Sports
Obuasi Residents Demand Action as Youth Petition AngloGold Ashanti Over Declining Sports Infrastructure
Concerned youth, football supporters, traditional authorities, sports administrators, and residents of Obuasi have petitioned AngloGold Ashanti Ghana Limited over what they describe as years of neglect, abandonment and mismanagement of community sports facilities in the mining town.
The youth in the community have also highlighted the urgent need to revive the Ashanti Gold football club which has been inactive for years now.
The group is calling on the mining company to urgently rehabilitate sporting infrastructure inherited from the former Ashanti Goldfields Corporation and renew its commitment to sports development and youth empowerment in the Adansi traditional area.
In the petition addressed to AngloGold Ashanti and the general public, the stakeholders expressed concern about the deteriorating state of key sporting facilities, including the Len Clay Sports Stadium, Ofori Park, community football pitches and other youth development facilities.
According to the petitioners, Obuasi was once regarded as one of Ghana’s leading sporting communities due to significant investments made by the former Ashanti Goldfields Corporation, particularly under the leadership of former Chief Executive Officer Sir Sam Jonah.
The group says the decline of the facilities has affected youth participation in sports, with concerns including poor maintenance of playing grounds, deteriorating infrastructure, limited public access and inadequate investment in renovations and modernization.
The petition also raises concerns about the collapse of AshantiGold Sporting Club, describing the club as a major symbol of pride, unity and opportunity for thousands of young people in Obuasi.
The stakeholders say the club played a significant role in Ghana football and represented the identity of the mining community before its decline left a vacuum in the sporting life of the area.
They further expressed disappointment over the challenges facing F.C. AshantiGold Limited, a community-led initiative established by traditional leaders, football administrators and residents to revive football development in Obuasi.
The group says despite adopting the AshantiGold name as a symbol of partnership and reconciliation with the mining company, the club continues to struggle with access to suitable facilities for matches and player development.
The petitioners insist they are not seeking charity from AngloGold Ashanti but demanding responsible corporate citizenship from a company whose mining operations have benefited from the resources of the community.
They are asking the company to immediately begin a comprehensive rehabilitation programme for the Len Clay Sports Stadium, Ofori Park and other community sports facilities under its control.
They are also demanding the establishment of a transparent management framework that guarantees community access to the facilities, alongside support for grassroots football, school sports programmes and youth development initiatives.
The stakeholders want AngloGold Ashanti to engage traditional authorities, the municipal assembly, sports administrators and community representatives to determine the future management of the facilities.
They are also calling for sponsorship and strategic support for F.C. AshantiGold Limited as part of efforts to restore the sporting identity of Obuasi.
The petition comes amid growing frustration among some residents who believe sports development in Obuasi has suffered years of neglect.
However, the group has urged residents to pursue peaceful and lawful means in seeking solutions, stressing that dialogue and responsible corporate engagement remain the preferred approach.
They are appealing to AngloGold Ashanti, government agencies, sports authorities and civil society organizations to intervene and help restore what they describe as Obuasi’s lost sporting glory.
Black Stars’ Brandon Thomas-Asante Pushes for Starting Role After Match-Winning Assist Against Panama
Black Stars forward Brandon Thomas-Asante says he understands the importance roles in football, but he would want to start as many games as possible.
The Coventry City forward came off the bench to set up Caleb Yirenkyi for the Black Stars in their opening game at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Wednesday evening.
Yirenkyi’s goal was the deciding moment of the game as Ghana registered their first win in seven games to pick up all three points against Panama.
Asked about his role in the game, the forward said, “I just wanted to do what I did really. I would have probably liked a goal as well but the main thing was the win.”
“My style of play I’m very fortunate that a lot of times in my career even if I’m on the bench there’s an opportunity to come and impact the game. Obviously I want to start every game but in my career you know that is not how football works.
“I’d like to start every game, but I know that’s not how football works. Today, my job was impact the game from the bench and I’m happy that I did that” – Brandon Thomas-Asante#JoySports pic.twitter.com/vWN7USs8zJ
— #JoySports (@JoySportsGH) June 18, 2026
“You have to be ready for any occasion, and today my job was to try and impact it from the bench, and I’m happy that I could contribute in some way. It’s about the team performance because to go to that point at 0-0, defending solidly, having a few chances, that is what the team did before I came on, so credit to them and to Caleb for the goal.”
Following his impressive outing against Panama, Thomas-Asante will be hoping he has done enough to convince head coach Carlos Queiroz ahead of the team’s second game against England.
Business
Standard Chartered Brings Digital Assets Summit to Accra for First Time
Standard Chartered has hosted its inaugural Digital Assets Summit in Accra, highlighting the growing role of digital currency, stablecoins and other forms of digital money in reshaping payments ecosystems across Africa and globally
The bank said accelerating adoption of digital assets is creating opportunities to improve the speed, cost and accessibility of cross-border transactions, while increasing the need for regulatory frameworks, risk management systems and trusted financial institutions to support the sector’s development.
