Organise football devoid of politics – Asantehene
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has urged the Ministry of Sports and Recreation (MoSR) to collaborate effectively with the Ghana Football Authority (GFA) to prioritise football in the country, especially the senior national team, Black Stars, devoid of politics.
He was of the view that politics played a vital role in the retrogression of the Black Stars, and emphasised the importance of the new sports administration ensuring a no political interference in the selection of players.
According to the Asantehene, when a competent technical team was put in place, it can be trusted to select the very best players to form the nucleus of the national team.
The Asantehene made the call during a courtesy call on him by the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Mr Kofi Adams, over the weekend, at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi of the Ashanti region.
He was accompanied by the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, and some officials of the Kumasi Asante Kotoko Sporting Club, to express his and government’s condolences to the Asantehene, the spiritual head of the Club, following the tragic death of Francis Yaw Frimpong, popularly known as Nana Pooley.
Nana Pooley, a die-hard Kotoko fan, was killed when Kotoko played Nsoatreman FC during a match day 19 encounter at Nsoatre on February 2.
The Asantehene urged the Ministry to ensure that the Black Stars performs to the satisfaction of Ghanaians “because we have been disgraced for long… Don’t bring your own players from anywhere, you have to appoint a good technical team to select very good players. If you don’t go by that and allow everyone to bring a player of his choice, it won’t help.”
According to the Asantehene, he has tasked Kumasi Asante Kotoko to make football in the country very competitive.
“I have told Asante Kotoko that I don’t know any player from anywhere other than the talented players they are building,” he said.
The Asantehene was the least enthused about the performance of the Black Stars in the 2024 African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
“We all feel sad when the Black Stars lose, we didn’t progress when we went there (AFCON), so you must be focused and I believe that you can do it”, he intoned.
Mr Adams expressed the Ministry’s commitment to ensure justice for Nana Pooley.
He mentioned government’s readiness to ensure enhanced security at the various football centres to avoid a recurrence of the incident.
Mr Adams pledged to work closely with the FA, saying “the ministry will work very closely with the FA; we’ll take decisions together with them that we believe will be in the best interest of the nation.”
FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE, KUMASI
