MTN SOCCER ACADEMY LAUNCH

In an atmosphere filled with fun and excitement, the MTN Soccer Academy was officially launched at the Academy House at Ridge in Accra recently. In its third season, this year’s Soccer Academy will include brilliant soccer players from Nigeria as well.
Arguably the biggest sports reality show in Ghana and perhaps on the African continent, this talent-hunting programme has certainly come to stay as it has transcended the Ghanaian borders into Nigeria.
The launch which was interlaced with ‘jama’ songs from the Nationwide Supporters Union (NSU) and some choreographed cultural dance, attracted dignitaries like the GCEO of Metro TV, Mr. Talal Fattal, Mr. George Andah of MTN, Hon. Nii Nortey Dua amongst others. Also the logo for this year’s competition dubbed: ‘MTN Soccer Academy, Ghana-Nigeria’ was unveiled.
The MTN Soccer Academy which will be telecast live on both Metro TV in Ghana and Africa Independent Television (AIT) in Nigeria will officially have fourteen footballers with seven each from Ghana and Nigeria inducted into the Academy House in September.
The winner of the show will drive home a new Hyundai Tuscan and a year contract with a local club in Ghana or Nigeria. Also, as part of the many changes to suit the international status of the show this year, the originator Mr. Talal Fattal disclosed at the launch that: “The pitch has been expanded by 50% and there will be a lot of live candid’s this year”. “This year will be one to remember for a very long time”, he added.
With the maiden winner Gideon Baah doing extremely well on the local football terrain and sophomore winner Stephen Sowu now in South Africa with a Cape Town club, the MTN Soccer Academy 2009 will not only be exciting but competitive as well taking into account the thousands of young and aspiring footballers who will throng the registration centres in Accra, Kumasi and Lagos.

2009 CONFEDERATIONS CUP: SOUTH AFRICA LOOKS SET FOR THE WORLD.

After a highly successful World Cup in Germany in 2006, there has always been an enormous pressure on South Africa to raise the bar above what happened three years ago. With the apparent delays in construction of the stadia, the ever-growing crime rate and other protocol related problems, the skeptics grew by the day of whether South Africa can host the FIFA World Cup.
However, if the Confederations Cup, which serves as a dress rehearsal for the World Cup is anything to go by, then all is set for the world to converge and enjoy the Mundial in Africa. Known as the ‘Festival of Champions’, the eighth Confederations Cup held in South Africa served as a befitting prelude to what soccer fans should expect next year.
Even though the four stadia (Coca Cola Park, Loftus Versfeld, Free State Stadium and Royal Bafokeng Stadium) used in the competition also hosted matches during the British and Irish Lions rugby tour simultaneously, the sometimes bad nature of these pitches did not overshadow the football brilliance and surprises displayed by the competitors.
This free-scoring tournament will also go down as one with many surprises. All the odds were against Egypt to beat World Champions Italy. Nobody gave the United States of America any chance of progressing past the group stage going into the last group games and yet they found themselves in the finals. This odyssey by the ‘Stars and Stripes’ country included stinging favourites, Spain, in the semis and nearly causing the biggest upset of the Confederations Cup by going up two goals against Brazil in the finals before the ‘Samba Boys’ came back to win in the dying minutes.
The FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 also offered soccer fans a glimpse of budding stars to look out for at the 2010 World Cup. Brazilian midfielder Felipe Melo announced his presence to the soccer world in grand style at the tournament and compatriot Andre Santos didn’t disappoint either in his first tournament for the Selecao. South Africa had a prospect in left back Tsepo Masilela and American big defender Oguchi Onyewu and his goalkeeper Tim Howard were part of the brightest at the tournament.
Nice football was played at the tournament: Kaka justified his huge price tag and Brazil proved to the world once again that football runs in their blood as they won the competition back-to-back. However, for me, what grabbed the attention and headlines at this tournament were the Vuvuzelas (for the wrong reasons though). This legendary horn synonymous with South African football is a vociferous air horn that reverberates around arenas with rare energy.
Many of the European players who are not accustomed to this kind of noise complained bitterly about its distraction to the players and one of such strong critiques was Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso and called for its ban in the stadia. However, the man who made sure the World Cup is staged in Africa for the first time, FIFA President Sepp Blatter, thinks otherwise. He said, “It’s an African culture and we are in Africa and we have to allow them to practice their culture as much as they want to.”
Attendance at football matches in Africa has been a problem over the years and was one of the strong points of the doubters of whether South Africa can host the World Cup. However, the enthusiastic patronage at the various stadia by local fans, indeed, goes on to say: Africa is ready for the world! Another perennial problem of the African game, power outages, during matches played at night, was a rarity at this tournament and television transmission was also great.
Despite Egypt’s failure to reach the semis and hosts South Africa’s inabilities to play in the final and possibly annex the trophy, chances are brighter for African teams who will be representing at next year’s football festival, to excel. The ‘Festival of Champions’ has stepped up the World Cup fever not only in South Africa but the world at large and I have no doubt in my mind that South Africa will not only make Africa proud but also all those who helped in bringing the World Cup to Africa by staging the FIFA World Cup the African way.

