Stop handling Meteors like charity, Gov’t warned

Management member of the national U23 soccer side Abdul Salam Yakubu has lamented the unfair treatment given the team, ahead of the 2015 All-Africa Games which kicks off on Friday.

Malik Jabir’s side are set to compete against Nigeria and Senegal in Group B after Egypt, the fourth group member, withdrawn from the competition. A game against Senegal on Sunday will be Ghana’s first attempt at progressing to the knock-out stage.

However, the team have failed to qualify for the Olympics Games since a Yusif Chibsah-led Meteors reached the 2004 edition in Athens, Greece, where they were bundled out after the group stage.

“The sports ministry needs to change their attitude toward the Meteors,” Yakubu told Starr FM.

“They did not qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games because the boys do not get enough motivation.

“They treat the players like charity. If they want Meteors to achieve like the way Black Stars is achieving, then they have to give them enough motivation.

“The Meteors should receive the same motivation given to the Black Stars.”

Having lost the opportunity to play at the 2016 Olympics after a 5-4 defeat on penalties to Congo in Brazzaville following a 1-1 aggregate score, the Black Meteors overturned a 1-0 first leg away deficit to beat Mozambique 2-0 at home to make it for the African edition as defending champions.

In 1992, Ghana became the first African team to win an Olympic football medal, after beating Australia to bronze in the third place play-off encounter in Barcelona.