Deputy Sports Minister Evans Opoku Bobie has acknowledged that the Black Meteors are currently far from being a championship-winning team.
Accompanying the team in Morocco for the ongoing U-23 Africa Cup of Nations, the minister attributed Ghana’s 5-1 defeat to the host nation on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, to the North African country’s substantial investment in football development.
Bobbie admitted that Ghanaian football is experiencing a decline and that its shortcomings are evident. However, he stressed that the public’s desire for a trophy cannot be fulfilled without a strong team.
Plans are underway to hold discussions with the Football Association (FA) upon their return to Ghana. The aim is to engage all stakeholders and individuals involved in the sports industry in order to address the issues and find solutions.
“Where our soccer has reached, everyone knows we have a lot of problems. I will admit. We are hungry for the cup but if you don’t have a solid team how do you win the cup? So we have had discussions and we will hold a meeting with FA when we get home. We have to have a discussion in Ghana involving all stakeholders and all the players in the sports industry. We need to have a sit-down and have a detailed discussion, including the ministry, the FA, the Sports journalist, and everyone in the industry so that we can figure out a way (to solve the issues),” he told Dan Kwaku Yeboah TV on YouTube.
Reflecting on his visit to Morocco’s national team facilities, specifically the Kings Sports Complex, Bobbie questioned how the Black Meteors could win the trophy without proper planning and a solid structure.
He highlighted the impressive infrastructure and organization he witnessed at the complex, emphasizing that Morocco’s success against Ghana was a result of their long-term investment.
Bobbie stressed that while the nation yearns for a trophy, it cannot be achieved without adequate preparation and a solid foundation. He urged the public to recognize the weaknesses in Ghana’s preparation and called for a collective effort to address the challenges.
“I had the privilege to visit the Kings Sports Complex. It is a solid, massive infrastructure. The young ones that beat us 5-1 were there. They camp the national teams there, U-17 has their hotel, U-20, and so on. So I realized that the result they got against us is because of what they have done over there…At the moment, the country wants a cup but how do you get the cup without proper preparation and a solid foundation? How? So what I will tell the people who are hungry for Cup is that the preparation to win the Cup is very weak,” he added.
Ghana’s future in the 2023 U-23 AFCON hangs in the balance, with the team needing a victory in their final group game against Guinea on Friday, June 30, 2023, to advance to the semi-finals. Both Ghana and Guinea currently have four points each, and Guinea will aim for at least a draw to progress on goal difference.
Furthermore, Ghana is determined to secure qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, putting an end to their nearly two-decade pursuit of Olympic success.
