Coronavirus: Government to take cost of testing players

Government is to take up the cost of COVID-19 testing for players of national teams returning to train, Dr Anthony Nsiah Asare, the Presidential Advisor on Health, has said.

“We will be doing the mandatory testing for these national teams as FIFA has recommended and European clubs are doing,” he said.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in his 14th Address to the nation on measures to contain the COVID-19, asked the Black Maidens and the Black Princesses to resume camping and prepare for their international assignments later this year.

Dr Nsiah Asare said the decision followed a proposal by the Minister of Sports on the need to consider national teams, which had international assignments, to start training with strict adherence to all safety protocols.

He said the return matches would be played behind closed doors at venues chosen by the Ghana Football Association (GFA).

Dr Nsiah Asare said the teams would be camped under tight security as done for second cycle institutions until all return matches were played.

The Black Maidens have a FIFA U-17 World Cup qualifier against Nigeria whiles the Princesses will take on Guinea-Bissau in a 2021 FIFA U-20 World Cup qualifier in September, this year.