Ibrahim Tanko, the head coach of Black Stars B
Ibrahim Tanko, the head coach of Black Stars B has disclosed that he has never at any point received money to hand call-ups to any footballer in his team.
The issue of some coaches being influenced by money from agents and officials has long been part of Ghana football.
It came up again recently when Black Stars coach CK Akonnor announced his squad for the games against South Africa and Sao Tome last month.
The inclusion of some players created rumours that they might have made the team because of their ability to influence some persons around the Black Stars.
But Tanko said meritocracy is the basic requirement for selection into his team and that money has not been a factor.
“I never took money from anyone and I will never do it,” Tanko told Muftawu Nabilla.
“Because I don’t see why I should take money before I call someone who has the talent, who is a Ghanaian, who can help us. Sometimes you hear about coaches who you respect very well and this is not how it is supposed to be. For me, nobody comes to me to give me money and I will never take it.”
Before his current job, Tanko served as assistant Black Stars coach and head coach for the national under-23 team.
It was recently reported that Tanko had been paid five months salary by the Ministry of Youth and Sports but GhanaWeb checks indicate it's untrue.
Tanko, according to our source was paid a two-month salary in October 2020 alongside Stephen Appiah and Richard Kingson who were team manager and goalkeepers’ coach respectively.
