The Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, has revealed that adopting circular practices in Ghana could boost GDP growth by 1.9 percent by 2030 and create over 60,000 jobs.

The minister indicated that these jobs would emerge in sectors such as recycling, innovation, and manufacturing.

Delivering the keynote address at the Environmental Sustainability Summit 2025, Dr Mohammed stated that plastic waste costs the economy a staggering US$6 billion annually — representing about 11 percent of Ghana’s GDP.

According to him, if Ghana is able to implement policies that gradually phase out plastics, this hard currency could be saved and redirected to other sectors of the economy.

He noted that Ghana — through a possible ban on plastics, a circular economy, domestic recycling, and reuse of plastics — could save between €200 million and €300 million in imports, further easing pressure on the cedi.

The summit, organised by the Business and Financial Times in Accra, brought together policymakers, industry leaders, environmental experts, and other relevant stakeholders to discuss viable strategies for ending plastic waste pollution.

Dr. Mohammed revealed that Ghana generates a staggering 1.1 million tonnes of plastic waste annually.

Estimates show that over 50 percent of this waste remains uncollected, and only about 9 percent is recycled.

This waste often ends up on the streets, clogs drains, causes floods, contaminates fisheries, and creates health hazards.

“The consequences are dire and quantifiable,” the minister stated. “Beyond the environmental devastation — clogged drains, plastic-laden fish, and public health risks — this linear ‘take-make-use-discard’ model is haemorrhaging our economy. We cannot afford the status quo.”

The minister emphasized that plastics could play a pivotal role in Ghana’s economic strategy, stressing that the adoption of circular practices is not just environmentally necessary but also economically imperative.

Drawing inspiration from successes in Rwanda and Kenya, he revealed that Ghana is actively exploring multi-pronged policy interventions to curb plastic pollution.

These include a possible ban and taxes on single-use plastics to discourage their use, and mandating plastic producers to fund waste collection and recycling efforts.

“Those multi-million-dollar companies must make a contribution,” the minister asserted, highlighting the importance of ensuring producer responsibility for environmental stewardship.

He also revealed that the government is considering the promulgation of a comprehensive legal framework on plastics and climate change.

To further demonstrate government’s commitment to this cause, an Environment, Science & Technology Forum — an annual event — will be inaugurated in August 2025.

The forum, to be chaired by the President, aims to bridge the gap between research — which the minister said is “gathering dust on shelves” — and policy, and to promote private sector innovation. He cited past successes like instant neat fufu and Pozzolana cement, which were developed by CSIR, a government research institute.

The minister concluded with a powerful call for societal and behavioural change, quoting the renowned scientist Albert Einstein:

“The significant problems that confront us can never be solved with the thinking we had when we created them.”

He challenged all sectors — industry, academia, CSOs, citizens, and international partners — to collaborate, innovate, and take action to address the plastic waste crisis.

“Simple acts, multiplied millions of times, will make a world of difference. Let us resolve that years from now, we will look back on 2025 as the turning point,” he urged.

A former Commissioner General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, and two other former officials of the GRA are in custody over their roles in the SML Scandal, according to information exclusively available to manassehazure.com

The other two, according to sources at the OSP, are Dr. Isaac Crentsil, a former Commissioner of Customs, and Christian Tetteh Sottie, a former technical advisor to the Commissioner General of the GRA.

The three former GRA officials, two of whom now work for Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML), spent last night in the cells of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), formerly BNI. They were placed in custody after they failed to meet bail conditions following their questioning and arrest by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

The SML scandal was revealed in an investigative documentary by three former reporters of The Fourth Estate, Evans Aziamor-Mensah, Adwoa Adobea-Owusu, and Manasseh Azure Awuni, after a year’s extensive investigation into the shady operations of SML.

When the journalists confronted the company with evidence, SML could not substantiate the claims it made about the services it provided and the amount of savings it claimed to have made as a result of its operations .

The company had been paid over $141 million by the government by the end of 2023 for its contracts, which have broken several laws, including the PPA Act.

