The Ministry of Youth and Sports, headed by Hon. Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuije, has expressed strong reservations about the Ghana Football Association’s refusal to involve the outfit in organizing an international friendly for the Black Stars ‘B’ team against the Japan Olympic side on May 11.
Coach Maxwell Konadu organized a selected group of players from the local league to honour the friendly which was used to raise funds for victims of an earthquake but the Ghana FA appears to have sidelined the Ministry in all its arrangements for the international game.
In a letter dated 17th May, 2016 and signed for the Sports Minister by his deputy, Vincent Oppong-Asamoah, the Ministry chided the football governing body of repeating an action it had earlier been reprieved of.
The Sports Ministry reminded of a letter during the tenure of Dr. Mustapha Ahmed dated, 2nd October, 2015, in which the statutory body responsible for sports development and promotion, “in a similar matter, did not mince words in expressing its displeasure in the way you handled the Ghana and Canada International Football Friendly match.” The game was played in the United States.
It added: “In your letter to the Embassy of Ghana in Washington in connection with this match, you wrote directly to the Embassy without recourse to this Ministry.”
“This is exactly what you did again in the friendly match between Ghana and Japan.”
“The Ministry would like to re-iterate, that, all dealings of the GFA in relations to the Black Stars and for that matter all the National Teams should be routed through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the statutory body responsible for sports development and promotion in the country.”
“It is, therefore, mandatory that you involve the Ministry in all Contracts, Agreements and Memoranda that you might sign in relation to the Black Stars and all the National Teams…
The Sports Ministry also urged the Ghana FA not to allow the anomaly repeat itself for a third time.
Below is the full content of the letter
THE PRESIDENT
GHANA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
ACCRA
INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL FRIENDLY MATCH BETWEEN GHANA AND JAPAN ON WEDNESDAY 11TH MAY, 2016 IN JAPAN
The Ministry of Youth and Sports wishes to register its strong reservations about your conduct in handling the affairs of the Black Stars and for that matter, the National teams.
It would be recalled that in a letter dated, 2nd October, 2015, in a similar matter, copy of letter attached, the Ministry did not mince words in expressing its displeasure in the way you handled the Ghana and Canada International Football Friendly match.
In your letter to the Embassy of Ghana in Washington in connection with this match, you wrote directly to the Embassy without recourse to this Ministry.
This is exactly what you did again in the friendly match between Ghana and Japan.
The Ministry would like to re-iterate, that, all dealings of the GFA in relations to the Black Stars and for that matter all the National Teams should be routed through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the statutory body responsible for sports development and promotion in the country.
It is, therefore, mandatory that you involve the Ministry in all Contracts, Agreements and Memoranda that you might sign in relation to the Black Stars and all the National Teams.
You should also involve the Ministry in all communications to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in relation to the activities of the Black Stars and other National Teams in future.
We hope this anomaly would not repeat itself the third time.
For: MINISTER
Hon. VINCENT OPPONG-ASAMOAH (MP)
DEPUTY MINISTER