Afriyie Disagrees With Nii Lantey

The Management Committee Chairman of the senior national team, Black Stars, George Afriyie has disagreed with Sports Minister’s question on why national football teams are paid with winning bonuses.

Hon. Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, Sports Minister, seem to have qualms with the payment of bonus to national football teams while other disciplines are ignored.

In his speech during the 41st Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) awrads night, the Member of Parliament for Odododiodio Constituency quizzed:

“Can someone here tell me why we should pay winning bonuses to the football teams but not pay for other disciplines, are some Ghanaians better than others?”

And the Vice President of the Ghana FA, George Afriyie disagrees with him.

“l totally disagree with the sports minister on that statement, not even a second. We have over 48 division one clubs in Ghana, is it the same as boxing, 16 premier league clubs, is it the same as basketball?” the owner of Division One side, Okyeman Planners quizzed in reaction to Nii Lantey’s comments.

“Football is not competing with other sports disciplines. l don’t dispute that fact. We have talents in the other disciplines but football is developed by the individuals with their own money not the government,” Afriyie added.

“A clear example is Medeama who are projecting the image of Ghana in the CAF Confederation Cup. They are sponsored by an individual.” he said.

Afriyie Disagrees With Nii Lantey

National Teams To Break Camp

The technical heads of Ghana’s national teams, Local Black Stars and Black Satellites will break camp today for players to join their various teams for the upcoming weekend league matches.

The two national teams are preparing for different competitions. The home-based national team, the Local Black Stars will play Japan’s Olympic national team in an international friendly next month.

While the Black Satellites are preparing for the 2017 Africa Youth Championship qualifier against Ethiopia on May 22.

The players will hold a final training session on Thursday morning before joining their clubs for the games.

They will be expected to return to camp on Tuesday May 3.

National Teams To Break Camp

Adidas Hopes To Gain GFA Sponsorship Through Unity Match

Adidas, world’s second largest kit manufacturing giant, hopes their partnership with Primeval Media to organize this year’s Vodafone Unity Match, will give them the platform to earn the right to kit Ghana’s national teams.

Adidas won the right to sponsor the Black Stars during the CAN 2002, but the deal was criticized due to alleged poor quality and package consignment offered to Ghana.

They are partnering Primeval Media Ghana to organise this year’s Unity Match in June.

The match is aimed at galvanising Ghanaians from all walks of life towards a united Ghana ahead of this year’s general election.

And they are certain the service they will provide will convince the FA to consider them to provide kits for national teams.

“When it comes to sports brand in the world, there’s is only one name, Adidas,” representative from Adidas, Reks Brobbey said.

“All major sports embraces Adidas and eventually, the GFA will bring the Black Stars back to Adidas after our service in the Unity Match.” He added.

Mr. Brobbey also enumerated the work of Adidas in Ghana and revealed that the galaxy of stars who will arrive in Ghana will wear only Adidas outfit.

“In Ghana, we help the Basketball Association, we help the Tennis Association, we’ve had stints with Taekwando. When we heard the Unity Match, we came on board.

“International stars will come to Ghana, and from the moment they arrive in Ghana, everything about appearance will be Adidas.” He said.

Adidas Hopes To Gain GFA Sponsorship Through Unity Match

Government To Begin Outstanding Bonus Payments On Tuesday

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuje has assured all the national teams of Ghana, that the ministry is putting in place the necessary mechanisms to ensure that all outstanding bonuses are cleared, with the first installment expected to be paid on Tuesday.

The minister revealed this new arrangement when he met reporters on Monday.

The government of Ghana owes the various national teams thousands of dollars in outstanding bonus and it will be recalled that, the Black Queens threatened to quit playing for the country after their bonus row with government last September.

But per what the Minister, Nii Lantey Vanderpuije said, all that will soon be a thing of the past starting Tuesday March 29, 2016.

” We will settle all the outstanding debts very soon. We will pay the Black Stars, Black Queens, Black Maidens and all the youth teams. By Tuesday, some payments will be made to the teams,” Nii Lante Vanderpuije disclosed.

In a related development, SportsCrusader.com can confirm that, the Minister is yet to officially announce the new bonus package for the Black Stars despite reaching an agreement with the playing body over a 20% cut.