SML, which is an offshoot of a timber company, was formed on Valentine’s Day in 2017, a month after the Akufo-Addo administration took office, and has since enjoyed several sweetheart deals from the GRA and the Ministry of Finance.

The SML scandal is one of the reasons the Special Prosecutor has declared Ken Ofori-Atta wanted over suspected corruption and corruption-related offences. Ken Ofori-Atta masterminded the consolidated SML contract in 2023, which entitled the company to over $100 million a year from the state. That contract was for five years, renewable for another five years.

The three former GRA officials in custody were among those questioned by the OSP yesterday in an ongoing probe into the contracts and operations of SML and the complicity of state officials. They played various roles in the SML contract, and some of them have now crossed carpets from the GRA to SML.

Dr. Isaac Crentsil, who was the GRA’s Commissioner of Customs at the time the GRA signed the contract with SML, is now the General Manager at SML.

He was the GRA’s Commissioner of Customs from 2017 to 2019 and was seconded to the Ministry of Finance as a technical advisor until he retires from the GRA in September 2022. Before becoming the Commissioner of Customers, Dr. Crentsil had headed the Post Clearance Audit Unit of the Customs Division of the GRA from 2015 to 2017.

Christian Tetteh Sottie, who was the technical advisor to the GRA Commissioner General at the time of the SML contract, is now the Managing Director of SML.

Also, a former head of legal at the GRA, Philip Mensah, now works with SML as the company’s legal advisor.

Another former Commissioner of the GRA, Emmanuel Kofi Nti, was also questioned by the OSP, as well as Evans Edusei, the CEO of SML.

It was during Kofi Nti’s tenure as the GRA’s Commissioner General that the SML deal was first cooked. On three separate occasions, Mr. Nti applied to the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) for approval to use the single-source procurement method to engage Strategic Mobilisation Enhancement Limited (SMEL) for audit and revenue assurance services for the GRA.

On each of the three occasions, the PPA denied the request, stating that SMEL did not have the capacity or any proven record of ever undertaking that service.

SMEL changed its name to SML, but did nothing about its smell of apparent incapacity, for which reason the PPA denied GRA’s request. The GRA proceeded to award the contracts without PPA approval.

Mr. Kofi Nti, who is reported to have appeared at the OSP looking frail, was succeeded by Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu Amoah.

Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu Amoah was the one who ratified the SML contracts that were signed without regard to the PPA law.

It was during his tenure as Commissioner General that the GRA and Ministry of Finance, on the orders of Ken Ofori-Atta, signed the consolidated contract of 2023 that expanded SML’s operations to cover the mining sector, upstream petroleum sector in addition to the company’s shady operations in the downstream oil production sector and the ports.

Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu Amoah, according to his LinkedIn profile, “has worked previously as the Managing Director and CEO of Bank of Africa in Tanzania.

“He has over 20 years of experience in Banking, having served in various roles. Previously, he served as the Managing Director and CEO for UniBank in Ghana for four years, and also Group Head of Operations for Ecobank Transnational Inc.”

The SML Scandal

As of December 2023, the government had paid more than $141 million to SML through its contracts.
In 2023, the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, directed that the scope of SML’s contract be expanded to cover the mining sectors and upstream petroleum sectors.

The contract, worth more than $100 million a year, was for an initial period of five years, subject to another five years’ renewal. It is worth more than $500 million for the first five years.

Under that deal, SML is entitled to a percentage of revenue from every litre of petroleum product one buys in Ghana. The company is also entitled to a fixed percentage of revenue from every barrel of oil produced in Ghana and a fixed percentage of revenue from every ounce of gold mined in Ghana.

It is, therefore, false the claim by SML and its defenders that the company is paid based on the recoveries it helps the government to make. The company has not made any recoveries since its operations.

Following the investigation by the three journalists and subsequent report by KPMG, the upstream and mining sector contracts have remained suspended. The government also cancelled the external price verification and transaction audit services at the port, which the KPMG report said were already being performed by the GRA.

