A former Deputy Sports Minister, Vincent Oppong Asamoah has shockingly revealed how players are called up to the national teams.
Vincent Asamoah, who served under the Mahama administration said there are a lot of influence in the selections and that tend to affect the performance of the team.
Speaking to NimdeƐ FM in an interview, Oppong Asamoah revealed that the national under-20 team during his time in office was used as audition grounds for FA officials who want their players to get teams out of the country.
“I remember especially our U-20 (men’s team) and the other [teams], you in those times we had management committee members [of these national teams] who owned clubs, taking, for example, Osei Parma who owned Tema Youth, even Kwasi Nyantakyi [the then FA President] himself also owned Wa All Stars [now Legon Cities FC under new ownership]”, he said.
“So when it’s time for [player] selection into any of the national teams especially the junior ones, who dare you that you can pick players without picking those of these Management Committee Members? I had one experience when we went to is it Cameroon or Senegal, I was sitting in the stands with some officials and spotted one player who was playing abysmally then I complained as to why he was not being subbed off.
“One of them then told me to keep mute because he was a player of this person, and they are scouts who come from Europe to pick players so even if the player is not performing we should allow him to be in the team because someone has come to watch him and if you take him off, the owner may not get the chance to sell his player”, he continued.
“All these interest parties have their interests for sending the players to the tournaments, the scouts are there to go after their players, then we start playing with the hearts of Ghanaians, meanwhile you [the ordinary Ghanaian] wants them to perform well and bring a cup home, then some people are using the stage to sell their players. So with that experience, I had at the U-20, I will not be surprised [that it remains the same as of today],” he said.
Vincent Oppong Asamoah was contributing to discussions about ways of turning around the fortunes of Ghana football.
Recently the Black Stars of Ghana finished bottom of Group C after losing to Morocco and Comoros and drawing with Gabon at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON].
Source: Modern Ghana