The coach of the Black Challenge, Ghana's amputee football team, Richard Obeng, has disclosed the team's struggles during their victorious campaign at the 2024 African Amputee Football Cup of Nations (AAFCON).
According to the coach, a significant challenge was the lack of jerseys before their trip, forcing the team to purchase a set from the popular Kantamanto market.
"The jerseys we wore to participate at the AAFCON, we bought at Kantamanto. This was not catered for," Coach Obeng stated during an interview with Starr FM.
The coach highlighted the limited sponsorship received, which covered only tickets and the participation fee, leaving the team without provisions for accommodation.
"The hotel in which we slept for the tournament was taken care of by the local organizing committee. We did not even have camping. From our budget, we never received anything except the participation fee, which was $8,500," he explained.
Coach Obeng also addressed the need for financial accountability, a sentiment echoed by the Sports Minister, Mustapha Ussif.
Despite the challenges, the team remains committed to transparency and responsible management of funds.
"It's not my private team or a private club. We are aware that one day we will have to account. In 2021, when we traveled with our own money, we still have an account of that on our record, right? But nobody asked us to bring our expenditure," he concluded.
The Sports Ministry didn't even provide us with jerseys for the AAFCON, we bought our own jerseys from Kantamanto... - Stephen Richard Obeng (Coach, National Amputee Football Team) #GHOneNews #GHOneTV #StarrFM @starr1035fm pic.twitter.com/kfkHsbEezy
— GHOne TV (@ghonetv) June 18, 2024
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