Broke GFA cancel Mali trip

GFA have cancelled a two-week training tour of Mali ahead of the African Youth Championship in January because of poor finances. GFA Chairman Decries Black Satellites Preparation The chairman of the Ghana Football Association, Ben Koufie has decried the poor preparation of the national U-20 team, the Black Satellites with just about a month left for the Africa Youth Cup in Burkina Faso. The Satellites are in camp in Winneba but management committee member, Kwasi Acheampong says the team’s preparation has been stalled by the inability of the Ministry of Youth and Sports to provide money needed for international warm-up games in Gabon, Mali and Burkina Faso. The situation irks the GFA chairman. Koufie who has not hidden his displeasure at what he calls a low injection of cash into the development of football says the nation must accept the fact that without adequate cash inflow, the enhancement of the game here would be an illusion. “The situation where we are always told there is no money so players must wait and all that is not compatible with the development of the game. Monies must be found for the development of the game. Without that developing the game would always be difficult. That is what we don’t understand”, he lamented. The FA chairman is also warning that Ghanaians should not expect anything extraordinary from the Satellites, silver medalist at the 2001 World Youth Cup at the upcoming African event in Burkina Faso. ”If monies cannot be found for friendly internationals, then no one should expect good results from them in Burkina Faso”, Koufie said.