The Youth and Sports Minister, Mustapha Ussif, is scheduled to appear before Parliament’s Select Committee on Sports as part of an investigation into Ghana’s performance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Black Stars exited the tournament in the group stage for the second consecutive time, a tournament that took place in Ivory Coast.
Ussif is expected to answer questions regarding the Ministry’s involvement in the Black Stars’ preparations, as well as provide detailed information on the budget and spending for the tournament.
Specifically, he will be asked to justify the expenditure of over $3 million during the Black Stars’ 11-day stay in Ivory Coast.
The committee, led by Chairman Kobina Woyome, will also gather testimony from several key stakeholders, including the Ghana Football Association, the Black Stars management committee, the Ghana League Clubs Association, the National Sports Authority, and both current and former Black Stars players.
Additionally, the Save Ghana Football Forum, a pressure group that organized a protest after the country’s disappointing AFCON performance, will also be called to testify before the committee.
“The aim of the probe is to get a fundamental understanding of the issues that have led us to this point. To interrogate the individual decisions and conducts that may in one way or the other have affected our Black Stars,” Woyome told JoySports.
The parliamentary probe into Ghana’s 2023 AFCON campaign is set to begin on Tuesday, September 24, 2024.