U-20 AFCON: Ghana players stranded in Niger cry for help

Stranded players and officials of Ghana’s U20 side in Niger have been crying for help after they were thrown out of their team hotel on Wednesday.

FootballMadeInGhana.com reported the embarrassing situation of the Ghana team in Niger on Wednesday after the team was directed to leave the hotel for overstaying.

Ghana was knocked out of the competition on Saturday and were expected to depart Niger on Monday per the regulations of CAF.

But only eight players were able to depart Niger as of Monday with the rest waiting in earnest to leave on Tuesday.

But their hopes were dashed as officials failed to get their flight ready to depart Niger to Ghana.

The hotel, therefore, threw them out of their rooms after their CAF duration of stay expired and with no assurance of payment from anyone if they kept staying there.

Thirteen players with the technical team are still stuck in camp in Niger, locked in a state of confusion and unsure of when they will depart to Ghana.

Eight players – Ishaku Konda, Fard Ibrahim, Emmanuel Toku, Enock Atta Agyei, Manaf Nurudeen, Michael Baidoo, Sabit Abdulai and Frank Arhin have already departed Niger for Ghana and touched down at the Kotoka International Airport on Monday.

Insiders tell FootballMadeInGhana.com that the situation of the players is not only embarrassing but worrying as they wander in Niger with their clubs patiently awaiting their return.

FootballMadeInGhana.com understands that the ticketing for the rest of the players and technical was fixed for 18th February, a day after the finals of the tournament, meaning the contingent will have to find ways of surviving in Niger for the four days.

A source close to team pleaded anonymity and said “We have been warned not to speak or complain.”

“Yet we don’t know when we are going to leave Niger and return home. We are stranded,” the source added.

The Ghana FA Normalization Committee appear to have challenges with traveling arrangements for national teams as the Black Stars suffered a worse fate before and after their 2019 AFCON qualifier with Ethiopia in November last year.

While some of the players arrived in camp in Kenya two days before the clash with Ethiopia, others had to meet the team in Ethiopia a day before the game.

The bizarre traveling arrangements done for the players saw many of the Black Stars players transiting in Togo before continuing to Ethiopia for the game which left many of them angry and unsatisfied with the treat.

The Black Satellites seems to be suffering the same fate after being forced to leave camp in bits while others are thrown out of their hotel following the poor travel arrangements by the NC.