The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Mustapha Ussif, asked football managers in the country to be accountable to the people at all times.
Speaking at the 29th Extraordinary Congress of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), yesterday in Kumasi, he charged managers of Ghana football to uphold the principles of efficiency, effectiveness, accountability and equity.
That, he said would improve the local league, national teams’ performances and change the dwindling fortunes of Ghana football.
“The management of our national teams is a solemn responsibility entrusted to the GFA. With this trust comes the obligation to account to the people of Ghana for your stewardship. Transparency in all transactions, memorandums of understanding, sponsorship packages and agreements, both foreign and local, is paramount,” he stated.
The national teams, he said would continue to receive support from the state, but would ensure that all resources were fully accounted for to satisfy the expectations of Ghanaians.
After that he said the responsibility would be on the players and technical team to exhibit the spirit of nationalism and patriotism whenever they get the chance to play for Ghana,” he added.
The government, he said remained committed to the holistic development of sports in Ghana, hence the unprecedented investments in infrastructure across the country.
“Our Premier League clubs have lost their competitive edge, and it is time to reclaim our position among Africa’s best. The FA, club owners and key stakeholders must invest in all aspects of the game to attract fans to fill our various stadia and regain our prominence in African club competitions,” he stated.
To achieve a competitive league to match the high-performing leagues around the world, he stressed on the need to empower the coaches through continuous capacity building and exposure to international standards.
“It is imperative that our coaches possess the necessary skills and knowledge to develop our players’ potential to its fullest. They must be trained in both technical and leadership aspect of the game,” he mentioned.
Consequently, he commended the FA for ensuring Ghanaian coaches acquired the required CAF licenses and organising a periodic refresher course for local coaches.
Mr Ussif said fair refereeing was vital to the integrity of the local league, and called for efforts to address the perception of ‘compromises’ that exist within the refereeing system,” he said.
He praised the FA for initiating the ‘Catch Them Young Refereeing Policy’ to train young and upcoming referees.
He called for the revival of the vibrant juvenile football that once produced legendary players.
“Let us nurture our young talents and provide them with the opportunities to grow, ensuring a continuous pipeline of exceptional players for our national teams by taking advantage of the over 136 astroturfs constructed by the government and other private individuals. I have no doubt that the “Football for Schools” initiative will go a long way in reviving our grassroots football,” he stated.
“The government is also building sporting facilities at Borteyman and at the University of Ghana to host and organise the 13th African Games come 2024. A FIFA-standard stadium at the University of Ghana is one of them, accompanied by several warm-up pitches which would be utilised at the grassroots level after the games,” he said.
“I believe that the time has come for a paradigm shift in Ghana football. We need to change the way we think about football, the way we manage our teams, and the way we develop our players,” he added.
BY MICHAEL D. ABAYATEYE
