A friendly game that will afford both countries the opportunity to intensify preparations ahead of their next world cup qualifiers in October is in limbo - sports minister, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye has revealed.
The ministry claims they are uninformed about the impending friendly game between the senior national soccer team, Black Stars and South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
A contract signed by the two countries in connection with the game is yet to be seen by the minister, although the match is scheduled for October 11.
Peacefmonline.com can confirm that, the GFA wrote to the Sports Ministry on Tuesday and a possible meeting between the FA and the ministry is likely to be held after the Ghana- Uganda World Cup Qualifier.
Early reports in the media suggests that, the South African Football Association have announced that their team will engage the black stars as both countries begin their 2018 FIFA world cup qualifiers at the weekend.
Ghana is scheduled to honor the friendly game just few weeks before they face the Egyptians in Cairo for their world cup qualifier.
According to the minister, He received a letter from the Ghana Football Association on Tuesday and contractual monies concerning the match was not part of the letter sent to his office that includes the amount Ghana will gain from playing the friendly.
In an interview with UTV's Sports Desk, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, stated emphatically that, he only received the letter this week and he is unaware of any friendly match involving the national team and South Africa and that the Ghana Football Association wrote officially to the Ministry on Tuesday but contract involving monies that will be paid to the nation were not included. The friendly match can only be played when all contractual issues are reviewed by the Youth and Sports Ministry.
He further hinted that the match will be cancelled if the FA doesn’t open up negotiations.
“The national team is a brand and we cannot use them to play free friendly matches; besides, we need money to take care of their next games....The contract (regarding the game), monies issues relating to the match was not part of it and the Ministry will not approve of the match unless the terms of the contract are reviewed,” He stated.
He revealed the budget for the world cup qualifier against the Cranes of Uganda, is about $600,000 thousand and that the nation will use some of the monies accrued from the friendly games as expenses towards their next match.
The minister further stated, his ministry will come out with a new policy that will check some of this friendly games involving country's Senior National teams.
“Under no circumstances will the national team play a friendly game and will take $150,000...our Black Stars is not that cheap and no country will play Cameroon and give them less than $500,000 or almost $1,000,000 and play Ghana and give us $150,000,” He stated.
“My Ministry and management will be putting this policy into use after the black stars’ world cup qualifier with Uganda...Black stars players are better than their Camerounian counterparts...on current form, our national team is ahead of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, so why should that happen?” He quizzed.
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