SML, however, resumed its downstream operations in late June 2024. The then flag bearer of the NDC, John Mahama, said in 2024 that the SML deal was a fleecing of the state and indicated that an NDC government under his watch would terminate it. Six months into office, Mr. Mahama has yet to take any action on the contract.

SML has, however, embarked on an aggressive PR campaign, buying airtimes and appearing on platforms created by the University for Professional Studies-Accra (UPSA) to make false claims it could not sustain when the journalists confronted it with evidence.

SML had made false claims about its services to the state and the savings that resulted from its operations. When the journalists confronted the company with evidence, it admitted the falsehood and proceeded to delete information from its website.

First, the company had claimed that it saved the nation GHS3 billion as a result of its operations. The story had been widely published by the Ghanaian newspaper and made it to the front page of the state-owned Daily Graphic.

The investigation proved that this was false. When confronted, the Managing Director of the Company, Christian Tetteh Sottie, admitted the information was false. He claimed the media got it wrong.

When reminded by Manasseh that the same information was on SML’s website on the morning of the interview, Mr. Sottie claimed, “I don’t know about any website matter.”

Pages 157 and 158 of the KPMG report, which was commissioned by Akufo-Addo after the investigative journalists’ report indicated that SML played no role in the increase in volumes or revenue in the downstream sector during its operations.

For instance, the GRA and SML claimed that the downstream petroleum sector started recording high volumes of up to 400 million litres a month because of SML’s operations. However, the KPMG report shows that that figure was already being recorded in 2019, and that SML recorded the lowest figures when the company came on board.

Page 157 of the KPMG report debunks claims by the GRA and SML that the downstream sector started to record 400 million litres of petroleum products a month following SML’s operations, which started in June 2020

The KPMG report also indicated how revenue in the sector grew, and that had nothing to do with SML’s operations.

Page 158 of the KPMG report detailing factors that influence revenue growth in the downstream petroleum sector.

The company also made false claims about the services it rendered as part of its petroleum downstream contract.
On its website, SML stated: “The SML Digitalisation of downstream petroleum product measurement has stem(sic) the tide of under-reporting, diversion and dilution of fuel products and general non-compliance in the petroleum industry sector.”

The three journalists obtained evidence that the services used to curtail these irregularities in the downstream petroleum sector were performed by separate companies already engaged by the state. SML was not one of the companies that performed these services.

When they confronted the GRA, it said SML’s claims were false. When they confronted SML, the company admitted the falsehood.

“Oh no, we are not involved in diversion. We are only at the depots. If the thing [petroleum product] is lifted, we don’t know if [it is diverted],” Mr. Sottie said.

He added: “It is GRA, Customs, that will determine where it goes, and they will follow up. We are not capable. We don’t have men outside.”

A few hours after the interview, the claim of providing services that checked dilution, diversion, and under-reporting disappeared from the website of SML.

When the falsehood was put to SML’s Director of Support Service, Serwaa Yaa Sarpong, she said on Newsfile that the claim on the website was only an advertisement of the company’s services.

“It [the website] is a place where brands or companies advertise what they can do. They create brand awareness. They interact with their clients. They tell potential clients, ‘This is what we do.’ It’s not the scope of work of a contract.”

This was obviously false. SML admitted during the investigation that it did not have any other contracts apart from its contracts with the government of Ghana.

The company was engaged by only the GRA and the Ministry of Finance for only one downstream contract, which is the so-called digitalisation of the downstream sector. It had no prior experience in such service anywhere and at the time of the investigation, it had no such contract with any entity apart from the government of Ghana.

So, if it claims it had stemmed the tide of under-reporting, diversion, and dilution, it was not speaking in general terms. Neither was it referring to a different contract than its downstream contract with the Ministry of Finance and the GRA.

By admitting that it did not check under-declaration, diversion, or dilution, it is difficult to say which problem SML was brought in to resolve.

Officials of SML and their defenders—notably some professors of the University of Ghana and UPSA—have often claimed that those who oppose SML’s operations were companies affected by the company’s work.

