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Van Dijk signs new Liverpool contract

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Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has signed a new two-year contract with the club.

The 33-year-old centre-back’s previous contract had been set to expire at the end of the season.

But the Dutchman has joined forward Mohamed Salah, who signed a two-year extension last week, in committing his future to the club.

“It was always Liverpool,” said Van Dijk, who had been linked with a move to Paris St-Germain.

“That was the case. It was always in my head, it was always the plan and it was always Liverpool.”

The Dutchman, who has made 314 appearances for the Reds, was named Liverpool captain in 2023 following Jordan Henderson’s departure.

“There wasn’t any doubt in my head that this is the place to be for me and my family,” said Van Dijk.

“I’m one of Liverpool. Someone called me the other day an adopted Scouser – I’m really proud to hear these things, it gives me a great feeling.

“It’s a proud feeling, it’s a feeling of joy. It’s just incredible.

“The journey I’ve had so far in my career, to be able to extend it with another two years at this club is amazing and I’m so happy.”

Van Dijk has been with the club since joining for £75m from Southampton in January 2018.

Since then, he has helped Liverpool win the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Club World Cup and EFL Cup twice.

Under Liverpool manager and fellow Dutchman Arne Slot, who is in his first season in the role, Van Dijk has been key in helping the Reds close in on a record-equalling 20th English league title.

Van Dijk said in March that he had “no idea” if he would remain at Anfield.

But earlier this month, he said that there had been “progress” in negotiations with the club over a new contract.

With new deals confirmed for Salah and Van Dijk, the future of defender Trent Alexander-Arnold remains unresolved.

The England defender, who returned to Liverpool training on Wednesday after a month out because of injury, is out of contract in July and has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid.

Numbers made sense for Liverpool – analysis

First Mohamed Salah, now Virgil van Dijk.

It’s big news for the club and the Premier League that one of the division’s most iconic players is staying put.

For so long, there has been huge uncertainty over Van Dijk and Salah’s futures at Liverpool given their previous contracts were set to expire at the end of the season.

The perspective is far rosier now – though the future of fellow out-of-contract star Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has held talks with Real Madrid, remains hugely uncertain.

In the end, the numbers made sense for Liverpool. Replacing Salah and Van Dijk like-for-like would probably cost towards £200m in transfer fees, let alone wages. Identifying those players would have been a risky task.

Both players are in their mid-30s, but neither has shown signs of slowing down, so keeping Salah and Van Dijk – on similar salaries to what they were on previously – appears the most economical decision, particularly when you look at their performances this season.

Van Dijk staying will lessen the necessity for Liverpool to sign a new central defender this summer, although strengthening in that area of the field will likely depend on how talks develop with Ibrahima Konate over a new deal.

The France international is entering the final 12 months of his contract and is yet to reach an agreement with Liverpool over an extension.

Among the centre-backs Liverpool have watched are Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi.

If an agreement with Konate isn’t reached, then Liverpool may have to make a decision over his future this summer in order to avoid the prospect of the central defender leaving on a free transfer in 2026.

‘An absolute bargain’

We asked for your views on Van Dijk’s contract extension. Here are some of your comments:

Andy: Hopefully another trophy-winning season. Virgil is an inspirational captain, a cool, calm defender who emits an aura of control that enables the rest of the team playing to fulfil their potentials. Two of our greatest players showing a loyalty that fans respect to a great club. Hopefully more successful seasons to follow in the near future. Thank you Virgil and Mo for staying with us.

Yusuf: We need him, he has been the best centre-back this club has seen since Ron Yeats. And particularly as this will be a big summer, hopefully with the new signings he can help their development and continue to help Quansah and Konate to develop. If we want to win the Premier League and Champions League he is the one person who will lead us to them.

Will: Absolutely over the moon with this new deal. The contract extensions of Salah and Van Dijk have provided the team with a degree of certainty for the upcoming season, and takes some of the pressure off the upcoming transfer window.

Graham: An absolute bargain and clever business, we’d have had to pay in excess of £100m to get a centre-back of his quality!

Dax: There was never really any doubt. Anyone who’s been out and about around Liverpool will know that VVD and his family belong in Liverpool just as much as Salah and his family. The culture at the club doesn’t just embrace you as a player but also embraces you as a human being and there is no more welcoming place than at an organisation like Liverpool Football Club to make you feel worthy. I’m sure at some point in the next few days VVD will say that it’s more than just a footballing decision.

Ryan: Brilliant news. Will soften the blow of losing Trent, and his leadership and his experience cannot be underestimated. He’s respected in the game by fans, fellow players, and he can hopefully help pave the way for Ibou and maybe another CB to pick up the amazing foundations he’s helped build. His dominance at the back is so assuring for the rest of the team – mistakes he makes are magnified because of the colossus that he is. He’s a true legend, a giant of a man and exactly what you want from a Liverpool captain. Great news!

Source: BBC Sports

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Mahama to Host Zimbabwe President Mnangagwa for Three-Day State Visit

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President John Dramani Mahama is set to host Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on a three-day State Visit to Ghana from Wednesday, April 1 to Friday, April 3, 2026.

