2019 AFCON: 'Hangers-on, vampires' invade Ghana camp as 'disgraced' African giants crash out

An unregulated 'hangers-on and vampires' in the Ghana camp is one of the primary reasons believed to have accounted for the team's disgraceful exit from the 2019 Africa Cup of Nation.

A lack of direction and a defiance for common sense coupled with an unbridled desire to 'loot' state coffers has come down crushing on heads as a 37-year wait for a fifth crown for the four-time African champions continues unabated.

A huge number of officials and fans besieged the team's camping base, disrupting the serenity of the hotel where players and technical team had lodged, GHANAsoccernet.com can report.

Officials of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, sponsors Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Normalisation Committee, and the Parliamentary select committee for Sports and Culture, journalists, players representatives and fans took centre stage in a direct defiance over an advise offered against such hangers-on, back in 2014.

Ghana has been eliminated from Africa's flagship tournament in the most despicable manner, reflecting on the country's worst campaign in 10-years after losing on penalties to Tunisia on Monday night.

Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah, who appears clueless, warned against hangers-on when he appeared before the Justice Dzamefe Commission following the country's wrecked FIFA World Cup campaign in 2014.

“The number of people in the team’s hotel as well as the team bus were too many. In future nobody should be allowed to join the team bus or hang around the hotel if they have no specific assignment in relation to the team.

“This will ensure maximum concentration for the playing body ahead of matches." he told Justice Senyo Dzamefe Commission of Inquiry in 2014.

However, it appears the Ghanaian gaffer fell on his own dagger after the hangers-on took charge of the country's lavish campaign in the North African country.

The poor Ghanaian taxpayers paid for the huge cost of several journalists, who traveled on Business class tickets to Egypt.

A staggering $2.5m taxpayers money was budgeted for various journalists to send them to the tournament in Egypt in a bid to get favourable media coverage for the sports ministry during the tournament in Egypt.

The cost of sponsoring this high number of journalists to the North African country involves air-tickets, accommodation, feeding, ground transportation and per diems.

With a highly controversial budget raised from state coffers for the competition the media backlash has been very heavy and highly critical.

But in order to smother criticism, journalists were sponsored to travel for the tournament so that they can defend the decision of the ministry led by Hon. Isaac Asiamah.

Most of the journalists, who are praise-singers of the Minister and critics of the former Ghana FA leadership, are being rewarded from the pockets of the poor Ghanaian taxpayer.

The concept was craftily designed to buy their silence to mask the plundering of meagre state resources to fund the campaign that can only generate the country $4.5 million if the Black Stars win the trophy. This means a debt of $10 million will be wracked even if Ghana had won the title.

But it’s the sorry Ghanaian taxpayer, who must foot the bills of some of these local media personnel, who are being sent on a mission to make the team look good in the eyes of the populace.

The pathetic state of most media houses in Ghana means, most are unable to sponsor their reporters to cover the tournament, leaving their professional integrity at the expense of the politicians.

An amount of $15 million was earmarked to execute Ghana’s disastrous 2019 Africa Cup of Nations campaign, representing the highest amount ever spent by a country playing in the tournament.