Following the end of the 2024–25 MTN FA Cup, Asante Kotoko and Golden Kick FC have started formal negotiations regarding the possible signing of Dacosta Owusu, their outstanding attacking midfield player.
Kotoko's technical staff took notice of the 21-year-old playmaker after he put on a string of outstanding displays during Golden Kick's incredible FA Cup run. He played a key role in Sunday's final at the University of Ghana Stadium, when Golden Kick fell to Kotoko by a slim margin of 2-1 following a contentious penalty in stoppage time.
According to people familiar with the talks, Golden Kick is amenable to a deal but will only approve the transfer if Kotoko agrees to their asking price for the player, who is considered to be among the best attacking midfielders in Ghanaian football.
Kotoko is presently in the lead to sign Owusu as they get ready to return to continental football in the 2025–2026 CAF Confederation Cup. Owusu's vision, close control, and inventiveness have made him a desirable commodity in the domestic transfer market.
Kotoko sees Owusu as a top target to bolster their midfield in the upcoming busy transfer season. His presence would provide their team more depth and flair as the Porcupine Warriors prepare to compete both at home and in Africa the next season.
According to reports, negotiations are going well, and Kotoko plans to make a formal proposal in the next few days, indicating their intention to make significant additions before the start of the new season.
Now, let us examine another significant sports update that is now generating news.
In the draw, Fluminense outperforms Dortmund.
There has been some discussion about the potential for European teams to dominate and transform the knockout stages into the final stages of the UEFA Champions League during the Club World Cup. However, Fluminense demonstrated against Borussia Dortmund that such narratives could be inaccurate.
The Brazilian club, the 2023 Club World Cup finalists who lost, was the superior team on Tuesday at a soggy MetLife Stadium. They were disappointed to leave the stadium in New Jersey with only a point following a 0-0 stalemate. Fluminense put on a relentless display, forcing five saves and bombarding eventual "Superior Player Award" winner Gregor Kobel with 14 shots despite having less of the ball.
Niko Kovac, the manager of Dortmund, later cited the pitch and the humidity as factors that made it hard for his team. "We are having trouble with the pitch. Even though Brazilians are more accustomed to it, I believe that the humidity was also difficult for all of the players," he remarked. "Overall, we can live with a point, but it was difficult for us because we were running a lot."
Actually, Fluminense was superior and would have prevailed if it were not for Kobel's incredible double save in the second half. Kobel did a fantastic job getting down low and parrying Everaldo's curling effort from the edge of the box after Dortmund was unable to convincingly clear a looping, outswinging corner. He recovered in time to spread out and deny Nonato's follow-up shot from the rebound at close range.
With relative minnows Ulsan HD and Mamelodi Sundowns still to play in Group F, it was in many ways a lucky escape for the Bundesliga team to emerge with a clean sheet and a draw ahead of arguably easier matches. Joe Bellingham made his Dortmund debut, making a breezy half-hour cameo as a second-half substitute.
The tournament's scheduling is one element that might have aided Fluminense. Dortmund is coming off a difficult season in which they played 50 games, while they are 11 games into their domestic season. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that Fluminense appeared more youthful and fit.
Sounds and sights in the FIFA Club World Cup area
Alba's return to training gives Inter Miami a significant boost.
Yannick Bright, David Ruiz, and Allen Obando trained apart from the team in the days before the game against FC Porto in Atlanta, so Inter Miami will continue to play through the Club World Cup group stage with a diminished roster. In the team's first-ever Club World Cup encounter against Al Ahly, Bright and Ruiz were left off the matchday lineup, and Obando was benched as Miami drew 0-0.For the first time since sustaining a hamstring injury during the May 28 MLS game against CF Montreal, Jordi Alba has resumed training, which is fantastic news for Inter Miami supporters and head coach Javier Mascherano. After leaving the field in the twenty-fourth minute of that match, the former Barcelona star has not returned, leaving the defense exposed.
Although Mascherano will speak to the media on Wednesday before kickoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on June 19, it appears that the player is well enough to participate. If Alba were to start, Noah Allen would be able to go back to center back and work with Maximiliano Falcón, as they have done numerous times this season.
Before the second group-stage game, Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and Sergio Busquets practiced with the team as usual and showed no signs of illness. Despite the dearth of additions during the short transfer window, the team's squad may grow as the campaign goes on.