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RTU CEO Questions FA’s Selection Criteria for 2026 Division One League Super Cup
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Published: July 17, 2026
Published at: 12
Former sports journalist and Chief Executive Officer of Real Tamale United (RTU), Zakaria Safianu, has criticized the Ghana Football Association (GFA) over what he describes as an unfair selection process for the 2026 Division One League (DOL) Super Cup.
In a strongly worded statement, Safianu argued that while the automatic qualification of the top two teams from each of the three Division One League zones is widely accepted, the criteria used to determine the remaining two slots is flawed and discriminatory.
According to him, the GFA selected the two best third-placed teams from Zones Two and Three to complete the eight-team competition, leaving out the third-placed club from Zone One.
Safianu questioned the rationale behind the decision, insisting that the exclusion of Zone One reinforces long-standing concerns that clubs from Northern Ghana are often treated unfairly in national football competitions.
He acknowledged the FA’s desire to maintain an eight-team format but suggested that expanding the tournament to 10 clubs would have been a fairer solution, particularly with a major corporate sponsor now backing the competition.
To support his argument, Safianu pointed to the final league standings of the third-placed teams. Attram De Visser SC from Zone Two finished with 54 points from 30 matches, while Nsuopun Fidelity from Zone Three accumulated 51 points from the same number of games. RTU, however, collected 47 points after playing only 28 matches due to the shorter schedule in Zone One.
He argued that comparing clubs solely on total points is misleading because the three zones did not play an equal number of matches. In his view, RTU could have accumulated as many as 53 points had the club also played 30 matches, potentially surpassing one of the selected teams.
Safianu believes the current system creates a structural disadvantage for Zone One clubs and makes it extremely difficult for any northern team finishing third to qualify for the Super Cup.
To address the issue, he proposed two alternatives. The first is for the GFA to conduct a ballot involving the three third-placed teams from the respective zones to determine the final two qualifiers. The second is to expand the competition to 10 teams by including all three third-placed clubs alongside the reigning Ghana Premier League champions, creating what he believes could be rebranded as an FA Super Cup featuring clubs from Ghana’s top two divisions.
The RTU CEO also recalled that his club missed out on a promotional bus last season despite winning the Zone One title after the GFA revised its reward policy to benefit only the top three clubs across all zones. He described the latest Super Cup exclusion as another setback for the Tamale-based club.
Safianu has therefore called on the Ghana Football Association to review the selection criteria before the tournament begins, insisting that a fair and transparent process is essential to preserving the integrity and credibility of Ghana football.
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NAFCO Warns Public Against Fraudsters Posing as Agents to Secure School Feeding Contracts
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Published: September 3, 2026
Published at: 06:12Pm
By Saibu Terry
The National Food Buffer Stock Company Limited (NAFCO) has cautioned members of the public against individuals allegedly posing as agents of the company and claiming to have influence over the award of food supply contracts to second-cycle institutions.
According to NAFCO, the individuals are going around soliciting money from unsuspecting members of the public under the pretext of helping them secure food supply contracts.
In a disclaimer issued by its Corporate Affairs Department on Thursday, September 3, 2026, NAFCO stressed that no third party is engaged in the award and allocation of contracts for food supplies to schools.
The company explained that it operates an open-door policy and encouraged interested entities to register at its offices nationwide and undergo a rigorous merit-based selection process.
NAFCO warned that the selection process is devoid of third-party influence and urged the public to disregard anyone who claims to have connections or influence over the award of food supply contracts.
The company further advised anyone approached by individuals soliciting money in exchange for assistance in securing food supply contracts to report them to the nearest police station.
For further clarification on NAFCO’s operations, the company urged the public to contact its hotlines on 0244669709, 0549004501, and 0269983462, or email info@nafco.gov.gh.
NAFCO reiterated that members of the public should exercise caution and avoid making payments to individuals who claim they can influence the contract award process.
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Former Ghanaian Footballer Jafar Samed Issah Cheers on Friend Jaleen Smith as Croatia Thrash Latvia
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Published: August 29, 2026
Published at: 01:18Pm
By Saibu Terry
Former Ghanaian professional footballer Abdul Jafar Samed Issah was in attendance, alongside his spouse Khadija , to support his close friend Jaleen Devon Smith as Croatia secured a convincing 115–80 victory over Latvia in the FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifying campaign on Thursday, August 27, 2026.
Issah, who enjoyed a professional football career with stints in Denmark, Latvia, Ethiopia and other European destinations, made time to cheer on Smith as Croatia bounced back strongly following their defeat to Germany.
Smith was instrumental in Croatia’s impressive performance, showcasing the form and quality that have made him an important figure for the national team. The result provided Croatia with a much-needed boost in their qualifying campaign.
Beyond the sporting arena, Smith and Issah have developed a close friendship over the past year. Their relationship has extended beyond football and basketball, with the pair sharing ideas about potential humanitarian and community-development projects in northern Ghana.
Smith, an American-born professional basketball player who has represented Croatia at international level, has developed a growing admiration for Ghana and is reportedly keen to contribute to initiatives that could positively impact communities in the northern part of the country.
The friendship between the two sports personalities has therefore evolved into more than a personal connection, with discussions around future projects creating excitement among Smith’s supporters and admirers in Ghana.
Smith recently signed with Hapoel Jerusalem, where he is set to compete in the Israeli Premier League and EuroCup. As he continues to make an impact on the basketball court, his growing connection with Ghana through his friendship with Jafar Samad Issah could open the door to meaningful humanitarian initiatives in the future.
For Issah, Thursday’s game was another opportunity to stand firmly behind his friend and celebrate Croatia’s emphatic victory over Latvia.
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Anta Scholarship Education Fund provides financial Assistance to 200 Tertiary Students
The Former Finance Minister and MP for Karaga, Hon. Dr. Amin Mohammed Adam Anta, has disbursed funds worth 330,000 Ghana Cedis to support the education of over 200 beneficiary tertiary students in the Constituency under the Amin Anta Education Scholarship Scheme.
The intervention forms part of the MP’s broader commitment to supporting the education of every student in the Constituency, especially those at the tertiary level, and to removing financial barriers that sometimes serve as obstacles to the education of needy but brilliant students.
The Anta Education Scholarship scheme covers beneficiaries pursuing education across Public Tertiary Institutions in the country, including education and health training Institutions.
This year’s beneficiaries stand at 200 students, bringing the total tally to 1,519 beneficiaries who have benefited from the scholarship fund since its inception in 2019 to date, running for seven consecutive years.
The Anta Education Fund is an annual financial aid initiative established by Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam (widely known as Dr. Amin Anta), the Member of Parliament for the Karaga Constituency in the Northern Region of Ghana, to provide financial assistance, pay school fees, and support brilliant but financially needy students from basic school up to tertiary institutions (universities and colleges).
At a durbar at the Karaga Community Center on Friday, August 28th 2026, to disburse the funds to beneficiaries, the Chairman of the Scholarship Fund, Jankpihi Naa, thanked the MP for providing financial assistance to students in the area, describing his initiative as a game changer, opening educational doors and removing barriers for students.
On his part, the MP, Mohammed Amin Adam Anta, said he is committed to ensuring that every child in the Constituency gets the right education and climbs the ladder, suggesting that it is a critical means to success.
The MP also seized the occasion to admonish the students to take advantage of the scholarship opportunity and study hard to aspire to greater heights, as he did not have such an opportunity growing up.
The beneficiaries could not mince words but thanked the MP profusely for the intervention, describing his benevolence as ‘incredible and God-fearing’.