The Managing Director of SML, Christian Tetteh Sottie, admitted on camera that since the company started operations in 2020, it had not flagged even a single anomaly. He further stated that SML was not into checking irregularities or noncompliance. That, he said, was the work of the GRA.

So, if a company does not check irregularities and non-compliance, how could its work affect shady players in the industry? Nobody has been able to say how.

But that was not all the shocking revelations of the SML deal.

SML said it measured the volumes of petroleum products pumped from the tank farms to the loading gantries, where oil marketing companies (OMCs) load with their tankers for the filling stations.

The the three journalists investigation revealed that the measurement by SML was not used by the GRA or the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) for revenue purposes.

SML’s engineers admitted on camera that the existing metres, which are calibrated by the Ghana Standards Authority every six months, take more accurate readings than SML’s metres. Readings from these metres were used to collect revenue before the SML contract was signed are still the ones used five years after the SML contract.

SML’s engineers explained why their metres did not take readings that were as accurate as the existing metres. They said the SML metres use sound technology and can sometimes record vibrations that are not petroleum products flowing through the pipes. This could be air being pumped to clear the pipelines.

The NPA and GRA use the readings from the existing metres, which are fed into the Enterprise Relational Data Management System (ERDMS). The ERDMS is used by all players in the industry and can lock out OMCs that default in taxes from loading. It helps the GRA to monitor all volumes of petroleum product, a reason players in the industry say SML was not needed in the first place.

The ERDMS is connected to the Customs Integration Management System (ICUMS).

This means that the systems in the downstream sector communicate with the GRA’s system, but SML’s readings are not connected to either the NPA or GRA system.

In communicating the findings of the KPMG report to Ghanaians, the Office of the President said in 2024 that the SML contract had breached several laws of Ghana, including lack of parliamentary approvals for multi-year contracts awarded to the company.

Page 14 of the KPMG report on SML

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A photo collage of Kennedy Agyapong [L] and Prophet Nigel Gaisie

The Founder and Leader of Prophetic Hill Chapel, Prophet Nigel Gaisie, has launched a spiritual attack on New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential hopeful Kennedy Agyapong, accusing him of endangering the lives of prophets and disrespecting the church.

In a statement shared on social media on June 23, 2025, Prophet Gaisie warned that the MP’s continued criticism of churches and men of God could have severe spiritual consequences for both him and the NPP as a party.

“You can’t attack the churches of God and innocent prophets and expect to be a flagbearer. Okay… we are waiting. God has spoken to us. We are waiting for the right time to speak and work. We will prove the power of God and the prophets,” Gaisie wrote.

He claimed that some prophets have died as a result of Kennedy Agyapong’s public attacks and “loose talk,” describing the outspoken former Assin Central MP as a spiritual threat.

“Some of my prophet friends have died because of your lies, attacks, and loose talks. We are watching and waiting for the right time to strike,” he stated.

The controversial prophet further alleged that Kennedy Agyapong is one of the key reasons why he and other religious leaders “fought the NPP with our all, spiritually and physically” during past elections.

Gaisie warned that if the NPP selects Kennedy Agyapong as its 2028 flagbearer, the party will suffer an unprecedented defeat.

“The NPP will not even get 30 percent at the polls nationally if they dare make that mistake. Ghana belongs to God. The prophets and the churches are waiting for him. We have covenants with God, and it will be provoked,” he wrote.

He went as far as labeling Agyapong “an anti-Christ” and warned his followers to expect a smear campaign.

“He will pay his robots to come and lie about me, so expect it,” he said.

According to Gaisie, he has received divine revelation that Kennedy Agyapong’s candidacy would spell doom for the ruling party.

“The Lord told me the NPP will have their worst ever defeat if they try him. I saw a lot of maggots and flies around him, spiritually.”

It may be recalled that Kennedy Agyapong once launched a public crusade against certain pastors in the country, whom he described as fake. He openly criticised their conduct, and Prophet Nigel Gaisie was among those he accused, alleging that he was a fake prophet, a rapist, and involved in sexual misconduct with women.

