Former Deputy Sports Minister reveals reasons behind Ghana’s failures at major tournaments

Ex-Deputy Sports Minister Vincent Oppong Asamoah has disclosed reasons why Ghana have failed at major tournaments.

Ghana, who last won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 1982 suffered a humiliating exit at the 2021 AFCON after losing in the final group against Comoros.

The four-time champions failed to win a single game at the tournament – picking up only one point.

“I remember especially our U-20 (men’s team) and the other [teams], you in those times we had management committee members [of these national teams] who owned clubs, taking, for example, Osei Parma who owned Tema Youth, even Kwasi Nyantakyi [the then FA President] himself also owned Wa All Stars [now Legon Cities FC under new ownership]”, Asamoah told NimdeƐ FM.

“So when it’s time for [player] selection into any of the national teams especially the junior ones, who dare you that you can pick players without picking those of these Management Committee Members? I had one experience when we went to is it Cameroon or Senegal, I was sitting in the stands with some officials and spotted one player who was playing abysmally then I complained as to why he was not being subbed off.

“One of them then told me to keep mute because he was a player of this person, and they are scouts who come from Europe to pick players so even if the player is not performing we should allow him to be in the team because someone has come to watch him and if you take him off, the owner may not get the chance to sell his player”, he continued.

He added, “All these interest parties have their interests for sending the players to the tournaments, the scouts are there to go after their players, then we start playing with the hearts of Ghanaians, meanwhile you [the ordinary Ghanaian] wants them to perform well and bring a cup home, then some people are using the stage to sell their players. So with that experience I had at the U-20, I will not be surprised [that it remains the same as of today].”

“Even the media houses, you also have some. Some of them have intentionally taken some players to promote them just for them to be called into the national teams, so if the player goes and makes one assist then the embellishment goes on, it is there. So if only we will remain faithful to ourselves and do the selection on merits, we will get results.”