We can't seperate football from politics – Mallam Issa

Former Sports Minister, Mallam Ali Yusif Issa says politics cannot be separated from football given that the taxes of ordinary citizens are used to run the sport in the country.

Issa, who was the Sports Minister under the Kufuor administration, told 3news that every wrongdoing goes back to the Ghana FA president regardless of what goes wrong or right within the sport.

Issa called for proper management methods to be instituted by politicians and football administrators to manage the sector rather than trying to detach it from politics.

“I don’t want to zero it to football but I give them thumbs-up to the Sports Ministry because there has been some sort of improvement compared to other jurisdictions, and I think Nyantakyi is doing very well.”

He noted the major setback for the Sports Ministry had been the lack of cooperation, honesty and transparency over the years, adding that much is desired of the Ministry to perform better.

Mallam Issa said the Ministry has so far improved and is working much better than before.

He was jailed in 2001 for misplacing $46,000 meant as bonuses for the Black Stars, but was granted a presidential pardon in 2003 due to ill-health.