Smoke The Peace Pipe - SWAG Prez Tells MOYS and GFA

The strained relationship between the Sports Ministry and the Ghana Football Association is beginning to affect football in Ghana according to Sports Writer’s Association of Ghana president Kwabena Yeboah.

Earlier this week, key officials from  the Ghana FA failed to attend a scheduled meeting for peace talks with the Sports Ministry.

For Kwabena Yeboah,  he feels if things are not sorted out soon, the Black Stars and Ghana Football as a whole will crash.

“Are we not tired of that and are we suggesting for instance that every Sports Minister we have had in the last 15 years was bad enough?” he asked

“We will definitely have our differences but I believe in the spirit of humility and sobriety and the larger picture of serving Ghana football, it will be important for people to bury their differences to move forward all in the name of Ghana Football.”

It will be expedient for this be resolved as quickly as possible before Ghana begins its World Cup qualifying campaign.

Smoke The Peace Pipe - SWAG Prez Tells MOYS and GFA

"He Has Lost Every Bit Of Respect"

Ghana Football Association (GFA) communication director, Saani Darra has said Youth and Sports Minister, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, has lost all respect due to his attitude.

 

The once active Sports journalist has been bullish since his appointment as Sports Minister.

 

Notably, his famous position on the Black Stars’ winning bonus, which has become a major topic for discussion in the nation after the players’ poor and disgraceful showing at the World Cup 2014 in Brazil.

 

Speaking in a radio interview with Boss FM, the former BBC Sports journalist said, “truth be said, the Sports Minister (Nii Lantey Vanderpuye) has lost every bit of respect due to too much talking and his demeanor.

“There’s a lot he has said about the GFA that we could have responded but we (GFA) have decided not to,” he added.

"He Has Lost Every Bit Of Respect"

Nii Lantey Vanderpuye Is Sober Now - Yaw Boateng

Former Management member of the Black Stars, Yaw Boateng Gyan has described Youth and Sports Minister, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye ‘a sober man’ now than when he was vetted into office.

Nii Lantey, a former sports journalist and footballer was named to replace Dr. Ahmed Mustapha in President Mahama’s last reshuffle of his ministers.

The outspoken minister famously had warned ‘mafias’ at the Sports Ministry of his arrival and there were banters with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) as well and this many perceived as he speaking ‘too much talking’.

And Mr. Boateng believes since then Hon. Nii Lantey has been a quite man and going about his business as he ought to as well as allowing his work so the talking.

 

Former Management member of the Ghana Black Stars, Yaw Boateng Gyan

“Let me start by showering a bit praise on Nii Lantey after starting his tenure of office (as Youth and Sports Minister) on a wrong foot (by talking too much) and this prompted me to call him and ask him to tone down because the Sports Ministry is a place everyone knows is a slippery ground,” he told Accra-based Radio Gold.
“…people there will push back if you force them to the wall however, he heeded to the advice and has started working creditably. He is the only Sports Minister who attends all sports event no matter the generation and this interest he is showing the various sporting disciplines makes the athletes and the management feel a sense of belonging to the Sports ministry.” he noted

Nii Lantey Vanderpuye Is Sober Now - Yaw Boateng

GFA Calls For Talk On Stars Bonus

The Communication Director of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Ibrahim Saani Darra has called for a dialogue with the Ministry of Youth and Sports on the much-talked about, Black Stars bonus.

The GFA has been bashed for being the brain behind the huge sum of winning and appearance bonuses given the players and this arguably went off the roof when it brought shame to the nation during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Newly appointed sports minister, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye has been very vocal on the bonus topic and has mentioned that the ministry will slap the 10,000 USD the stars receive as it doesn’t make economic sense.

But Saani has called on the ministry to call for a stake holders meeting with the players to have a agreement on the matter.

He said, “let us not get into a situation where there will be stand-off. We want to get into a consensus and get into an arrangement with the players.”