AM/KA

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Dennis Odoi is free to join the club of his choice in the transfer window

Black Stars defender Denis Odoi has left Belgium topflight side Royal Antwerp in the summer transfer window.

The veteran wing-back mutually agreed to part ways with the Reds despite having a year left on his deal.

“Denis Odoi (37) is leaving RAFC. Although Odoi still had a contract for one season, the player and club have decided by mutual agreement to terminate that agreement. RAFC would like to thank Denis for his efforts last season and wish him every success in his further career,” wrote Antwerp confirming the departure of the defender.

Odoi cited personal reasons for his decision to leave Royal Antwerp following an outstanding one season with the club.

“Personal reasons are the reason for the termination of the contract. I thank the club for their understanding and for the confidence they had in me. Also all club employees, the staff and my teammates: thank you for the great time I had at the Bosuil. In addition, a special word of thanks to the supporters. From day one I have felt supported. You are fantastic!” he said.

The 37-year-old, who previously played Fulham and Club Brugge, is free to join the club of his choice in the transfer window.

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni will seek reelection for another term in polls due early next year to extend his nearly four-decade rule, according to a senior official from the ruling party.

Although he was widely expected to run for office again, it is the first confirmation from his National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.

Uganda will hold its general election in January, in which voters will also elect lawmakers.

Museveni, 80, has been in power since 1986 and is Africa’s fourth-longest-ruling leader. The ruling party has changed the constitution twice in the past to allow him to extend his rule.

In a video posted late on Monday by state broadcaster UBC on social media platform X, the chairperson of the ruling party’s electoral body Tanga Odoi said Museveni would pick up forms on June 28 to represent the party in the polls.

“The president … will pick (up) expression-of-interest forms for two positions, one for chairperson of the party and the other to contest if he is given chance for presidential flag bearer,” Odoi said.

NRM and other political parties are at present vetting and clearing their candidate for the polls.

Museveni’s closest opponent will be pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine who came second in the last polls in 2021 and has already confirmed his intention to run in 2026.

Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, rejected the 2021 results, saying his victory had been stolen through ballot stuffing, intimidation by security forces and other irregularities.

Rights activists and critics have long accused Museveni of using patronage and security forces to maintain his grip on power, but he has denied the accusations and says his long rule is due to popular support.

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Eswatini King, King Mswati III [R] and some of his wives

Eswatini’s High Commissioner to Ghana, H.E. Mahlaba Almon Mamba, has disclosed that it is traditionally forbidden to look directly into the eyes of the wives of the Eswatini King, King Mswati III.

According to a Joy Prime post shared on social media, the Diplomat added that, the King who is in Ghana on a four-day state visit, has 15 wives carefully chosen from across Eswatini’s regions to ensure balance.

The Kingdom of Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, has a unique tradition, where the king is allowed to marry several wives.

King Mswati the Third (born Makhosetive Dlamini; 19 April 1968), who rules the southern African nation, has about 36 children.

His first two wives are selected by a special council. None of these two wives’ sons can rise to the position of king.

According to tradition, the king’s first wife must hail from the Matsebula clan, while the second one must be a member of the Motsa clan.

The king, thereafter, has the freedom to choose wives from the other clans. There are at least 17 founding clans in Eswatini Kingdom.

He heads an absolute monarchy, as he has veto power over all branches of government and is constitutionally immune from prosecution.

He was crowned as Mswati III, Ingwenyama and King of Swaziland, on 25 April 1986 at the age of 18, becoming the youngest ruling monarch in the world at that time.

With unrestricted political power and able to rule by decree, Mswati III (together with his mother, Ntfombi Tfwala, now Queen Mother [Ndlovukati]) is the last remaining absolute monarch in Africa and one of the only twelve remaining absolute national or subnational monarchs in the world.

Under his reign, political dissent and civic and labor activism are subject to harsh punishment under laws against sedition and other laws. Political parties have been banned in Eswatini since 1973 when King Sobhuza II declared a state of emergency that remained in force until 2005, when the constitution came into effect.

