The Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, has holistically denied allegations of interference by Ghana Football Association (GFA) officials in the selection of players for the senior national team Black Stars.
In an exclusive interview with Asempa FM, he strongly quashed such unfounded allegations, claiming his Ministry had conducted a thorough investigation and found no concrete evidence of any meddling from the football association.
The sector minister said: “None of the coaches I have met in my time as Minister has told me anything about player selection interference from the Ghana FA.”
The issue of alleged interference has been a persistent cloud hanging over Ghanaian football, with former Black Stars head coach, Charles Akonnor, once disclosing the reality of such interference in player selection.
While the Ghana FA has consistently rejected these claims, the whispers and suspicions among Ghanaians have cast a shadow of doubt on the fairness and transparency of the national team’s call-ups.
However, the Sports Minister remained resolute in his stance, emphasizing the need for tangible evidence to address the matter effectively. “If there is no evidence, then it makes things difficult, but yes, these are things that we hear about,” Ussif asserted.
The controversy surrounding player selection has been a cause for concern among football enthusiasts, and public perception has been deeply affected by instances of unexplained national team call-ups.
