Ghana boosted their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup with a thumping victory over Madagascar in Group I of the qualifiers.

Thomas Partey demonstrated his clinical attribute with captain Jordan Ayew displaying his visionary skill which helped the Black Stars ease past their opponent to open a five-point gap at the summit of the table (15pts).

Other players also put up a strong showing which aided the emphatic victory. Here is a JoySports rating on the team’s output.

Benjamin Asare – 6
The Hearts of Oak goalkeeper had a fairly quiet game, especially in the first half. However, he was very alert and made a stunning save when called upon to action, ultimately keeping a clean sheet.

Kingsley Schindler – 6
Very solid at the back, and marauded high up the pitch when needed. He really limited Madagascar’s influence on the right flank.

Gideon Mensah – 5.5
The left-back was not as dominant as he was in the previous match against Chad, but remained disciplined and kept the job done at the back.

Alexander Djiku – 6
The centre-back put up a colossal performance in defense, showcasing his leadership quality.

Mohammed Salisu – 5.5
The Monaco man formed a strong partnership with Djiku to help Ghana keep a clean sheet. Nearly scored in the opening exchanges.

Jerome Opoku – 6
He was very calm with the ball and put his body on the line when needed.

Abu Francis – 7
The defensive midfielder was all over the pitch, chasing every blade of grass, and offered much protection to the back three.

Thomas Partey – 8
One of the best performers on the pitch for Ghana. He was neat and tidy in possession and also came up with the goods, scoring twice from two headers.

Mohammed Kudus – 6
Displayed his usual ball-holding skill and ultimately found the back of the net to put the icing on the cake.

Jordan Ayew – 9
The captain’s performance was exemplary. He was the creative force, setting up all three goals, and demonstrated good work ethic.

Antoine Semenyo – 5
Wasn’t too imposing as expected. Not surprisingly, he was the first to be substituted.

Subs:
Inaki Williams – 5
Offered variety

Ernest Nuamah – 6
Offered variety

Ebenezer Annan – N/A
Simpson Razak – N/A
Jonas Adjetey – N/A

Manager – 7
Otto Addo deployed a 3-5-2 system, which provided a solid defensive play with a good attacking outlet. Substitutions were timely.

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Thomas Partey of Ghana ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

by
Austin Ditlhobolo

Monday Mar 24, 2025. 23:11

Ghana made it back-to-back wins in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers when they claimed a 3-0 win over Madagascar at the Grand Stade Al-Hoceima in Morocco on Monday night.

Therefore, the Black Stars opened a five-point lead at the top of the Group I standings with four games left. The West African giants will resume their qualifying campaign in September when they square off with Chad away from home.

Barea, on the other hand, remained second in the standings after recording their second loss in Group I. Coach Corentin Martins will be eager to ensure that his side returns to winning ways when they face the Central African Republic in September.

The Black Stars posed a major threat to Barea from set-pieces with Thomas Partey using aerial prowess to punish Madagascar’s poor marking and the deadlock was broken just 11 minutes into the encounter.

Jordan Ayew’s exquisite free-kick found Partey, who made no mistake as the Arsenal FC star headed past goalkeeper Geordan Dupire. Ghana were leading 1-0 at the interval courtesy of Partey’s 14th international goal for the Black Stars.

The Black Stars searched for another goal after the restart and they got it eight minutes into the second-half. Partey completed his brace with another headed goal from a Ayew corner-kick to make it 2-0 to Ghana – the former’s 15th international goal.

Ayew continued to torment Madagascar with his creativity and he grabbed his third assist in the 58th minute. This time, the Leicester City forward played a defence-splitting pass for Mohammed Kudus. who sealed Ghana’s 3-0 win with a close-range finish.

Madagascar (0) 0

Ghana (1) 3 (Partey 11′, 53,’ Kudus 58′)

Madagascar: Dupire, Fontaine, Morgan, Marcelin, Acapandié, Couturier, Raveloson, Baggio (Rakotoharimalala 69′), Caddy (Abdallah 77′), Lapoussin (Ilaimaharitra 69′), Randrianantenaina (Raheriniaina 69′).

Ghana: Asare, Djiku, Mensah (Simpson 80′), Opoku (Adjetey 83′), Salisu, Partey, Kudus (Annan 81′), Francis (Nuamah 80′), Ayew, Schindler, Semenyo (I. Williams 71′).

