Former Youth and Sports Minister, Paapa Owusu Ankomah has disclosed that Nii Lante Vnaderpuye who is the sports minister has no authority to determine which players play for the National team.
The Member of Parliament for the people of Odododiodio constituency has ordered the Ghana Football Association to invite locally based players for the final group clash with Rwanda in the 2017 AFCON qualifier since Ghana has already qualified.
The sports minister made this call five days to the clash after the technical handlers of the team had announced a 23-man squad for the game.
But the former Sports Minister under whose regime the Black Stars played at the maiden World Cup in Germany in 2006 says Nii Lante does not have the power to determine who is invited or not.
Speaking to Accra based Happy FM in an interview, Paapa Owusu Ankomah said, “Truth is that it is not the Sports Minister who will indicate the players for a particular game. That is the sole responsibility of the coach.”
“The game is not just for playing sake. It is a competitive game which we must all take serious.
“I don’t understand why he [Nii Lante] keeps saying we don’t have money and for that matter the Ministry can’t afford tickets for the players.
“This is a global competition and we must attach all the importance it deserves to it,” he added.