Mohammed Kudus, the Ajax star, was honored as the Footballer of the Year at the 5th Ghana Football Awards held in Accra. Kudus emerged victorious over his fellow Black Stars players, Joseph Paintsil and Abdul Salis Samed, following an impressive season with Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam
. At the international level, Kudus stood out as Ghana’s brightest player during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, scoring twice in the team’s sole victory against South Korea.
The prestigious Coach of the Year award was presented to Evans Adotei of Medeama Sporting Club for leading the team to their first-ever Ghanaian league title. Medeama also received several other accolades, with their Acting CEO and President, Moses Armah, recognized as CEO of the Year, the male team honored as Team of the Year for winning the Ghanaian league, and their goalkeeper, Felix Kyei, named Goalkeeper of the Year.
The Ghana Football Awards board acknowledged the contributions of Sir Sam Jonah and Alberta Sackey by presenting them with the Living Legend awards. Sir Sam Jonah, chairman of Obuasi Goldfields (now Ashgold) in the 1990s, was recognized for his significant role in Ghanaian football. Alberta Sackey, former captain of the Black Queens, received the award for her pioneering work in women’s football, leading Ghana to their first FIFA World Cup appearance in 1999 and captaining the team again in 2003.
Additional awards included Ampem Darkoa Ladies being named the Female Team of the Year for their triumph in the Malta Guinness Women’s Premier League and Women’s FA Cup. Joe Nana Adarkwa, their coach, was honored as the Women’s Team Coach of the Year.
The Die Hard Supporters Union received the Special Fan Award for their unwavering support of Ghana’s national football teams.
Individual player recognitions consisted of Princess Owusu from Fabulous Ladies winning the Women’s Goal Queen, Abednego Tetteh from Gold Stars being named the Men’s Goal King, and Eric Zeze from Asante Kotoko securing the Goal of the Year award. Asante Kotoko also claimed the Most Vibrant Club On Social Media title.
Robert Coleman, Chief Executive of Wembley Sports, was presented with the Thumbs Up Award for his remarkable contributions to grassroots development in Ghana, including the construction of over sixty astro turfs across the country.
Other notable awards included Ernest Nuamah winning the Odartey Lamptey Future Stars award, Mary Amponsah receiving the Female Home-based Player of the Season award, and Sampson Eduku being honored as the Male Home-based Player of the Season. Victor Osimhen was named the Best African International Award winner for his outstanding season with Napoli, while AS Far’s Blessing Shine Agbomadzi claimed the 2023 Women’s Footballer of the Year title.
Finally, Ghana’s fallen heroes were acknowledged and honored for their significant contributions to the development of football in the country throughout the years.
Source – citinewsroom.com
