Samartex coach Nurudeen Amadu celebrates the club’s Ghana Premier League title triumph as a 'monumental achievement.'
Following a 1-0 victory over Bibiani Gold Stars, the team's triumph ignited jubilant celebrations in Samreboi, with fans reveling late into the night.
Amadu reflects on the season's goals, initially aiming to surpass their debut performance in the top-flight, where they finished 10th last season with 46 points, narrowly escaping relegation.
This season, however, Samartex surpassed all expectations, contending for the title and ultimately clinching it with two games remaining.
Expressing gratitude to the club's management for their steadfast support, Amadu, marking his first major trophy as coach, reveals, "Not many at Samartex, including the fans, knew who I was."
"The aim was to finish higher than last season, not to win the league. So, winning is a monumental achievement. It's a dream come true for me," he shares with Kumasi-based Akoma FM.
Amadu extends special thanks to Ghana FA technical director Prof. Joseph Mintah for recommending him to Samartex and to the club’s General Manager Edmund Ackah for their unwavering belief in him.
Samartex is poised to be crowned champions in their final home game of the season against Accra Lions.
Samartex coach Nurudeen Amadu recognizes the importance of bolstering their squad with experienced players for their upcoming CAF Champions League campaign, following their historic Ghana Premier League title win.
Acknowledging the unique challenges of competing on the continental stage, Amadu believes that seasoned players will be essential for making a significant impact in the CAF Champions League. He aims to draw inspiration from clubs like Medeama and Dreams FC, who achieved notable success in African competitions.
In an interview with Akoma FM, Amadu stated, "While we are still celebrating, management will meet later to talk about strengthening the team with more seasoned players travelling to Africa, as the majority of our players are from lower divisions."
He continued, "We'll attempt to emulate Medeama and Dreams FC in Africa and see if we can accomplish their feats. If we don't succeed, that's okay, but I believe their actions should serve as inspiration for us to compete in Africa."
Expressing gratitude to the club's management for their support, Amadu reflected on their initial goal for the season, which was to improve upon their 10th-place finish from the previous season. "Not many at Samartex, including the fans, knew who I was," he revealed.
"The aim was to finish higher than last season, not to win the league. So, winning is a monumental achievement. It's a dream come true for me," Amadu added.
He extended special thanks to Ghana FA technical director Prof. Joseph Mintah for recommending him to Samartex and to the club’s General Manager Edmund Ackah for their unwavering faith in him.
Samartex is set to be crowned champions in their final home game of the season against Accra Lions.
Former Ghana captain Stephen Appiah reflects on his journey to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, expressing gratitude for being part of the squad despite facing injury challenges.
"In 2010, I was lucky to be part of the team. If Agyemang-Badu was okay, maybe I wouldn’t have been part of the 2010 World Cup, which would have been difficult," Appiah shared with 3Sports.
Appiah's remarks extend to the recent Black Stars call-up, notably the exclusion of captain Andre Ayew. While not entirely satisfied with Ayew's absence, Appiah believes Ayew could have still contributed positively to the squad, even if not playing a prominent role in the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
"You can have senior players in the team and if you let them understand that this time there are certain good players in the team but be around, you may get either 20 or 10 minutes which depends on how you train," he elaborated.
Highlighting the importance of senior players in maintaining discipline and focus within the team, Appiah emphasized, "When some of the players see senior players in camp, they won’t even think of misbehaving. So, we have to know how to handle senior players in the national team."
With crucial matches against Mali and the Central African Republic on the horizon, Ghana's performance in the qualifiers is vital for their aspirations of reaching the World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Kurt Okraku, President of the Ghana Football Association believes the Black Stars have the quality to trounce Mali in 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The Phobians recorded an important victory over Nations FC at the weekend, in match-week 32 of the Ghana Premier League.
Hearts of Oak coach Aboubakar Ouattara has refused to comment about the performances of other teams competing in the Ghana Premier League.
