Black Stars players must not fly in economy class - Sports Minister Kofi Adams

Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has explained why Black Stars players must fly in economy class ahead of any national assignment.

President John Mahama in his State of The Nation's Address last month directed government appointees to avoid first-class travel to reduce public expenditure.

However, speaking on TV3 Sports Station on Monday, Mr Adams acknowledged the directive’s broad application but insisted that national team players require better travel conditions.

“The President’s directive affects all sectors, including the FA, unless we are chartering a flight, which usually doesn’t have first class. However, you can’t put players in economy class because they rely on their legs for performance, and they need enough space to stretch," he said.

"You don’t expect them to squeeze in economy and then perform at their best. If it’s a short flight, like from Accra to Kumasi, it’s manageable, but for long flights, at least business class is necessary,” he added.

The Black Stars who opened camp on Monday for their upcoming games against Chad and Madagascar will have a full house today for their second training session at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Ghana will host Chad on March 21 at the Accra Sports Stadium before travelling to Morocco to face Madagascar on March 24 in the Matchday five and six games.