Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif
The head coach of the Black Challenge, Richard Obeng, has responded to the demand by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, for the team to account for donations received since winning the 2024 African Amputee Football Cup of Nations.
In an interview with Kumasi-based Akoma FM, Richard Obeng explained that the money has been spent on various team necessities.
Obeng disclosed that the ministry only covered flight tickets, and the team management had to allocate donations to take care of other expenses.
"We have already used the money we received from the donations. After we returned, we were together as a team in Accra without any support. We used the money for our accommodation, hotel bills, and transportation home.
"After they provided us with tickets, we did not receive any further assistance. We relied on donors for our upkeep. We will provide a detailed account of how the funds were used because they have already been distributed for our maintenance," Obeng stated.
Richard Obeng also criticized the Sports Ministry for neglecting the team following their victory.
"We did not go around asking for handouts after winning the tournament. We first went to the NSA and asked why no one was there to receive our trophy. We were informed they were unaware of our return. This was false because they knew the date of our return tickets," he said.
He also clarified why the team visited Reverend Stephen Adom Kyei of the Believers Worship Centre.
"We went to him because he bought the jerseys we wore at the tournament for us. We did not have jerseys. We visited to show our gratitude," Obeng clarified.
Minister Ussif explains his position on external donations
Ussif stressed the importance of the team coordinating with the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS) before engaging with external entities.
"When you achieve success and there are matters to be addressed, the first point of contact should be this office [MoYS]. We will not tolerate you using the state for personal gain," he stated.
He fur
ther criticized the team's actions this year compared to the previous year. "Unlike last year, when you landed and came here directly, this year you started going from one place to another without any documentation for the government that sponsored you, and that is unacceptable," Ussif added.
The Black Challenge recently defeated Morocco in the final, securing their second consecutive AFCON title.
EK