Eswatini’s High Commissioner to Ghana, H.E. Mahlaba Almon Mamba, says it is traditionally forbidden to look directly into the eyes of the wives of the Eswatini King, King Mswati III. He adds that, the King who is in Ghana on a state visit, has 15 wives carefully chosen from… pic.twitter.com/O8am8FIWBh

— Joy Prime (@JoyPrimeTV) June 24, 2025

KA

Ever heard of Nkofie, the legendary Kwahu cave believed to grant wishes? Join GhanaWeb’s People & Places as we take you on an exclusive tour of this mystical site:

Dennis Odoi is free to join the club of his choice in the transfer window

Black Stars defender Denis Odoi has left Belgium topflight side Royal Antwerp in the summer transfer window.

The veteran wing-back mutually agreed to part ways with the Reds despite having a year left on his deal.

“Denis Odoi (37) is leaving RAFC. Although Odoi still had a contract for one season, the player and club have decided by mutual agreement to terminate that agreement. RAFC would like to thank Denis for his efforts last season and wish him every success in his further career,” wrote Antwerp confirming the departure of the defender.

Odoi cited personal reasons for his decision to leave Royal Antwerp following an outstanding one season with the club.

“Personal reasons are the reason for the termination of the contract. I thank the club for their understanding and for the confidence they had in me. Also all club employees, the staff and my teammates: thank you for the great time I had at the Bosuil. In addition, a special word of thanks to the supporters. From day one I have felt supported. You are fantastic!” he said.

The 37-year-old, who previously played Fulham and Club Brugge, is free to join the club of his choice in the transfer window.

A 52-year-old steel bender has been jailed for six months by an Accra court after attacking a colleague with a machete, alleging the victim attempted to snatch his girlfriend.  

Kojo Senagbe, initially charged with causing harm, changed his plea from not guilty to guilty after spending time on remand.   

The court, presided over by Kwabena Kodua Obiri Yeboah, convicted him accordingly and imposed a GH¢7,200 fine, with a further six-month prison term in default.   

He was also ordered to compensate the victim with GH¢5,000.  

Chief Inspector Belinda Asante told the court that both Senagbe and the complainant, Oliver Zinto, a carpenter, lived in Community 14 Annex, Lashibi.  

On April 10, 2025, around 2230 hours, Zinto was walking home when Senagbe confronted him on a pathway.  

Ignoring the order to stop, Zinto continued walking, prompting Senagbe to slash him on the scalp, ear, arm, and back with a machete.  

Despite his injuries, Zinto managed to overpower Senagbe and seize the weapon.  

Bystanders provided first aid and reported the attack to the Klagon Police, who issued a medical form for further treatment.  

Senagbe was arrested on April 12 and confessed in his caution statement that he acted because “he has taken over my girlfriend.”   

The machete has since been retrieved by the police.  

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Governor of Bank of Ghana, Dr. Johnson Asiama

The Minority in Parliament has condemned the Bank of Ghana (BoG) over the reported dismissal of staff members, describing the move as illegal and an abuse of power.

According to the Minority, the Central Bank has attempted to hide behind probation clauses to unlawfully terminate the appointments of nearly 100 workers. The Bank, however, insists that only a few probationary staff were affected as part of what it called a rationalisation exercise.

Addressing the media in Parliament, Member of Parliament for Savelugu, Fatahiya Abdul-Aziz, demanded the immediate reinstatement of all affected workers and called for accountability from the Governor of the Bank of Ghana.

She described the dismissals as a threat to Ghana’s democracy and workers’ rights, warning that such actions erode public trust in state institutions.

“The Minority in Parliament stands shoulder to shoulder with these workers, and we will not waver. We demand immediate Reinstatement: The Bank of Ghana must restore every single dismissed worker to their rightful position without any further delay. Their appointments were lawful; their terminations were not,” she stated.

She further urged the dismissed staff to seek legal redress, assuring them of the Minority’s full support.

Madam Abdul-Aziz emphasised that the fight is not only for the affected workers but also for the protection of the rule of law in Ghana.