“Let’s sit and talk with the players and reach on a consensus so when we take a decision it won’t be perceived as an imposition but a uniformly agreed decision,” he added.

GFA Calls For Talk On Stars Bonus

GOC To Hold Crucial Meeting with Ministry of Youth and Sports on Thursday

The Deputy General Secretary of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), Rev. Richmond Quarcoo, has said his outfit will hold a special meeting with the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS), to discuss financial challenges confronting them.

Rev. Quarcoo told the SportsCrusader.com that the scheduled meeting will discuss how best to tackle the difficult financial challenges confronting Ghana sports and preparations towards the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

He said “we hope for a fruitful meeting with MOYS tomorrow in order for us to execute the various strategies for the various federation towards their preparations for their respective qualifiers ahead of the Olympic Games”.

Rev. Quarcoo also called for the need for an urgent and rapid response financial and logistical support from  government towards the upcoming Rio games.

He stated that though previous meeting have not been successful, he was confident the meeting on Thursday, will yield fruitful outcomes.

He told SportsCrusader.com about the need to increase the contingent to the Rio games in comparison with 9 man contingent that represented Ghana in London 2012, but noted that, they must work towards successful qualifiers for the various federations.

GOC To Hold Crucial Meeting with Ministry of Youth and Sports on Thursday

Be Careful When Dealing With Issues At Sports Ministry - Nii Nortey Duah Advices Nii Lantey

Nii Nortey Dua,former Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports has advised newly-nominated Sports Minister, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye to be be careful in dealing with issues Ministry.

Vanderpuje was announced minister designate to replace Dr. Mustapha Ahmed on Monday and the former deputy sports minister who has seen it all at the ministry has told to be very tactful because the media satellite hovers around the Sports Ministry.

“I believe that working in a Ministry requires working with people and Vanderpuye will encounter that so he must be very careful in his actions,” the former GBC journalist told Citi FM.

“He must keep his ears to the ground because the Ministry has the most exposure in the public space. Every aspect of media, be it print or electronic, has a sports column and the domain has so many parts.

“He should be careful in dealing with issues. He should not be hasty in taking decisions but he must not also waste time in deciding matters.” he added.

Nii Lante Vanderpuye was a sports journalist during his days at Ghana Broadcasting Corporation and Nii Nortey believes he has a fair knowledge about sports and will do his best.

“I feel he has fair knowledge of sports and what is happening in the domain.

In addition, his age will strike a good chord with young people and that will help him bring them into the scheme of things.” he noted.

Be Careful When Dealing With Issues At Sports Ministry - Nii Nortey Duah Advices Nii Lantey

Organisation In Ghana Is Poor - George Boateng

Ghanaian-born Netherland international George Boateng has called Ghana football association and other stakeholders to improve their organizational powers to give national teams a better chance of competing against the best.

George Boateng, played for the Oranje from youth to th national level, but as Ghanaian, he has the interest of the country at heart.

And has called  on heads of the country’s football governing body to put on structures that will help prevent the fiasco the Black Stars went through in Brazil.

“Organisation is poor, it’s below par and needs to improve dramatically not by 10 per cent, but 100 per cent,” George Boateng told Starr FM.

He added “when you are in Europe and you hear the preparation for the World Cup… Germany builds their own training grounds, they set up everything, they have got their schedule and then you hear the stories coming from the African countries that bonuses haven’t been paid, hotels are not sorted, things like that disturb and don’t give hope to the nation.”

The ex Middlesbrough captain however believe that Ghana and other African countries has the quality to match any opposition on the pitch.

“Quality wise, on the pitch, I think we are up there…African teams can compete. If you can have those upsets that means you are capable of beating the top teams, which are normally going to be there in the finals, semi-finals and quarterfinals.

“So, if you can do that in the early stages, you are capable of doing it in the final,”

George Boateng and Sol Campbell came to Ghana on Sunday night to help Stephen Appiah launch a peace match ahead of the 2016 general elections.

Organisation In Ghana Is Poor - George Boateng