UNDER-PRESSURE Minister of Youth and Sports, Isaac Kwame Asiamah, will face Parliament today to answer questions with regard to Ghana’s ill-fated campaign at the just-ended African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Egypt.
Of particular interest, doubtless, will be Ghana’s budget for the tournament – an issue that raised eyebrow and triggered rave reviews from several sections of the media.
A budget ranging from $7m to $15m were bandied around in the media as monies earmarked for the one-month biennial tournament.
However, the sector ministry had always emerged with a refutation of the figure – though it failed to make any firm declaration of how much his outfit was carrying to Egypt.
This development sparked a googol of unpleasant speculations from the public and put the ministry in pallid light.
Ghana’s Black Stars were bundled out at the Round of 16 stage of the just-ended Nations Cup by Tunisia – their worst AFCON performance since another ignominious first round exit in Egypt, 2006.
Though he is not the Stars’ head coach, Mr Asiamah may be asked to explain what might have gone wrong in this current miserable tournament.
Ahead of the Egypt campaign, Ghana had made it into the semi-final berth (2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017) of the last six Nations Cup tournaments. In the Angola 2010 edition, however, they lost to Egypt in the grand finale – falling again five years later to Cote d’Ivoire at the same final phase in Equatorial Guinea.
Of pertinent interest, too, would be the number of supporters that were sent to the tournament and its concomitant issues.
Sources close to the sector ministry told the Times Sports on Monday that Mr Asiamah is fully loaded for bear to face Parliament.
BY JOHN VIGAH
