Former Ghana U-23 coach, Ibrahim Tanko has revealed that two Ghana Football Association Executive Committee members wished the team missed the tournament in Egypt.
The Black Meteors qualified for the 2019 Africa U-23 in Egypt by a whisker in a qualifier against Algeria over two legs.
The Black Meteors were held in the first leg to a 1-1 draw by Algeria at the Accra Sports Stadium on September 6, 2019.
A magical moment by Yaw Yeboah four days later in Algiers saw Ghana pip the home side 1-0 to go through on 2-1 aggregate.
Prior to the second leg, almost the entire nation did not give the Meteors the slightest chance of qualifying for the tournament in Egypt.
Then coach, Ibrahim Tanko reveals how some executive committee members of the GFA wished he failed to qualify because he dropped their players.
“Sometimes it is very difficult because of some of the players whose managers are executive committee members.
“So sometimes it is not easy to drop a player.
“I can tell you even when we played against Algeria here [in Ghana] 1-1, I know two exco-members who were very happy because I dropped their players at that match.
“So all of them, I think most Ghanaians thought we were going to lose since we played 1-1 here in Ghana.
“We went there to qualify to Egypt but if I tell you why I dropped the players I even saved the players.
“Because if I come out to give the reason why I dropped them, I will have collapsed their career.
“So let’s leave it there and move on.” Ibrahim Tanko told Muftawu Nabila on the Nabila Show.
Ghana failed to win the tournament, finishing 4th after losing to South Africa 6-5 on penalty shootouts.
The defeat meant Ghana also missed out on the 2020 Olympics Games in Tokyo, Japan set for this year.
Source: Muftaw Adamu