DA VIVA SEW PROJECT FINALE

A concept initiated by former Ghanaian international model, Pearl Amoah Nyamekor, the MTN Da Viva Sew Project came to a thrilling climax at the Mobile Pavilion at the Ghana International Trade Fair Centre in Accra recently.
Living to its billing as the first sewing reality show in Ghana, guests at the grand finale had a lot of fun with the dazzling catwalk skills displayed by the models and the innovative designs paraded on the night.
The show which started about an hour late to its scheduled time was in two categories. The first category was to crown a winner for the MTN Queen of the Runway and a winner for the main category which was the MTN Da Viva Sew Project.
Three finalists of the MTN Queen of the Runway Competition—Babsie, Angela and Nana Yaa—displayed elegant catwalk skills with splendid designs from the guest designers on the night: Pearl Amoah Nyamekor, the Sew Project evictees, Breeze Klodine, Marcelo Carle and Cecilia. Their performances on the runway determined who was crowned the first MTN Queen of the Runway.
The finale which was interlaced with live band music from the Hot Barrels Band and cultural performances from the Kekeli Dance Ensemble had Kweku, Pokua and the dexterous Nana competing for the grand prize—the new VW Suran donated by Universal Motors.
Judged by Marcelo Carle, Albert Johnson and Ghanaian international model, Belinda Baidoo, the three finalists created fifteen designs ranging from collections like casual, maternity, MTN ‘Can Do’, drama and evening wears called the Da Viva Star. Nana made known his intentions of winning the prize early as he ‘sparkled’ the runway with his ‘crazy’ designs which threw the guests into frenzy. Pokua who seemed to have an overwhelming support from the audience did her own thing and Kweku also showed his worth as a finalist with dazzling Ghanaian made designs.
Tall and eloquent Babsie took the prize for face of MTN worth a year’s contract as well as a year’s contract with Da Viva as winner of the MTN Queen of the Runway Competition. Nana won GHC 1,000 by placing second and Angela won GHC 500 by coming third.
Tensed and nervous would be the best words to describe Nana, Kweku and Pokua as the master of ceremonies on the night mentioned the results. Determined by 40% voting from the public, 40% by the judges and 20% by tasks the finalists have performed in the Da Viva Sew Project house, tears of joy and screams of satisfaction greeted the pronouncement of Nana as the first winner of the MTN Da Viva Sew Project Reality Show which won him a VW Suran. Kweku came second and Pokua came third to the disappointment of her numerous fans at the pavilion.
Queen of highlife music, Asabea Cropper, showed she hasn’t lost touch as she wowed guests with a spectacular performance accompanied by the ‘Kente Man’. ‘Dunsin’ also crowned the night with their hit track “Oyeadeyie”.
The Da Viva Sew Project Reality Show is the first of its kind in Ghana and aired on GTV for 13 weeks. Initiated by D&P Holdings owned by Pearl and McDiamond Nyamekor, the show was sponsored by MTN, Da Viva and Universal Motors.

RAQUEL

Rapper Sway might be the only one or perhaps a few others who are representing the motherland (Ghana) music-wise in the United Kingdom, but this is about to change pretty soon as UK based Ghanaian songtress Raquel prepares her debut album.

Even though the much anticipated album is still in the offing, Raquel has managed to release two club-banging singles currently playing across radio stations in the country. The singles, “Get Wild” which has one of the hottest and favourite rappers you can find in the country at the moment and Ghana’s definition to American rapper Twist, Sarkodie doing his tongue-twisting raps alongside underground rapper Guru.

This singing juggernaut who was born Raquel Ayorkor Ammah but has chosen Raquel for showbiz purposes started singing at the tender age of five. Coming from musically inclined family of six, Raquel honed her singing abilities at age eight as she was singing both at home and in school. Music has been part of Raquel all her life as she admitted “I have always wanted to become a musician. I love to sing and love to see how people react to it.”