On Monday, March 17, 2025, Ghana’s Minister of Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovation boldly declared that the Ghana Post would “integrate a 24-hour economy into operations.”

Professor Isaac Boadi, the Dean of the Faculty of Accounting and Finance and the Executive Director of the Institute of Economic Research and Public Policy (IERPP), stated that this announcement, however, rings alarmingly hollow.

The proposed policy, a concept that requires meticulous planning, funding, and legislative backing, is conspicuously absent from the 2025 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana, which was tabled just days earlier.

Without a concrete roadmap, budgetary allocation, or legal framework, the minister’s pronouncement appears disconnected from the fiscal and operational realities facing the nation.

The 2025 Budget, the government’s primary fiscal blueprint, allocates GH¢269.1 billion in expenditures. It prioritizes debt management, energy sector bailouts, and social interventions. Yet, nowhere in its 235 pages is there a mention of the 24-hour economy.

The only time it was mentioned was in reference to the fact that, the document policy would be sent to parliament for consideration. Yet the minister tells Ghanaians the Ghana post to intergrate 24-hour economy into operations.

The policy yet to prepared and presented to parliament. This omission is not trivial, it is fatal to the initiative’s credibility. A 24-hour economy demands investments in nighttime infrastructure: reliable electricity, expanded public transport, enhanced security, and labor protections. None of these are costed or prioritized in the budget.

For instance, the energy sector—already drowning in GH¢20.8 billion of payments to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) in 2024—receives no new funding for grid upgrades to support 24/7 operations.

Similarly, the Public Safety Sector’s allocation remains stagnant at GH¢4.7 billion, despite the heightened security risks that nighttime economic activity would entail. Without budgetary commitment, the minister’s words are little more than wishful thinking.

Ghana’s economy is grappling with a 61.8% debt-to-GDP ratio, inflation at 23.8%, and a currency that depreciated by 19.2% in 2024. The 2025 Budget explicitly warns of “daunting fiscal challenges,” including GH¢67.5 billion in unpaid arrears to contractors and GH¢32.5 billion in Cocobod debt.

Against this backdrop, the minister’s sudden enthusiasm for a 24-hour economy feels tone-deaf. The policy’s success hinges on stable electricity, yet the budget admits that energy sector shortfalls could exceed US$2.23 billion in 2025.

How can businesses operate round-the-clock when even daytime power supply remains erratic? The minister’s silence on resolving dumsor—a perennial crisis—exposes the initiative’s impracticality.

This is not the first time Ghana’s government has touted transformative policies without follow-through. The 2025 Budget itself reveals failures like the stalled Agenda 111 hospitals, where GH¢21.7 billion was spent without completing a single facility.

Similarly, the YouStart entrepreneurship program, once hailed as a jobs engine, has been quietly shelved due to mismanagement.

The 24-hour economy now joins this graveyard of abandoned ideas. The minister’s announcement lacks even basic details: Which sectors will pilot the initiative?

What labor laws will protect nighttime workers? How will small businesses afford extended hours? Without answers, the policy is a slogan, not a strategy.

A 24-hour economy cannot be imposed by decree. It requires collaboration with businesses, labor unions, and local governments. Yet the budget includes no consultations or cost-sharing mechanisms with the private sector.

The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) has already warned that rising inflation and exchange rate volatility make extended operations unviable for SMEs.

Moreover, the budget ignores critical regulatory reforms. For example, Ghana’s labor laws do not mandate overtime pay or nighttime safety standards. The minister’s vague pronouncement offers no solutions to these gaps, leaving workers vulnerable to exploitation.

The Minister of Communication’s 24-hour economy proposal is a textbook example of political grandstanding. It ignores fiscal constraints, sidesteps structural weaknesses, and dismisses the need for stakeholder engagement. Ghana’s economy cannot afford another half-baked experiment.

Instead of chasing headlines, the government should focus on executing the 2025 Budget’s stated priorities: stabilizing the energy sector, clearing contractor arrears, and curbing inflation.

Only then can Ghana lay the groundwork for sustainable growth—whether at 12 noon or 12 midnight. Until the 24-hour economy is backed by funding, planning, and transparency, it remains a fantasy, not a policy.

Prof. Isaac Boadi

Dean, Faculty of Accounting and Finance, UPSA and Executive Director, IERPP “Evidence for Equity, Policy for Progress”

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​Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has tasked a joint committee—comprising members from the Defence and Interior Committee and the Local Government Committee—to conduct an urgent investigation into the recent surge in market fires across the country.