 

According to a statement from the Presidency, President Mnangagwa will arrive at the Accra International Airport at 3:00 PM on Wednesday, where he will be received with full military honours by President Mahama. The ceremony will feature an inspection of a Guard of Honour mounted by the Ghana Armed Forces, followed by a 21-gun salute.

 

Later in the evening, President Mahama will host a State Banquet in honour of his Zimbabwean counterpart, in celebration of the long-standing relations between the two countries.

 

The highlight of the visit will be bilateral talks between the two leaders at the Peduase Lodge. The discussions, which will begin with a tête-à-tête, are expected to focus on strengthening cooperation in key sectors including trade, tourism, health, sanitation, agriculture, anti-corruption efforts, and job creation.

 

Both leaders are also expected to preside over the signing and exchange of several Memoranda of Understanding aimed at deepening diplomatic and economic ties between Ghana and Zimbabwe.

 

As part of his itinerary, President Mnangagwa will visit the Sweden Ghana Medical Centre and the Accra Compost and Recycling Plant to gain insight into Ghana’s advancements in healthcare delivery and sustainable waste management.

 

He will also pay homage to Ghana’s founding father, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, by laying a wreath at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.

 

President Mnangagwa is expected to depart Ghana on Friday, April 3, with full departure honours at the Jubilee Lounge.

 

The visit is anticipated to further strengthen bilateral relations and expand cooperation between Accra and Harare.

 

Read the statement below;

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Global InfoAnalytics: Mahama’s approval rating at 67%; economic optimism slips

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President John Dramani Mahama continues to enjoy strong public support, maintaining a 67% approval rating, according to a new poll by Global InfoAnalytics.

 

The survey released on March 25, 2026, showed that only 26% of voters disapprove of his performance, though it was a slight increase from 24% recorded in December 2025, while approval remains unchanged.

 

Support for President Mahama, according to the survey, spans all regions, including traditional opposition strongholds.

 

In the Ashanti Region, which is the stronghold of the opposition, New Patriotic Party (NPP), the poll showed that 56% of voters approve of his performance, while approval stands at 64% in the Eastern Region and 65% in the North East Region.

 

The poll also indicates that a majority of party affiliates back the president’s performance, except for supporters of the NPP.

 

In the direction of the country, 65% of respondents in the survey noted that Ghana is headed in the right direction, though there was a marginal drop from 66% in the previous quarter.

 

Meanwhile, 28% believe the country is on the wrong path, up from 24%, while those with no opinion declined from 10% to 7%.

 

Living standards appear to have improved for many Ghanaians, with 58% of voters saying their conditions are better than a year ago, compared to 16% who report a decline.

 

However, optimism about the future has dipped slightly. The poll found that 68% of voters expect their standard of living to improve over the next 12 months, down from 70% in the previous quarter, suggesting growing unease over potential inflationary pressures linked to the Middle East conflict.

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President Mahama Calls for Global Recognition of Slave Trade as Crime Against Humanity

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President John Dramani Mahama has called on the global community to acknowledge the transatlantic slave trade as a grave crime against humanity, urging nations to restore dignity and humanity to the millions of Africans who were trafficked and enslaved over 400 years.

High-Level Special Event on Reparatory Justice, convened by President John Dramani Mahama at the UN Headquarters on 24th March 2026, President Mahama emphasized the power of language in shaping consciousness, warning that “violence begins with language. When words are weaponised, or to codify abuse, when people are called out of their names.”

“There’s no such thing as a slave,” he said. “There were human beings who were trafficked and then enslaved by people who believed they could own those human beings as chattels, as their personal property. This is not the same thing if we acknowledge an individual’s humanity and respect their basic rights to dignity.”

President Mahama recounted the horrors of the Middle Passage, the brutal conditions of plantations, and the systematic erasure of African identity. “When slaves were captured, they were always stripped of their clothing, chained, and packed like sardines into the holds of cargo ships. Not all survived the voyage. Those who did were stripped of their names and given new ones like John, Jemima, or Mary, while some were branded like cattle with the plantation’s insignia.”

He cited the staggering scale of the trade: “Roughly six million enslaved Africans were trafficked to Brazil. Almost two million were trafficked to Jamaica, half a million to America, and over 450,000 to Barbados. These are not just numbers – these are human beings, human lives, families, hopes, and dreams stolen from them.”

Mahama also highlighted historical laws and codes designed to dehumanize Africans. “In 1662, the legal doctrine Partus Sequitur Ventrum was established in Virginia, declaring that children born of enslaved women would also automatically be enslaved, stripping them of their paternity and humanity in the eyes of the law.”

Warning against the dangers of historical erasure, the President said, “Earlier when discussing the importance of this resolution, I said it was a safeguard against forgetting. This is the type of forgetting that we are witnessing when black history courses are removed from curricula, and books about slavery, segregation, and racism are banned.”

President Mahama concluded with a call to collective action: “Tomorrow we vote on a historic resolution that will be another step in establishing truth. We stand united as Africans, whether on the continent or in the diaspora, and link up with people of conscience around the world to seek truth and justice, and restore the dignity and humanity of victims of the slave trade.”

“Truth begins with language,” he said. “Reclaiming racial equality, the dignity of Africans, and the humanity of our ancestors is a matter of our own humanity. Let us vote to establish truth so that together we can finally acknowledge the full horrors of these transgressions against humanity.”

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