(Feature)Ghana FA, sports ministry impasse may weigh down World Cup chances

The seeming impasse between the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, if unresolved, may affect the country's chances of sealing qualification to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

All has not been well between the two bodies since the disappointing last World Cup in Brazil two years ago, resulting in the setting up of a Presidential Commission to probe Ghana's first round exit.

The Black Stars failed to make it past the first round after they picked up just a point from three group games played against the United States, Germany and Portugal.

Many thought both the FA and the sports ministry would put the past behind them and forge ahead for the common goal of making it to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

But that has not happened, as accusations and counter-accusations continue to fly over the local airwaves from time to time.

For example, the ministry ordered Black Stars coach Avram Grant to review his squad and pick domestic players for the game against Rwanda because it would not be able to fund the plane tickets of foreign-based players.

This compelled the deputy captain, Andre Ayew, to purchase tickets for some of the players while others fully paid for their plane fares to honor the match.

Again, the issue of reduced winning bonuses for the team has been lingering for the past few months but the GFA officials insist they are not aware of any variation in the bonuses.

But the ministry has always explained that government' s inability to provide for the other sporting federations are as a result of over-spending on football activities.

Some soccer enthusiasts appear frustrated over the lack of cordial working relations between the two institutions.

While Ghana's opponents for the World Cup qualifiers like Egypt and Uganda are busily fine tuning ahead of the qualifiers next month, the Black Stars officials are yet to come out with concrete programs for the west African country to put a seal on qualification.

Another critical bone of contention is that while some believe the Sports Minister has the right to take certain decisions in relation to the management of the national team, others think this will amount to an interference which is frowned upon by world football governing body, FIFA.

The feud between the Sports Minister and GFA President Kwesi Nyantakyi has taken an absurd turn in the last couple of days, with both men trading insults at each other.

Soccer enthusiasts fear the disagreements, which are mostly about the management of FIFA and other cash that come to the GFA, could weigh down the Black Stars' quest to qualify for their fourth straight World Cup appearance.

Enoch Teye Mensah, a former sports minister, called for a very good collaboration between the two bodies to resolve the challenges that have come to exist between them.

A Ghanaian legislator, Kwadwo Baah Agyemang, has therefore called for a truce, saying the petty issues may have a general effect on Ghana's football and chances of qualifying for the World Cup in Russia.

Presently, the Ghana premier league is without a sponsor, a situation that has partly been blamed on the tension between the GFA and the sports ministry.

The above issues may have to be resolved sooner or later to ensure Ghana's qualification to the next World Cup tournament in Russia. Endit