Legendary Asante Kotoko striker, Prince Opoku Polley had disclosed that he had to buy tickets to watch the Black Stars’ 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Angola on March 23, 2023.
Prince Polley told Dan Kwaku Yeboah in an interview that he decided to watch Chris Hughton’s first match as Black Stars coach to apprise himself of the state of the new team.
Unfortunately for him, the National Sports Authority and Ghana Football Association did not make provisions for ex-players hence the decision to sit in the stands.
Polley who watched the game with his wife said they struggled to enjoy a good view of the match due to their seating positions.
He lamented that he had to be assisted by some of the fans to get a suitable seat for his wife and that he himself stood for the entire ninety minutes due to the difficulty he encountered in the stands.
“I decided to go and watch the Black Stars. It was a new team and new coach so I wanted to have first-hand experience of them. I couldn’t the game well because I had to stand on something throughout the game and had my vision interfered with by those standing in front of me.
“They didn’t offer us VIP seats. I went with my wife and it was some of the fans who saw us who gave up their seats. From our position, it was difficult to watch the game. It would have been nice if the FA made arrangements for special tickets for us the legends but nothing like that happened. Even though we paid, we struggled to get a proper view. Even when we paid, getting a good view of the game was problematic,” he said.
His revelation irked Dan Kwaku Yeboah who slammed the FA and NSA for not reserving tickets for ex-footballers.
According to him, legends like Prince Polley paved the way for young footballers to enjoy the successes they are chalking about now and therefore deserve massive respect from institutions.
"They couldn’t give you a VIP seat. Prince Polley had to watch the Black Stars game in the stands? I was expecting the FA to know the legends in Kumasi and those who would attend the game and make provisions for VIP tickets.
"These are legends who paved the way for current footballers to enjoy $10,000 and management committee members to get $100,000. A person of his stature had to struggle to watch the Black Stars game even after buying tickets. What will motivate the young generations to learn from such legends? I will plead with the FA to address it next time," he said.
Chris Hughton recorded a slim win in his first match in charge of the Black Stars following a late goal from Antoine Semenyo.
The Black Stars return to action on Sunday, June 18, 2023 with an AFCON qualifier against Madagascar.
KPE
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