Countryman Songo to face trial November 4 over Paintsil defamation

Popular sports broadcaster Patrick Osei Agyemang, known as Countryman Songo, will stand trial on November 4, 2025, for allegedly defaming former Black Stars defender and assistant coach John Paintsil.

The outspoken Fire for Fire host landed in legal trouble earlier this year after a series of on-air remarks attacking Paintsil’s integrity and professional qualifications.

His comments, which many described as personal and inflammatory, came amid public debate over Paintsil’s appointment to the national team’s technical bench following Ghana’s early exit from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Songo accused Paintsil of using a fake coaching license and questioned his moral fitness to serve on the national team, comments that led Paintsil to file a defamation suit seeking ₵80 million in damages.

Though Songo later apologized in April 2024, admitting he “went overboard” and pleading for forgiveness, Paintsil declined to withdraw the case, insisting on a court resolution.

The case, which has drawn considerable attention within Ghana’s sporting community, will now proceed to full trial after several preliminary hearings.

Former Ghana Football Association Communications Director, Sannie Daara, confirmed that the presiding judge has set November 4 as the official start date for proceedings.

Countryman Songo has had a high-profile episode of legal battles in the past.

In 2014, the then-President of the Ghana Football Association, Kwesi Nyantakyi, filed a defamation and libel lawsuit against Multimedia Group Limited (owner of Asempa FM) and presenters, including Countryman Songo and Kofi Asare.

The claim was that the presenters (and the station) had repeatedly broadcast false statements labelling Nyantakyi as a thief, engaging in fraud, etc., over a span of years, and these broadcasts had damaged his reputation.

Multimedia Group later issued an “unqualified apology” to Nyantakyi and partially retracted statements made by Songo & others. Graphic Online+1

The lawsuit sought substantial damages (reported at about US$3 million in the 2014 coverage) and raised serious questions about the responsibilities of sports media to be fact-based.