Tagging herself as a “Rhythms and Blues” (R&B) artiste, it therefore comes as no surprise as she grew up listening mainly to American R&B star Brandy Norwood. Her Ghanaian upbringing also allowed her to listen to Tic Tac, good old Pat Thomas, Obrafour and hiplife legend Reggie Rockstone.

Born and bred in the UK, Raquel is a final year student at the University of Roe Hampton where she is studying Drama, Theatre and Performing Studies. These courses have led her to add acting to her repertoire but she was quick to point out that she hasn’t done any professional yet (I am sure the movie producers are taking notice). However, she has couple of stage plays at famous theatres in the UK like Paul Robeson Theatre, Hammer Smith Theatre and Sadlewetts.

Raquel’s singing talent has also landed her on big shows both here in Ghana and the United Kingdom including performances at Exopa, African Regent Hotel, and the Accra Mall with the prominent among them being her performance at Miss Ghana UK 2005 at Stratford Rex when she was 18.

Benjamin Willie Graham

For one to thrive and make a mark on radio and television, not only does one have to be articulate but must possess a good voice as well and that is exactly what has made young presenter, Benjamin Willie Graham, a toast of sports listeners in Accra.

With majority of the sports programmes on radio in Accra presented in Twi and Ga, “Sports World”, on Uniiq 95.7 Fm is one of the best if not the best sports programme in English, thanks to young and silky-voiced Graham.

over a few drinks at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) cafeteria, What’s On enquired about life and work for Graham, as he is popular called, at Uniiq Fm. “I will say it has been bitter-sweet as it has been challenging and exciting as well. Sports is not the only programme presented by this smooth talking radio personality as he said: “I present the ‘Sports World’ every weekday morning, I am a DJ and I do news presentations as well as sports commentary, which is my favourite. I also stand in a lot for absent colleagues”.

Growing up, Graham did not have the slightest of doubts as to what he wanted to become as he told What’s On: “I had the love for journalism, either as television or a radio presenter, therefore when my voice started developing, I honed it in secondary school by engaging in public speaking. Also some teachers encouraged me to go into radio because I have the voice”.

Though he is currently on radio in Accra, the journey actually started in Cape Coast. Right after his secondary school education at St. Augustine’s College in 2003, he quickly started with Radio Central in Cape Coast upon a friend’s advice. “I actually started as a panelist on the Sunday sports programme and graduated to become the producer of the programme. My breakthrough came when my boss traveled to the UK and I was asked to host the show which I did to perfection”.

Back then at Radio Central—a subsidiary of GBC—Graham joggled between Accra, Kumasi and Cape Coast running football commentary. Radio commentary, his flagship trade as he calls it, is something he has done to perfection so far. With over four years’ experience, Graham has run commentary of matches in the Ghanaian League, matches of the Black Stars and many others.

This calm looking young man who also worked as an investigative reporter for the Enquirer newspaper for two years is also the sports news presenter on GTV’s Evening News. After making cameo roles on Sports Beat hosted by George Lartey on GTV, he said, “I was asked to present the sports news on GTV by the Deputy Director of GBC, Mr. Anane Sarpong after the regular presenter traveled”.

Any role models when growing up? “It was actually difficult identifying someone as my role model but I have one particular voice on BBC which I liked and that is Russell Fuller”. He also has an admiration for veteran commentator Kwabena Yeboah.

Benjamin Willie Graham is the last of a family of nine, attended St. Augustine’s College, Jayee Institute and the Ghana Institute of Journalism. How he relaxes after a busy day? “I either hang out with friends, swim, and play or watch soccer”.

