The Member of Parliament for the North Tongu constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has expressed his disappointment at the absence of a standard FIFA football pitch in Ghana.
Ablakwa, who is a member of the opposition National Democratic Congress, made these comments following the confirmation by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, that his ministry intended to spend 8.5 million dollars at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
During a parliamentary session, Ablakwa raised concerns about the significant amount of money being spent on the national team without seeing the desired results. “We are throwing hundreds of millions into supporting this Black Stars and we are still not getting results,” he said.
Furthermore, Ablakwa criticized the state of football infrastructure in the country, stating, “Look at the state of our pitches. We don’t even have a single FIFA standard pitch. Youth development is gone. The local league is gone.”
Ghana’s disappointing performance in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations was also highlighted, as the Black Stars failed to advance to the Round of 16 after finishing third in their group.
The team’s early exit from the tournament, without registering a win, has extended the nation’s wait for its fifth AFCON title to 42 years.