His directive follows a devastating fire at the Central Business District of Adum, which led to the destruction of properties worth millions of Ghana cedis.

Bagbin underscored the importance of thoroughly examining the causes of these fires, particularly those that have affected major markets such as Kantamanto and Kejetia.

“They are to look into these market fire outbreaks, determine the causes, and possibly recommend appropriate remedies for adoption by the House. The committee should submit its report in the first week of the second meeting,” he stated.

The Speaker’s directive came after the issue was raised on the floor of Parliament by Subin MP, Kofi Obiri Yeboah, who expressed deep concern over the losses suffered by traders and called for urgent government intervention.

“In my interaction with affected traders and eyewitnesses, it was revealed that this fire was allegedly triggered by a power outage, ‘dumsor.’ Power had been out, and the moment electricity was restored, it sparked and ignited the fire. Mr. Speaker, this is most unfortunate considering how far we have come as a nation,” Obiri Yeboah emphasized.

He further appealed to the government and relevant stakeholders, including the international community, to provide support to the affected traders to help them rebuild their livelihoods.

Reveal MP paid to suppress NSA ‘ghost scandal’ – Sulemana Braimah to AG

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The Greater Accra Regional Police Command has arrested Nii Baah Afful, the man seen in a viral video assaulting a young woman who was carrying a baby.

The video, which drew widespread condemnation from the public, depicted the suspect violently attacking the woman, sparking calls for swift action.

Advocacy groups and concerned citizens have urged law enforcement to ensure justice is served.

A statement from the police confirmed that the suspect is currently in custody and assisting with investigations.

Authorities have assured that he will be put before the court to face justice.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

London’s Heathrow Airport

With London’s Heathrow Airport shut Friday, global air travel is expected to be disrupted for days, potentially costing the airline industry hundreds of millions of dollars.

The chaos in air travel caused by a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport could last days, according to aviation experts. Heathrow’s closure is expected to affect more than 1,300 flights in the coming days, and airline analytics firm Cirium estimated that “upwards of 145,000” passengers could be affected.

Shukor Yusof, founder of Singapore-based Endau Analytics, an advisory firm that focuses on the aviation industry, told CNN the financial losses from the shutdown could be in the “hundreds of millions of pounds.”

The fallout “will cause chaos, undoubtedly, for the weekend and into next week because they have to resolve all those flights that couldn’t come in, all those problems that have piled up because of this shutdown,” he said.

Heathrow was the world’s fourth-busiest airport in 2023, according to the most recent data, with a record-breaking 83.9 million passengers passing through last year.

John Grant, senior analyst at travel data provider OAG, estimates that it will take up to four days for the flight disruptions to fully resolve, he told CNN.

Likewise, Cirium said: “The impact of this incident can cascade over several days as aircraft, crew, passengers are out of place, with limited spare aircraft and seats available to recover passengers.”

Airlines rely on precisely coordinated networks to ensure planes and crews are in the right place at the right time. Now, dozens of carriers must rapidly restructure their operations to reposition aircraft and staff.

Yusof at Endau Analytics said a closure like this could affect entities and people beyond airlines and travelers. It’s a “whole network of people involved” in running the operations of an airport and adjacent areas, ranging from retailers, cargo firms, jet fuel suppliers and surrounding communities that depend on the airport for their livelihoods, he added.

“At the moment, I think that the real focus is how to mitigate the impact of the airport closure on airlines and also on the people who work there,” Yusof explained, as it could take days, or even weeks, for airlines to clear the backlog of passengers.

Shares of airlines operating out of Heathrow tumbled Friday.

British Airways owner International Airlines Group sank as much as 5% early morning local time, before paring losses to trade 2.2% down on the day by mid-afternoon. Compensation for travelers is likely to be the largest immediate cost for the airline, analysts at Jefferies, an investment bank, said in a note.

Shares in Germany’s Lufthansa were down 2.1% by the same time, while Air France-KLM had fallen 2.5%. Shares in Australian airline Qantas closed 2.4% down.

British Airways canceled all short-haul flights to Heathrow Friday but said it had been given clearance by Heathrow Airport “to depart eight of our long-haul flights today from 7pm.”

All customers booked for travel to or from Heathrow between Friday and Sunday will have the option to rebook for free for a later travel date, according to the airline.

