Ghana Fa To Investigate Coach Edusei Over Bribery Claims

Ghana FA says it will investigate claims of bribery in the Black Queens

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) will open an investigation into the scandal involving Black Queens coach Anthony Edusei accused him of taking bribes from her in exchange for place in the squad.

GHANAsoccernet.com has presented a secretly recorded tape to the federation in which the accusation was made by Italy-based goalkeeper Alima Moro.

GHANAsoccernet.com stumbled on the recording and, given the strong public interest, decided to publish and report the case to the GFA.

The GFA says an investigation will be conducted into the issue to ascertain the claims made by the goalkeeper against coach Edusei.

“This is a very serious which demands immediate investigation,” Ghana FA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi told GHANAsoccernet.com.

Alima also said several players in the squad paid bribes to the coach before they were handed call-ups.

Some players also claim they paid bribes totaling US$21,000 to the Black Queens technical staff ahead of camping for the Ethiopia qualifier.

Black Queens management committee chairman Fred Crentsil also says the issue will be will be thoroughly examined.

“The tape has been forwarded to me and it will be investigated. This is a very serious claim and it will not be swept under the carpet,” Crenstil.

Alima claims apart from the 1,000 Euros she paid to an affiliate of Edusei, other items were presented to the coach and his technical staff.

Coach Edusei denied the claim when GHANAsoccernet.com contacted him.

The allegation came just two weeks after the Black Queens were shockingly eliminated from the Olympic Games qualifiers by lowly Ethiopia.

There is deep seated suspicion that local coaches in Ghana take bribes from agents, parents and club owners for their wards to gain places in the various national teams.

Despite the denial by Edusei that his sub-standard squad was picked because of inducements, the goalkeeper claims the coach took bribes.

Ishmael Yartey accused Sellas Tetteh of taking bribes from Ghana U20 players in 2009 and has not been called to any national team despite making waves in Portugal.

Tetteh, who won the U20 World Cup in 2009, was investigated by the Ghana FA on another separate allegation of endemic bribe-taking from players and agents. The outcome of the investigation was not made public.

Many think that bribe taking coaches are to blame for the recent failures of the national teams after Ghana’s U17, U20, U20 and local Black Stars failed woefully in recent competitions.