‘All they care about is money’ - Derek Boateng slams GFA over poor pitches in Ghana

Former Black Stars midfielder Derek Boateng has criticized the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for the poor condition of football pitches in the country, which has sparked nationwide controversy.

He accused the GFA of prioritizing financial gains over the maintenance of stadiums, leading to their deterioration.

Boateng, who previously played for Getafe, highlighted that the substandard pitches have negatively impacted the performance of the Black Stars, as the players struggle to perform well on such surfaces.

In an interview with 3Sports, he urged the GFA to take immediate action to improve the condition of national stadiums to support the players.

"The FA needs to wake up and do something because it is their job to ensure that all the fields are in good condition for the players. The only thing they care about, and I will say it every single day, is money. We have players coming from Europe, where they play on good fields, and then they come here and play on poor pitches. You expect them to perform well and win games, but if the wins don't come, it becomes a problem.

"The FA officials know what it means for a player to perform well. We shouldn't have to deal with this. Ghana should have proper fields for home games. It's really sad to hear about this situation," he said, as reported by 3Sports on X.

The comments by Derek Boateng follows the decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to withdraw its conditional approval of the Baba Yara Stadium due to issues like an uneven playing field, poor drainage, and inadequate grass cover.

This decision came after the Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying match between Ghana and Angola on September 5, 2024.

In response, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has instructed the GFA to invite CAF officials to inspect the Accra Sports Stadium and the Legon Stadium to determine if they meet the requirements to host Black Stars games.

Watch the video below:

“The GFA needs to wake up! This is their job!”

Former Black Stars midfielder Derek Boateng speaks on the pitch issues in Ghana right now #3SportsGH pic.twitter.com/kW30BRKhpl

— #3Sports (@3SportsGh) September 25, 2024