“The Minority chooses the rule of law. We choose justice. We choose the people. We will fight with every legal, parliamentary, and democratic tool at our disposal until every worker is reinstated, every wrong is righted, and every institution is reminded that it serves the people of Ghana – not the powerful few,” she added.

Paris St-Germain manager Luis Enrique has criticised the pitches at the Club World Cup and said the “ball bounced like a rabbit” during his side’s win against the Seattle Sounders.

The match was played at Seattle’s Lumen Field, home of MLS side the Sounders and NFL team the Seattle Seahawks, with the stadium’s artificial turf replaced with a temporary hybrid grass for the tournament.

The Spaniard says football’s world governing body, Fifa, needs to “bear in mind” the quality of both match and training pitches if it wants the Club World Cup to be “the most high-level competition in the world”.

“I wouldn’t imagine an NBA court full of holes,” the 55-year-old said after his side won 2-0 to secure top spot in Group B in the tournament, which is being solely hosted in the United States.

“What I really care about is the state of the field of play, and I say this on the day we’ve won.

“The ball bounces almost like if it were jumping around like a rabbit.”

PSG won the Champions League at the end of May with a dominant victory over Inter Milan in Munich to complete a European and domestic treble.

Luis Enrique said his team have had to adjust the way they play since their arrival in the US because of pitch conditions.

“Lumen Field is an example, it used to be artificial turf and now it is natural grass and they have to water it by hand – they did so at half-time but the field was dry again in 10 minutes,” he added.

“For our game this a problem. It’s very different to European pitches. The grass is different and therefore it is not so easy to have the same smoothness to play our style – but we did adapt well and we’re very happy.”

Concerns for the World Cup

There are fewer than 12 months before the Fifa World Cup takes place across Canada, Mexico and United States.

Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham also criticised the pitches at the Club World Cup following his side’s 3-1 win against Pachuca.

“The pitches aren’t great at all. It holds up the ball, the ball barely bounces,” said the England midfielder.

“It’s tough on the knees as well. Hopefully there’s someone who will look at that going into the World Cup next year.”

Five of the venues from this year – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Hard Rock Stadium, MetLife Stadium, Lincoln Financial Field and Lumen Field – will also host World Cup matches.

All five are used by NFL teams and usually have artificial turf but will have real grass installed in time for the World Cup in order to meet Fifa requirements.

The inaugural Club World Cup is not the first time the standard of pitches in the US has caused problems.

Players were critical of conditions at last summer’s Copa America, with Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez saying the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium was a “disaster” following a win over Canada.

Tournament organiser Conmebol defended the pitches, with director of competitions Fredirico Nantes saying “the grass in Atlanta posed absolutely no threat”.

The stadium will host eight matches at the World Cup next summer, including one of the semi-finals.

The state of the pitches is the latest concern that has been raised at the Club World Cup.

There have been concerns about the weather throughout the competition, with extreme heat causing problems for the players.

Borussia Dortmund substitutes watched the first half of their win over Mamelodi Sundowns from the dressing room because of the temperature, with their manager Niko Kovac saying conditions were “like a sauna”.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has said his side have struggled to train in Philadelphia, as temperatures reached 37C.

BBC Sport has contacted FIFA for comment.

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Filmmaker Socrate Safo has expressed concern over how creatives within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are treated.

He believes that the party does not respect creatives who are members, which explains its failure to tap into their knowledge and expertise.

Socrate noted that the NPP focuses solely on “bookish” individuals who, over the years, have failed the party—yet no lessons have been learned.

He made these remarks during an interview on Accra-based Okay FM on Monday, June 23, 2025.

According to him, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has demonstrated that creatives are not empty-headed and, when utilized effectively, can produce remarkable results.

“I get jealous of my colleagues in the NDC. Their party has shown that they appreciate the depth of creatives and are making good use of them. Our people, on the other hand, look at you in a very condescending manner, thinking they are better than you. We had creatives who could have done excellent work, but they were overlooked simply because they didn’t have degrees,” he said on Okay FM.