to cultural aspects of American life. This training was to enhance U.S.-Africa collaboration to promote business innovation, investment, and social responsibility activities in Africa.

They also interacted with speakers visiting from institutions such as the International Finance Corporation, the International Monetary Fund, and McKinsey & Company. They also heard from top U.S. government officials, including Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson and high-level representatives from Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum and USAID.

The Ghanaian shoemaker, Mr. Senayah, said, the world is becoming smaller and competition is becoming keener, so he would like to encourage other young entrepreneurs to step up their game, strive for excellence and quality in their products and services in order to be competitive.

He expressed gratitude to the US government and the American Embassy, Ghana for giving them this opportunity and to the JTA Group in Denver Colorado for opening their doors to for his internship.

The Innovation Summit and Mentoring Partnership is this year’s contribution to the Obama Administration’s President’s Young African Leaders’ Initiative - a long-term effort to develop an enduring and productive U.S.-Africa relationship with the continent’s youth.

It seems African women thrive on new challenges. And we have a lot of them doing that here on AfricaMagic Entertainment like Patricia Amara, Mo’ Abudu and now Dzigbordi Dosoo.

Even with their plates full they still have the capacity to take on more tasks and make use of opportunities that women never had before.

Such is the case with Dzigbordi Dosoo (pronounced Gee-bore-dee). Dzigbordi is a wellness, image and lifestyle coach, entrepreneur and talk show host amongst many other things. AfricaMagic Entertainment viewers have witnessed her work as a wellness expert on Pamper Your Mum, a wellness show that broadcast on AfricaMagic Entertainment recently.

As CEO and founder of the Allure Group Africa, Dzibordi is responsible for the first Day Spa in Ghana. With her vast knowledge of the beauty industry, she co-created an authentically African skin care range called ‘kanshi’.

Dzibordi is also a sought after motivational speaker, a career path which gave birth to her TV show – the Dzibordi Show. This talk show host and entrepreneur has won several awards for being a pioneer in the wellness industry in West Africa. Some of these special awards include the ‘CIMG Marketing Woman of the Year Award’ in 2009 and ‘Outstanding and Influential Ghanaian’ in 2010.

She’s featured on various style magazines and handbooks globally, most recently she graced the cover of Leadership Life & Style Magazine, where she was touted as “Africa’s Oprah”. Dzibordi is also a wife and mother.

A bit about the Dzibordi Show

The Dzigbordi Show is a thirteen part-hour long show which captures the essence of the host.

In each episode Dzibordi helps numerous people find personal success in different spheres of their lives from work related problems to finances, relationships and mental strength.

Dzibordi is a philanthropist and dedicates some of her time to mentoring young women to achieve their goals despite their odds and we see how all these relationships play out as segments in her show.

Ghanaian rapper and two time Ghana Music Awards winner, Sarkodie and Nigeria’s Wizkid were announced joint winners for the 2012 BET Award for Best International Act (Africa) at a splendid event which took place last night at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

They beat their competitors-Iceprince (Nigeria), Camp Mulla (Kenya), Mokobe (Mali) and South Africa’s Lira.

Last year the award was won by 2face Idibia and Dbanj from Nigeria.

The big winners of the 2012 BET Awards included Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, and, of course, Jay-Z and his wife Beyoncé.

Below is the full list of the night’s winners:

Best Group: The Throne (Kanye West & Jay-Z)

Best Actor: Kevin Hart

Best New Artist: Big Sean

Best Male R&B Artist: Chris Brown

Best Collaboration: Wale ft. Miguel

Best Gospel: Yolanda Adams

Best Female R&B Artist: Beyoncé

Best Female Hip-Hop Artist: Nicki Minaj

Lifetime Achievement Award: Maze featuring Frankie Beverly

Video Of The Year: “Otis,” The Throne (Kanye West & Jay-Z)

BET Humanitarian Award: Rev. Al Sharpton

Viewers’ Choice Award: Mindless Behavior

Video Director Of The Year: Beyoncé & Alan Ferguson

AOL Fandemonium Award: Chris Brown

Best International Act (Africa): Sarkodie & Wizkid

Dentaa, CEO of GUBA Awards and Minster of Tourism, Akua Sena Dansua.
The Ghana UK Based Achievement (Awards) – GUBA, has been endorsed by the Ministry of Tourism in Ghana.

The annual awards ceremony, now in its third year, showcases and celebrates excellence and achievement within the British-Ghanaian community as well as the outstanding and valuable services provided to Ghanaians in the UK and Ghana.

The Honourable Minster of Tourism, Akua Sena Dansua, said in a letter “GUBA’s role in recognising the achievements of Ghanaians in the UK is important in helping to promote Ghana and the national interest”.

The GUBA team is delighted and grateful for the support from the Ministry of Tourism; it is another boost for the organisation that is also endorsed by the Ghana High Commission to the UK & Ireland.

GUBA 2012 will take place in November and will be a star-studded night which will feature the presence of well-known public figures, entrepreneurs, personalities from the world of sports and entertainment.

GUBA is now in its 3rd year and, following a spectacular GUBA 2011 ceremony, preparations are firmly underway for GUBA on 10th November 2012 at the Park Plaza Hotel, River Bank London

The final list of the gorgeous ladies who qualified from the Northern Belt for Miss Ghana 2012 is out.

The six ladies are Georgette Anawode Adeyiga, a 20 year-old Biology student of the University of Development Studies (Wa), Gifty Enyonam Abiti, a 20 year-old Medical student, also of the University of Development Studies (Wa), Josephine Aryitey, a 19 year-old Senior High School Graduate and Biley Sung La Bou, a 22 year-old Management Studies student of the University of Development Studies (Wa).

The remaining are Joana Ahiawordor, a 24 year-old Level 400 Political Science student of the University of Ghana, and Rufina Boateng.

Rufina and Josephine will represent the Northern Region, with Gifty and Georgette representing the Upper East while Joan and Billy would represent the Upper West region at the national finals.