Government To Begin Outstanding Bonus Payments On Tuesday

I Will Not Determine Bonuse For National Teams -Sports Minister

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon. Nii Lantey Vanderpuije says he will not interfere with issues of bonuses for sports federations in the country.

The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation sports commentator said the ministry is cash-trapped and federations under the sector must engage with corporate bodies for sponsorship to supplement whatever the ministry will give them.

“I have for the past being saying that I don’t and I will not determine issues of bonuses for sports in this country; I am referring to only footballers, the boxers will have to get bonus, the Black Maidens, the people who are competing in the Judo and everyone will have to get bonuses.

“Every sector deserve bonuses, if we don’t have the money, what do we do? So my policy is that we say it as it is; all of us must sit down as a family, discuss it with all the sports federations and ask ourselves how we can share what we have,” Nii Lantey told SWAG members last Monday.

“If federation will need more than what is given to them, then they have to go looking for the money from corporate sponsorship and other activities to support.

“We cannot tell which sporting discipline will be giving Ghana gold at the Olympics. It could be swimming, judo, it could even happen that our 100m runner goes to the Olympics and all the favourites gets muscle pull and he wins the gold.

“So it should not be within our power to determine which sporting discipline should should supported and which one should not be supported.” He said.

I Will Not Determine Bonuse For National Teams -Sports Minister

Parliament Must Fix Bonuses For National Teams - Sports Minister

Hon. Nii Lantey Vanderpuije, the Minister of Youth and Sports, wants the parliament of Ghana to fix a specific amount as bonuses for players of the national team.

According to Nii Lantey Vanderpuije, the current mode of bonus payment is senseless and he intends to have an open discussion with sports federation.

“I would want us to sit down and give them the reality on the ground and then we can all decide what is fitting, what is noble and what is sustainable,” Vanderpuye said a meeting with the Sports Writers’ Association of Ghana.

“I don’t think it’s right, you pay $10,000 at the World cup then you pay $10,000 at African Cup qualifiers series, $10,000 in World Cup qualifying series.”

He added: “It doesn’t make sense, it is never done anywhere, I have never heard it anywhere and if you consider the fact that the whole World, Ghana is paying one of the highest bonuses not even England, Germany, even America. I don’t want us to go to a level whereby Ghana will go the Nigeria way, where bonus of the national team will be sent to the parliament to fix.

“I want to give respect to the national team players, majority of them are my children, some of them are my friends, some of them I nurtured. I want to talk to them like a father. I am sure that they will appreciate our condition.” he stated.

Parliament Must Fix Bonuses For National Teams - Sports Minister

Ghana Premier League Is Suffering From Bad Cough - Sports Minister Designate.

Honourable Nii Lante Vanderpuije, Sports Minister-designate had described the state of the Ghana Premier league as one suffering from a ‘bad cough.’

Ghana’s flagship club football has declined to the lowest levels, and that has even been compounded by the FA inability to have a fixed calender of late for the domestic top flight football.

The 2014 / 2015 Ghana premier league season was delayed by about six months due to legal war between King Faisal Babies and the Football Association, and that had a bearing in the next date for a new season.

The FA had wanted to minimize the effect and tentatively scheduled December 20 for the start of the domestic season, but a legal issue between Wa African United and Techiman City crippled the initial start date.

With Ghanaians growing frustrated and mounting pressure on the FA,  February 20 was fixed as the new date, but the GFA Ethics Committee ruled on the Wa African United and Techiman City case and demoted Techiman City, one of the sixteen clubs, putting the start of the season in limbo.

And Nii Lantey Vanderpuije, the Member of Parliament for Odododiodio Constituency and Sports Minister designate who met the parliamentary vetting committee yesterday (Monday) before he takes over the office dubbed the ‘Lions den’, bemoaned the state of the league.

“The Ghana Premier League is the country’s domestic football and as we speak, we all know the league hasn’t started yet,” the former sports journalist told Accra-based radio station, Happy FM.

He explained the cause of the delay and said he believes the league is suffering from bad cough.

“The case involving Techiman City (and Wa African United) has not been trashed out and that has resulted in the long delay of the new season… the Ghana premier league is suffering from bad cough,” He said.

The FA insist the ruling from its Ethics Committee has not changed the planned date for the commencement of the league on February 20.

Ghana Premier League Is Suffering From Bad Cough - Sports Minister Designate.