The GFA announced that 12 accreditations; 10 slots for written press and two for photographers were issued by FIFA to Ghana for coverage of the World Cup. Per the analytics they shared, it was disclosed that most Ghanaian journalists often leave the tournaments when the national team is eliminated. "During the World Cup in Qatar, the analytics showed that there were only two Ghanaian journalists, one photographer and one online reporter. He added that journalists who may not get accreditation through the GFA could also apply via other FIFA media rights categories. “The explanation is that when it comes to World Cup accreditation, we have three types: broadcast rights holders, non-rights holders, and written press/photography combined.

According to a report by graphic.com.gh, the order was issued by Justice Francis Aponga Achiponga during a case management conference held on Thursday, January 29, 2026. On disclosures, Woode told the court that the Republic had already filed some witness statements with attached exhibits and served them on the accused persons. “In view of the outstanding disclosures and the ongoing international processes, the prosecution applied for more time,” the report stated. The OSP has filed 78 charges against Ofori-Atta and seven others over alleged corruption and procurement-related offences linked to revenue assurance contracts with Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML). The High Court charge sheet, filed on November 18, 2025, accuses the group of conspiring to improperly influence a procurement process to secure an unfair advantage, contrary to Ghana’s Criminal Offences Act and the Public Procurement Act.

Sports News of Thursday, 29 January 2026Source: www.ghanaweb.comMonths after the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony crowned Ousmane Dembélé as the world’s best player following his treble-winning season with Paris Saint-Germain, Raphinha has reopened the debate. Dembélé’s Champions League triumph with PSG ultimately tipped the scales in his favour, underlining how decisive Europe’s premier competition can be in shaping Ballon d’Or narratives. Reflecting on the outcome months later, Raphinha made it clear he felt his consistency across the entire season merited more recognition. “I think I deserved to be first in the Ballon d'Or for the titles I won, numbers I achieved and everything I contributed. It's mainly an award based on a single competition (UCL), and Dembélé deserved it too, but if we talk about the overall season, I think I deserved to win, yes,” he told SofaScore.

Regional News of Thursday, 29 January 2026Source: www.ghanaweb.comGhana Water Limited (GWL) has assured residents of Anfoega and nearby communities that efforts are underway to restore steady and reliable water supply after months of persistent shortages. “For a long time, we have tried to engage Ghana Water, but it hasn’t been easy,” the Paramount Chief said. We want sustainable solutions, solutions that will make water flow consistently and fairly to every household, not just a few areas,” he added. Michael Botse Baidoo, Deputy Managing Director in charge of Operations; Michael Klutse, Chief Manager in charge of Corporate Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation; Ing. Amidu Musah, Chief Manager of Operations; Stanley Martey, Chief Manager for Public Relations and Communication, along with other senior officials.

Sports News of Thursday, 29 January 2026Source: www.ghanaweb.comOlivier Safari, the President of the Referees Committee at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has revealed that his outfit is considering banning the use of towels in football matches across the continent. This comes after controversies involving goalkeepers’ towels during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) hosted in Morocco, which marred the tournament’s reputation. Addressing the issue, Olivier Safari described the phenomenon as worrisome, noting that CAF is reviewing the incidents to come up with measures to prevent future occurrences. "Once it is used to shout instructions or influence the game, I believe the towel should be removed from the playing area,” Olivier Safari told Canal+ Afrique. Meanwhile, CAF fined the Moroccan Football Federation $200,000 for the inappropriate behaviour of the ball boys.

Business News of Thursday, 29 January 2026Source: www.ghanaweb.comGlobal investment bank JPMorgan has projected that gold prices could rise as high as $8,000 per ounce in the coming years. JPMorgan on Thursday said gold is becoming more important as a hedge against economic uncertainty and inflation, especially as global financial conditions tighten and geopolitical tensions continue. For Ghana, which is one of Africa’s top gold producers, this outlook has major implications. Gold remains Ghana’s top export commodity, accounting for a large portion of the country’s export revenues and higher prices could also strengthen the cedi, improve the balance of payments, and increase government revenues through royalties and taxes. JUST IN: JPMorgan sees Gold at $8,000 — Kalshi (@Kalshi) January 29, 2026MA

The ruling of the court, which effectively cancelled a by-election announced by the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC), was on an application filed by Mathew Nyindam, challenging the order of the High Court. What the plaintiff was seeking:On December 1, 2025, Mathew Nyindam filed the application at the Supreme Court to overturn a High Court ruling in Tamale that annulled his victory in the 2024 parliamentary election. He also argued that the election petition of the petitioner, Nsala Wakpal, was brought in breach of the timelines for the filing of an election petition. What the law on election petition says:Sections 16, 17 and 18 of the Representation of the People Law, 1992, PNDCL 284, touch on parliamentary election petitions. (2) Every election petition shall be presented before the High Court for hearing.”Section 17 lists the persons who can take part in an election petition.

General News of Thursday, 29 January 2026Source: www.ghanaweb.comTyrone Iras Marhguy is not your everyday student. What makes his achievement even more remarkable is that he had no prior experience in chip design when he started. Driven by curiosity and determination, Tyrone dedicated over 250 hours to the project — carefully designing, simulating and verifying every part of the ALU from scratch. Tyrone’s work is a powerful reminder that innovation is not limited by location or resources, but by imagination and persistence. In Tyrone, Ghana is witnessing more than a young inventor it is seeing a future leader whose brilliance is matched by conviction.

