Defeat not due to lack of funds - Ministry

The Ministry of Youth and Sports on Friday said it disagreed with the view of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Chairman's assertion in some sections of the media that the recent defeat of the National Football squad, the Black Stars in Uganda was due to the government's failure to provide funds for training of the team.

"The facts, as have become quite clear, are different from that since the Ministry is known to have done everything reasonable to ensure that the programme submitted by the Football Association was adhered to," the Ministry said in a statement signed by Mr Kofi Aggrey, its Public Relations Officer.

The statement said the inability of the Stars to make it to Turkey to play a club side was due more to the fact that the team could not procure visa in time for Turkey and Italy, where they were expected to transit.

"But then if the trip was to sharpen the team for the match against the Cranes, why is it that the major players of the Black Stars were being left out?"

The statement said it was also known that just a couple of the players that played in Uganda were among the makeshift group that were intended for Turkey.

It said the country could have done well by engaging neighbouring nations, who could have given the Stars the much needed competition and playing opponents in East and Central Africa.

The Ministry pledged its continuous stand not to interfere in the affairs of the GFA and other sports associations but added that situations in which demands for money to as far away places like Turkey or Yugoslavia arrived at the Ministry barely a fortnight to the event created much cause for questioning.

"The Ministry of Youth and Sports is obliged to justify every request from any association to the Chief of Staff, President's Office and to the Minister of Finance before money is released," it said.

It said all the processes required time and, therefore, the Ministry's advised all associations to present their requests at least three months before the event.

The Ministry advised all Football Associations and all other interested parties to put the defeat behind them and rather work assiduously to win the remaining matches to qualify the Black Stars for the Cup of Nations