B- EXOTIC

Beatrice Anna Arthur, better known as Bee Arthur, exploded like a bomb on the African Fashion scene over a decade ago and is undeniably one of the top African designers. Her exuberance and ingenious creative verve find flamboyant expression in her experimentations with colours and textures.
Bee’s originality gained her recognition at the Kora Fashion Awards in Sun City, South Africa with the title of Best African Designer, and thus established her as an astute creative force to be reckoned with in Ghana if not the African continent. Having recently embarked on a solo career to further explore her artistic capabilities, Bee now designs only under her own label—B’ EXOTIQ.
Undoubtedly, Bee’s fashion sense is a result of her Russian and Ghanaian heritage, as well the time spent living both in Ghana and Ukraine. With her innate sensitivity to colours and talent for drawing, Bee returned to Ghana from Odessa – a port city on the Black Sea famous for its fashionistas, composers, artists and ballet dancers - as a teenager with an alternative outlook on African fashion.
She dared to mix, blend and fuse different types of textiles, the result of which were and still are often uniquely original garments. Bee’s ability to create funky and fun clothing runs alongside an elegant and “wearable” range of garments destined for the more conservative clientele.
Having been cited in “Elegance Africaine” by Renee Mendy, a book that highlights some of the best designers on the African continent, this dexterous fashion designer has also granted interviews to the BBC AND RFi as well as featured in magazines like the West Africa Magazine, Africa Live (Germany), and ROOTS (UK). However Bee says: “It started as fun in 1995 - it wasn’t meant to be my profession as it was my hobby. I had wanted to become a Doctor, a translator or work as a teacher”.
A former recipient of the Young Achievers Award in Fashion in Ghana, Bee has participated in many major fashion shows across the African continent. She exhibited at “Afric Collection” in Cameroun, “FESPACO” in Burkina Faso and she has been invited by Exopa Model Agency to participate at this year’s Ghana Fashion Weekend in July.
B’EXOTIQ—“be exotic”—symbolizes an ingenious fusion of African and European cultures, a pure expression of her mixed origins and her deep love for symbolism and woven cloths from different parts of the world. This collage of textures, colours, symbolism and styles makes Bee’s style particularly distinct whiles paying homage to traditional craftsmanship of artists and artisans.
Despite Bee’s zeal for fashion, it is interesting to know that it’s not her only passion as she confessed to What’s On: “I am a passionate gardener and also a longtime collector of “bee” objects and who love reading”. She also loves stringing and designing beads as a way of calming her nerves after a hectic day. Even though Bee can now be described as a master of her profession, she has admiration for others for their classiness: “I admire Jean Paul Gaultier for his extravagance and Italian designers like Armani and Fendi for their classic designs”.
Her charming and exuberant personality, knowledge of languages (she speaks five languages) and creativity all fused are some of the prime things that have made her one of the icons in the Ghanaian fashion industry. On the question on how she will like posterity to judge her, she said: “I wasn’t scared to dare and I had alternative outlook on African fashion. I pushed the boundary of what is traditionally referred to as African fashion”.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: DOMINANCE BY ENGLISH TEAMS?

Ever since the name was officially made the UEFA Champions League prior to the 1992 competition (formerly known as the European Cup or European Champions Cup), there have been several winners of this prestigious trophy till date with Italy’s A.C Milan and Spain’s and the overall best winners of this competition Real Madrid leading the pack with three wins apiece.

Over the last five years, however, things have changed as the competition has been dominated season after season by clubs from the English Premier League. With England at the moment having, arguably, the best League on the globe, English Club sides have been so dominant and strong especially in the past few years where three of the four clubs who played in this year’s semi-finals were from the Premiership.

Formerly, the Champions League had no clear favourites before the competition started and also it was a title all the teams could hope to lift…but not anymore. These days the UEFA Champions League title appears destined for the Premier League’s big four—Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool.

Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea’s participation in this season’s semi finals confirmed that for the fifth year in a row, a team from the English Premiership will be in the epic finals of the UEFA Champions League. (Real Madrid hasn’t made the Quarterfinals for the fifth year in a row). At least one English side has been to the final of the competition for the past four years, producing two winners in Liverpool (2005) and Manchester United in 2008. Moreover, no English side has been beaten by continental opposition, since Milan’s victory over Liverpool in the 2007 Finals in Athens.

These facts lead football enthusiasts to question whether the English Premier League is in better shape than the Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga, Eridivise, Ligue1, and all the major leagues in Europe. Is it that there are more foreign entrepreneurs owning and investing in clubs in England? To FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, the latter is true as he and UEFA boss Michel Platini have been two of the strongest critics of the English dominance in the Champions League.

Sepp Blatter wants to impose a foreign quota system on European teams to counter the dominance of England’s Premier League teams in the Champions League. He said: “For the last two seasons, there have been three Premier League sides in the last-four of Europe's elite club competition and I fear a monopolization of football, with the richest clubs buying up the best players from all over the world at the expense of domestic talent".

The Premier League Chief Executive, Richard Scudamore, couldn’t be much happier with the recent surge of English teams in the Champions League, as he told British tabloid, The Sun, in an interview: “It’s a pity we couldn’t have had all four of our clubs in the semi-finals. The whole point of a competition is the best to come out and that’s what is happening".

Whatever the case maybe, England has the finest league in the world at the moment. Also one cannot predict whether this dominance will end anytime soon as many of the top and astute players in the world all seem to be eyeing the Premiership.