Politics of Thursday, 29 January 2026Source: www.ghanaweb.comThe ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has announced that individuals seeking positions in the government cannot simultaneously hold executive positions within the party. Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Thursday, January 29, 2026, the General Secretary of the party, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, stated that government appointees who wish to contest party positions must resign from their governmental offices. Government appointees who intend to hold party positions are required to resign at least six clear months before submitting their nomination forms. “The NDC is a big party, and it cannot continue to have people holding positions in both the government and the party because it has enough qualified people,” he added. The General Secretary further announced that the party will begin its internal elections with branch primaries between January 2026 and May 2026.

Addressing Chief Directors, Heads of Covered Entities, and Chief Executives of Public Institutions at a meeting on the modalities for Commitment Authorisation for 2026, the Deputy Minister stressed that all spending in 2026 must strictly remain within approved budgetary ceilings. Ampem, who is also the Member of Parliament for the Asuogyaman Constituency, announced a new two-week turnaround target for the Ministry of Finance to process and approve Commitment Authorisation requests, provided all required documentation is properly submitted. The Deputy Minister further clarified that MDAs with ongoing projects from 2025, where contracts have been awarded but payments remain outstanding, must fully disclose these commitments. Such obligations, he said, will be treated as a first charge on their 2026 budgets before any new expenditure is approved. Explaining the rationale behind the Commitment Authorisation system, Ampem noted that it was introduced to prevent public institutions from committing the state to projects without approved budgetary allocations.

The most talked-about fixture was Real Madrid’s 4-2 loss to Benfica, despite Kylian Mbappé scoring a brace. The defeat ended Los Blancos’ hopes of automatic qualification, leaving them ninth and heading into the play-offs to determine their fate. At the Wanda Metropolitano, Atlético Madrid were stunned by Bodø/Glimt, as Sørloth’s opener was cancelled out by Horgh and Fredrik, securing a 2-1 away win. Premier League sides continued their dominance:Arsenal sealed top spot with a 3-2 win over Kairat Almaty. Chelsea travelled to Naples and beat Napoli 3-2, with João Pedro netting a brace.

Sports News of Thursday, 29 January 2026Source: www.ghanaweb.comManchester City manager, Pep Guardiola publicly thanked his old rival José Mourinho after City secured a place in the Champions League last 16, thanks to Benfica’s dramatic late victory over Real Madrid on Wednesday, January 28, 2026. However, qualification also depended on results elsewhere, and late goals from Sporting Lisbon and Chelsea had left City nervously occupying eighth place in the group. As the final whistle blew at the Etihad, only Real Madrid could still threaten City’s top-eight finish. Stay in the goal because Madrid can equalise!’ After that, we are out. Asked if he would send Mourinho a message of gratitude, Guardiola replied simply: “Of course.”FKA/JEMeanwhile, watch the 2025 GhanaWeb Excellence Awards Nominees Unveiling below:

Sports News of Thursday, 29 January 2026Source: www.ghanaweb.comThe appeal from the Federation of Royal Moroccan Football (FRMF) seeking to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations trophy after chaotic scenes at the final has been dismissed by the Confederation of African Football. In the statement sighted by GhanaWeb Sports, the CAF Disciplinary Board rejected Morocco's complaint which alleged that Senegal violated Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON Regulations during the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 final. CAF ruled that the protest lacked merit, effectively confirming Senegal’s 1–0 extra-time victory and maintaining the Teranga Lions as champions of Africa. Morocco had argued that Senegal’s conduct warranted sanctions severe enough to affect the outcome of the competition. Despite the controversy, Díaz missed the penalty, as his Panenka attempt was easily saved by Édouard Mendy, sending the game into extra time.

General News of Thursday, 29 January 2026Source: www.ghanaweb.comThere have been a series of arrests of commercial transport drivers across the country for charging unapproved fares amid a shortage of buses. 15 'trotro' drivers overpricing passengers arrestedIn January 2026 alone, over 20 arrests have been made, with some offending drivers subjected to punitive measures, including fines. This GhanaWeb article highlights some of the arrests recorded so far:15 drivers arrested at Awoshie MarketThe Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) taskforce arrested 15 trotro drivers over allegations of overcharging passengers. 27 drivers at various terminals27 commercial bus drivers and conductors at various locations in Accra over the last two days, were also arrested for charging unauthorised transport fares. The operation was carried out jointly by the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and National Security as part of efforts to enforce approved transport fares and protect commuters.

Entertainment of Thursday, 29 January 2026Source: www.ghanaweb.comIn January 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that American livestreamer Darren Jason Watkins Jr, aka IShowSpeed, would be granted a Ghanaian passport. While the government’s decision has been met with mixed reactions, this is not the first time an American celebrity has been granted Ghanaian citizenship and ultimately a passport. Why IShowSpeed's Ghana passport needs legal clearance – Patrick Boamah explainsHere are some other celebrities with Ghanaian citizenship. The then President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo then handed the global icon a certificate of citizenship and a Ghanaian passport to symbolise the conferment of citizenship. Yandy Smith and Mendeecees HarrisAlso at the same event, reality TV show stars and then-couple Yandy Smith and Mendeecees Harris were also granted Ghanaian citizenship after swearing the oath.