Zambian FA accusations are unwarranted – GFA

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) wishes to express its surprise at some unfortunate and blatantly untrue media reports in Zambia claiming that Ghana is frustrating their attempts to fly directly into Kumasi ahead of Friday's 2014 World Cup qualifier.

The reports in the Zambian media also claim that the GFA 'has refused to help Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) and has also refused to help the advance delegation get the desired hotel and training ground in Kumasi.'


The GFA wishes to state categorically that these reports are utterly false and wrongly impugn and smear Ghana's outstanding hospitality record to visiting teams.


The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) had a request to land directly in Kumasi turned down by the aviation authorities in Ghana because the Kumasi Airport is not an international airport and it is also undergoing some rehabilitation works.


FAZ president Kalusha Bwalya was in constant touch with his Ghanaian counterpart Kwesi Nyantakyi throughout Wednesday to find a solution for Zambia to land directly in Kumasi but the aviation authorities stood their ground.


The solution for the Zambians is to arrive in Accra while we help sort out comfortable travel arrangements for them to Kumasi. A direct flight to Accra will be in accordance with the FIFA rule which requires them to fly to the capital city of the hosts, in this case Ghana.

We wish to state that over the past two months the GFA has constantly and consistently availed itself to the Zambians to help make their arrival and stay in Ghana smooth.


Despite constant reminders for the past one month from the Protocol Department of the GFA over their travel plans, FAZ repeatedly refused to divulge details of their travel plans even as late as Wednesday morning.


Our quest to help them secure good hotels in Kumasi also hit the brick wall as they preferred to work on their own plans to secure good accommodation instead.


Despite all these the GFA is still on the standby to help the Zambian national football team get a smooth arrival and comfortable stay in Ghana but the GFA takes issue with the malicious manipulating of the truth.


This is a calculated attempt by the Zambian media to taint Ghana football to the world through the crude tactic of blemishing the facts.