Youth and Sports Minister, Isaac Asiamah has hinted of government’s plan in collaboration with the Ghana FA overhaul the Technical Directorate of the FA to ensure that it is fit-for-purpose.
He says the new GFA top brass has been seeking the help of the government to help overhauls Ghana’s football in the wake of the Anas Aremeyaw Anas expose in June 2018.
He said one thing that both the GFA and government of Ghana agrees on is the need to revamp the Technical Directorate of the FA to make is modern and functional.
Speaking at a Meet the Press session on Wednesday, December 4, Isaac Asiamah announced that the ministry will in the coming days deliberate with the GFA to review the technical aspect of Ghana football.
Among the reviews, he asserts will be tasking of the technical directorate to draw up a plan that will detail how the penalty woes of the country can be remedied.
He wondered why players miss the goal post from just twelve yards.
“Penalty shootout, just score and let us celebrate too has become an issue. Common penalty and you fluff it and you will see the whole nation their hearts are broken. And the minister now becomes the victim. In Egypt, as if I took the penalty. Everybody was blaming me and I asked how. Me and you (referring to the GFA President) need to create a direction for Ghana football so I admit it”, he said.
The assurance by the Sports Minister follows a similar comment by Technical Director of the GFA that the association will embark on a research into penalty shootouts. “We will do a research into penalty shootouts.
Fortunately, a Doctor at the University of Cape Coast has done extensive research on penalty shootouts. We will soon engage him,” he added.
Ghana’s perennial struggle with penalties is well documented and the latest to add to that poor record is the Black Meteors who missed out on the 2020 Olympic Games after losing to South Africa on penalties at the 2019 under-23 AFCON.
The Meteors’ defeat has heightened calls for the government and the GFA to find a panacea to the problem.