Serie A side Fiorentina have confirmed the recruitment of Kevin-Prince Boateng from Sassuolo on a two-year deal. The former Ghana international spent the second half of the previous campaign with Barcelona in the Spanish La Liga and he has now decided to ply his trade for another new club in the form of La Viola in the Serie A.
“ACF Fiorentina is delighted to announce the acquisition of Kevin-Prince Boateng on a permanent deal from U.S. Sassuolo Calcio. Born in Berlin on 6 March 1987, Boateng has vast international experience having played in Germany, England, Italy and Spain for the likes of Hertha Berlin, Tottenham, Borussia Dortmund, Portsmouth, AC Milan, Schalke 04, Las Palmas, Eintracht Frankfurt and Sassuolo. He spent the second half of last season on loan at Barcelona. Kevin has 14 caps and two goals for Ghana. During his career he has won the League Cup, Serie A, the Italian Super Cup, the German Cup and the Spanish Liga,” read a statement on the club’s official website.
Ghana captain Andre Ayew has taken the full responsibility after the west African side bowed out of the African Cup of Nations at the round of 16 stage. The Black Stars had gone into the tournament with a view to ending their trophy drought which has extended for 32 years but they failed to do so after a penalty shoot-out defeat at the hands of Tunisia.
Speaking after the game, Ayew acknowledged that he is disappointed from the outcome of the match and takes the responsibility for the country’s exit. He added that the players can take heart from the good characteristics of their performances and come back stronger for the forthcoming round of internationals.
Newcastle United winger Christian Atsu has said that the Ghanaian national side are determined to win the African Cup of Nations this summer and thereby end their three decade-long wait for a major trophy. The West African side have had a string of talented players over the years but they have not been able to cross the ultimate hurdle in the quest for silverware.
Speaking to reporters, Atsu acknowledged that there has been frustration over the failure of the recent generation but the players remain confident that they can secure the African Cup of Nations title after a 37-year wait, he said: “The trophy is always our target. We understand the frustrations that the Black Stars have taken Ghanaians through. This time we will surely bring the trophy to Ghana. I believe this time we will make Ghanaians happy and we want them to support the team because the players are also frustrated that this generation has not won anything for the country. The fans have done enough to deserve a trophy so this African Cup of Nations is for them.”
Ghana international Thomas Partey has said that the Black Stars need more than just expertise in order to end their long wait for the African Cup of Nations. The West African nation have failed to win the competition in the past 37 years but they are hopeful of breaking the rut when Africa’s best collide in Egypt this summer.
Speaking to reporters, Partey, who is currently with Atletico Madrid at the club, said that the team require skills, luck and unity, if they are to make a strong case to win the continental competition, he said: “To win a tournament like AFCON sometimes quality alone is not enough. We have to be able to sacrifice and go the extra mile and with that and a little bit of luck, I am sure we will emerge victorious. Unity and working for each other will be vital because we have got the quality of players already so we all have to on the same page. This will be my second major tournament with the team so it's hard to tell what has been wrong in the past but we need to be united.”
Ghana international Thomas Partey has urged his teammates at Atletico Madrid to end the season on a high. The Spanish outfit are nine points behind leaders Barcelona at the top of the league standings and their prospects of winning the title seems improbable unless the Blaugrana suffer a string of shock defeats.
As such, it is pretty much confirmed that the Catalan giants will be crowned the Spanish champions in a few weeks’ time but Partey does not want the same to hamper his team’s performances, he said: “We want to win the games that we have left. We always go strong and we are happy with the victory. Now we have to think about the next match against Valencia on Wednesday against our fans. We have to win our games because we only have to be up if we win. That’s why we try to win all the games to add all the possible points until the end.”
Ghana international Thomas Partey has said that the eight-match ban given to Diego Costa seems unfair. The Atletico Madrid striker was handed a straight-red card during the recent league defeat to Barcelona on the roadafter he was found bad-mouthing about the mother of referee Jesus Gil Manzano.
As such, La Liga sanctioned an eight-game suspension for the Spain international, but his teammate Thomas believes the punishment is unfair and Atletico should appeal against the decision, he said: “I just heard it, I think it's too much. I think it's too much, it isn't fair and I hope we talk to them and they lower their sanction, because of the circumstances. Everything depends on the occasion and everyone has their own ways of doing things, maybe he has not acted well here, but for me, there are too many games for him and for the whole team.”
Ghana international Andre Ayew has said that he is determined to win the African Cup of Nations with the national side in the summer. The West African nation have not won the silverware since 1982 but they have made progress to the final of the competition in the 2010 and 2015 editions in Angola and Equatorial Guinea respectively.
Speaking to Footy Ghana, Ayew acknowledged that the players and country are keen on winning the African Cup of nations and he is optimistic of doing so at the summer tournament in Egypt, he said: “Everybody wants the trophy; the players want the trophy, the country wants it. I think we are going to do everything we can. But the Afcon is far; [from] now, there is time.
Barcelona forward Kevin-Prince Boateng has said that he has no regrets over choosing Ghana over Germany at the international level. The 31-year-old started with the German side at the youth level but he thereafter switched his allegiance to the country of his father’s birth before the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.
Boateng’s international career has been shortlived, however, with him not featuring for the Black Stars since the suspension at the 2014 World Cup but he still has no regrets regarding the decision, he told Sky Italia: "I did some things when I was young, of course I'm not very proud of today. Although they are part of me, they were not very positive. In Germany there are many ‘straight’, very correct, and they did not much like my behaviour. So I saw the really long way to get into [Joachim] Löw's plans, so I said to myself. They want me in Ghana and I want to play for the National team. And in the end I made a very right
Ghana manager James Kwesi Appiah claimed that the likelihood of recalling Kevin Prince Boetang is still open for the national team. Regarded as one of the enigmas for Ghanaian football, Kevin Prince Boetang has been unable to satisfy the immense talent at his disposal and he has become something of a journeyman.
He was a regular for the national team before being taken out of the squad in 2014. He has been placed under indefinite suspension for his verbal assault at the coach during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The 31-year-old was found guilty along with Sulley Muntari. It has been reported that only an apology from the player would result in a recall to the national team.
Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has praised the qualities of midfielder Thomas Partey while stating that he could have played for either Manchester City or Manchester United. The Ghana international has developed through the ranks at the Madrid giants and he was recently central to their impressive 2-0 triumph over Getafe in the Spanish La Liga.
Speaking to reporters, Simeone was impressed with the showing of Partey in the centre of the park after influencing both first-half goals scored by Antonio Griezmann and Saul Niguez respectively. He added that the Ghanaian could have quite easily headed to the Premier League in another instance and rates him very highly within the club’s ranks.