Speaking at the Standard Chartered Digital Assets Summit in Accra, the bank’s Global Head of Digital Assets, Rene Michau, said stablecoins are increasingly moving payments and savings activity outside traditional financial rails, creating opportunities to improve efficiency while raising the need for stronger regulatory oversight and risk management.
Mr. Michau said Standard Chartered’s research estimates that the global stablecoin market, currently valued at roughly US$300 billion, could expand to about US$2 trillion by 2028. The bank also expects significant migration of deposits into stablecoins across emerging markets as businesses and consumers seek more efficient mechanisms for payments and savings.
“The most transformative trend for cross-border payments will be stablecoins and other forms of digital money,” Mr. Michau said, noting that existing infrastructure continues to create friction in intra-African trade and payments.
According to him, digital assets are no longer a niche segment of financial markets but are increasingly becoming part of the broader evolution of money. He argued that successful adoption will depend on balancing innovation with regulation, ensuring that new forms of money operate within trusted and well-supervised frameworks.
The comments come as regulators across Africa, including the Bank of Ghana and the Securities and Exchange Commission, continue developing frameworks for virtual asset service providers and broader digital asset activities. Policymakers are seeking to harness the benefits of innovation while safeguarding financial stability, consumer protection and anti-money laundering standards.
Standard Chartered executives at the summit positioned digital assets as the latest stage in a long history of changes in payment systems, following transitions from physical cash and cheques to electronic banking, card payments and mobile money.
Jojo Bannerman, Executive Director and Head of Markets at Standard Chartered Bank Ghana PLC, said digital assets should be viewed primarily as a tool for improving payment efficiency rather than as a replacement for existing monetary systems.
“The existing regulations around payments and currency sovereignty remain in place,” Mr. Bannerman said. “Digital assets are an additional tool within the ecosystem.”
He pointed to cross-border trade as one of the most immediate use cases. A trader in Ghana, for example, could potentially make near real-time payments to suppliers in neighbouring countries without lengthy settlement periods, multiple currency conversions or the operational risks associated with carrying physical cash.
According to Mr.Bannerman, faster settlement could improve working capital management for businesses by reducing the need to hold idle foreign currency balances while transactions are processed.
“The whole concept of using digital assets is to drive efficiency in payments, ensure trust within the payment ecosystem and lower costs for end users,” he said.
Beyond payments, Standard Chartered also sees growing opportunities in the tokenisation of financial assets. Mr. Michau noted that tokenised money market funds and equities currently represent some of the largest segments of the tokenised asset market. However, he argued that broader growth will require digital representations of assets and money to develop simultaneously.
“The tokenisation of assets needs to happen alongside the tokenisation of money,” he said, citing stablecoins, central bank digital currencies and tokenised bank deposits as critical components of future market infrastructure.
The bank also highlighted the growing convergence between digital assets and artificial intelligence. As AI-driven systems become increasingly autonomous, programmable forms of money could enable machine-to-machine transactions and automated financial interactions.
Speaking at the Standard Chartered Digital Assets Summit, First Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Zakari Mumuni, said digital assets have evolved from a niche market into a significant component of the country’s financial ecosystem, with the potential to support capital formation, cross-border trade and financial inclusion.
“The question is no longer whether digital assets will shape African finance. They already are,” Dr. Mumuni said, noting that more than three million Ghanaians are estimated to participate in the digital asset ecosystem, which accounts for activity worth billions of dollars.
Among the opportunities emerging from the sector, the deputy governor highlighted the tokenisation of real assets, which involves representing physical or financial assets in digital form on blockchain-based platforms. According to him, such developments could enhance market efficiency, deepen capital markets and create alternative channels through which businesses access financing.
Executives stressed that banks would continue to play a central role in bridging traditional finance and emerging digital ecosystems.
Mr. Michau said regulated financial institutions have a responsibility to develop the infrastructure, risk management tools and compliance frameworks necessary to support wider adoption.
He noted that banks are increasingly deploying blockchain analytics, digital asset market intelligence and other monitoring technologies to manage risks associated with the sector.
At the strategic level, Standard Chartered sees Ghana as well positioned to participate in the digital asset transition. Bank executives pointed to growing engagement among regulators, financial institutions, technology providers and market participants as evidence of increasing alignment on the future direction of the sector.
Xorse Godzi, Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Plc, said digital assets represent a strategic opportunity for Ghana to shape the future of finance while advancing financial inclusion, efficiency and innovation.
He emphasised that achieving those outcomes would require sustained collaboration among policymakers, regulators, businesses and financial institutions.
Similarly, Dalu Ajene, Chief Executive Officer and Head of Coverage for Africa at Standard Chartered, said digital assets are rapidly moving from experimentation to practical applications in trade, finance and payments.
He argued that Africa’s opportunity lies not only in adoption but also in building trusted, scalable and regulated market infrastructure.