West Ham United striker Niclas Füllkrug praised the team's array of creative talent following his transfer from Borussia Dortmund for £27.5 million.
Ghanaian defender Alexander Djiku has credited Fenerbahce's manager, Jose Mourinho, with instilling a winning culture in the team since his arrival during the summer transfer window.
The 28-year-old Djiku has been a standout player in Mourinho's first two competitive games, helping the Turkish giants advance to the third round of the UEFA Champions League qualifiers.
Fenerbahce secured victories over Swiss side Lugano both home and away, setting up a tie with French club Lille. Djiku attributes this early success to Mourinho's meticulous approach.
"The star of the team is obviously Jose Mourinho. He controls everything, is meticulous about all the details, dead balls, etc. At the end of training, we all score penalties. We work on the little details that can make a difference. You feel his presence and experience," Djiku told French media outlet L'Equipe.
Mourinho aims to lead Fenerbahce to the group stage of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League, and Djiku believes the manager's winning mentality is influencing the players positively. "Jose Mourinho speaks to us often, he is very meticulous about his expectations in defense and attack. There is healthy competition within the team, and the coach gave everyone a chance during the preparation period," added Djiku.
Djiku also highlighted Mourinho's ability to maximize player performance, noting the intense pre-season training. "We worked a lot athletically and physically during the preparation period, with long sessions. We are starting to get in good shape physically," he said.
The Ghanaian defender praised Mourinho's illustrious career, which includes titles with Porto, Inter Milan, Manchester United, and Roma.
"Mourinho is the best coach in the world. He won the Champions League with Porto (2004) and Inter (2010), the Europa League with Manchester United (2017), and the Conference League with Roma (2022). He has won with every team he has coached. He instills this winning culture in us. You feel that he is a real leader."
Dreams FC has announced that they will be playing their home matches at the Tuba Astroturf in the upcoming Ghana Premier League season.
Ghanaian midfielder Michael Zuo has completed a loan move to Slovenian outfit NK Aluminij.
Asante Kotoko Sporting Club head coach, Prosper Narteh Ogum, has called the upcoming game against Medeama Sporting Club a significant opportunity to exhibit the team's new look.
He expressed this sentiment in an interview with Kotoko media as the team prepares for the 2024-2025 season, which commences in September.
As part of the Porcupine Warriors' preseason schedule, Kotoko will face Medeama on August 16.
“[That game presents a] huge opportunity because we’ve now assembled a different team with almost all our key targets in now so I think it’s good for us because we will have about two weeks to train and then whatever that we have done to go and exhibit it at Medeama to give us a technical team and as management, a fair idea of these players,” Coach Ogum stated.
He added, “To me, playing against Medeama in a new stadium [newly built TNA Venue], looking at the old rivalry between Kotoko and Medeama at Tarkwa, I think it is going to bring the best out of the players.”
Kotoko recently celebrated their victory in the 2024 Democracy Cup during a preseason game against Accra Hearts of Oak. The team finished sixth in last season’s Ghana Premier League standings and has signed 12 new players so far.
Nations FC top defender Razak Simpson has finally spoken out about his transfer links to Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak.
The 26-year-old defender, who emerged as one of the best defenders in the recently concluded Ghana Premier League campaign, has been heavily linked with a move to both clubs. Simpson was a standout performer for Nations FC, who finished seventh in their debut appearances in the Ghanaian top-flight.
In an interview with Kessben FM, Simpson expressed his admiration for both Kotoko and Hearts of Oak, stating that it would be a dream for every footballer in Ghana to play for these clubs.
"Both Kotoko and Hearts of Oak are top clubs. They are traditional clubs and it will be a dream for every footballer in Ghana to play these clubs, so let see" he said.
Simpson's comments have sparked further interest in his potential transfer, with fans eagerly waiting to see which club he will ultimately join.
Meanwhile, Nations FC have already commenced preparation for the 2024/25 Ghana Premier League campaign next month, with Simpson's future remaining uncertain.