Traders to receive support for business growth

Global Affairs Canada has pledged CA$20 million to empower women traders in Ghana and five other West African countries through the Making Trade Work for Women in West Africa project.

The Making Trade Work for Women in West Africa project would be implemented in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria.

Launched in collaboration with CECI and TradeMark Africa, the five-year initiative aims to support 80,000 traders, 70 per cent of whom are women, by improving their access to markets, financial services, and sustainable trade practices.

The project also seeks to address gender-based barriers at border crossings, which have long hindered women’s participation in regional trade.

Speaking at the launch, the Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana, Myriam Montrat, emphasized that the initiative aligned with Canada’s feminist foreign policy.

“To us, it wasn’t a no-brainer to collaborate with CECI and with TradeMark Africa to ensure the project comes to fruition.

As was mentioned today, Canada is providing CA$20 million so that we can support women traders and ensure that they can prosper. When women thrive, communities thrive, the country thrives, and the whole society and families thrive,” she said.

Madam Montrat explained that while the fund’s disbursement would be managed by CECI and TradeMark Africa, Global Affairs Canada would ensure the money was used effectively to benefit women traders.

A World Bank report highlighted the many obstacles women traders face, including limited access to markets and financial services, harassment at border crossings, and systemic gender-based barriers.

A study along key trade corridors—Tema-Ouagadougou and Abidjan-Lagos—revealed that women comprise 30 to 61 percent of traders, with many reporting negative experiences linked to border and market infrastructure.

“These issues are exacerbated by women’s additional burdens of productive and reproductive roles,” the report noted.

The Making Trade Work for Women in West Africa project includes initiatives such as capacity building where women traders would be trained in financial literacy, business skills, and market access strategies as well as introducing digital tools to enhance trade efficiency.

The project would again champion gender-responsive policies that promote fair trade conditions for women and strengthen the capacity of border officials to protect women traders from harassment and gender-based violence.

Again the initiative would empower the associations and networks of women traders to advocate for their rights in policy-making spaces.

The project aims to increase the number of women traders using sustainable trade practices by 50 per cent and enhance their income levels by 40 per cent. It will also promote knowledge sharing on trade, environmental sustainability, and climate change across Africa and Canada.

Organizers stressed that collaboration among civil society organizations, women’s groups, government ministries, and regional bodies would be key to ensuring a fair and inclusive trading environment.

“This initiative is not just about trade; it is about transforming lives and building stronger economies by investing in the backbone of West Africa’s markets: women traders,” said a representative from CECI.

With this investment, Canada reaffirms its commitment to fostering economic growth and gender equality in the region, offering women traders the opportunity to thrive in a more inclusive and sustainable trade environment.

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The Danish government has announced a major investment of a million cedis this year to enhance access to safe and quality water in Northern Ghana, a move expected to benefit over ten thousand Ghanaians.

Danish Ambassador to Ghana, Tom Nørring, made the announcement during a stakeholder meeting with Ghana Water Limited and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in Accra.

Access to clean water remains a significant challenge for many communities in Northern Ghana, where residents grapple daily with polluted water sources, inadequate infrastructure, and long distances to fetch water. However, on this World Water Day, a renewed sense of hope has emerged with Denmark’s commitment to tackling the crisis.

“We’re partnering with the government of Ghana and Ghana Water Limited to address this crisis in Bolgatanga and Wa,” said Ambassador Nørring. “This initiative follows a decision by the Danish government to focus specifically on water solutions in Africa as part of our greater strategy, launched last August.”

As part of the project, Danish water treatment company Alumichem, renowned for its sustainable solutions for polluted water bodies, will provide support.

“We’ve worked with Alumichem in the past, alongside local authorities here in Ghana, to build highly efficient and effective water treatment facilities,” Nørring added.

The Danish Ambassador also highlighted contributions from other European Union partners toward establishing lasting water solutions.

“This mission is not Denmark’s alone. We will be bringing other EU member countries on board to join this initiative,” he noted.

The Danish government actively supports water projects globally, focusing on improving water management and access, particularly in Africa, through both bilateral and multilateral development assistance, with a goal of doubling the export of Danish water technology by 2030. 

Water is essential for health, agriculture, and economic development, making this initiative a beacon of hope for thousands in Northern Ghana. With Denmark’s support and collaboration from international partners, sustainable access to clean water is set to become a reality for many underserved communities.

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