Ghana Football Association boss Kwesi Nyantakyi has dispelled suggestions that his outfit pays little attention to the country’s other national teams.
Nyantakyi was responding to President John Dramani Mahama’s plea for the FA to give equal attention to the other national teams during his State of the Nation Address last Thursday.
In an exclusive interview with Joy Sports, Kwesi Nyantakyi noted that the GFA has not concentrated so much on the Black Stars but admits the recent outings of the team has become a reference point for this perception of neglect.
“To a very large extent a lot has been done probably on the blind side of the country. Many people who are not closely attached to the teams may not know what we do for the junior national teams,’ Nyantakyi explained.
“If we look at the technical teams, the level of expertise we recruit for the Black Stars is what we are now trying to transfer to the other national teams.
“If you look at kitting, for instance the Puma contract, although the focus is the Black Stars the quality of kits given to the junior teams are not different from what the Black Stars gets. The same jerseys we get from Puma [are enjoyed] by all the teams including the women’s team.”
He added that training tours are “a standard for every tournament the Black Stars goes and we do the same with the other teams.”
“We have only one senior national team like any other country and so in terms of ranking of the country they use the senior national team and that appears to be the focal point but it doesn’t mean we have relegated the other national teams to the background. Equal attention is given all.”
Meanwhile Nyantakyi revealed that they have boosted the technical team of the Ghana U-20 team with a physical trainer and two video analysts as the side prepares for this month’s African Youth Championship in Senegal.
“The Black Stars enjoyed the services of a physical trainer and a video analyst, in addition to that the head coach of the Black Stars has been seconded and we have transferred all these expertise to the U-20 team so we can raise the bar as far as the level of the Black Stars.”
Story by Ghana/Joy Sports/Benedict Owusu
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