Ghana FA Spokesperson Gives Shocking Reason for Delay in Black Stars Squad Release

Ghana FA Spokesperson Gives Shocking Reason for Delay in Black Stars Squad Release

Lukman Mumuni
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:58 PM
In this article:
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FIFA World Cup
International
  • Spokesperson of the Ghana Football Association Henry Asante Twum has explained the reason for the delay in the release of the Black Stars squad
  • The Black Stars hosts Nigeria in the first leg of the FIFA World Cup play-off in Kumasi on Friday, March 25, 2022
  • Interim coach Otto Addo is set to name his squad for the match as Ghana chase another ticket to the World Cup

The Spokesperson of the Ghana Football Association, Henry Asante, Twum says the delay in the release of the squad to face Nigeria in the World Cup qualifier play-off is purely tactical.

With just a week to the game at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi, the squad is yet to be released, leaving fans anxious over who comes in and who goes out of the team.

However, the FA scribe insists the delay is also to avoid social media abuse as players get affected by what they see online before games.

The Black Stars line up before a match. Credit: @ghanafaofficial @ghanasoccernet
Henry Asante Twum reveals reason for Black Stars squad release delay. Credit: @ghanafaofficial @ghanasoccernet
Source: Twitter
“It is a technical decision backed by management, and it is a well-thought-out and purely strategic move," he said as quoted by the Ghanaian Times.
“They felt it’s a way of controlling or minimizing the abuse that normally takes place before games, especially on social media. Sometimes, the public abuse gets to the players and affects their mentality,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation has released a 25-man squad and a seven stand by list for the crucial encounter next week.

The Black Stars will host the Super Eagles in the first leg at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium before travelling to Abuja in four days time for the second leg.

Ghana to host Nigeria at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that the Confederation Of Africa Football (CAF) has approved the Baba Yara Sports Stadium to host the first instalment of the all-important tie between Ghana and Nigeria, reports the Ghana Football Association.

The acceptance of the Baba Yara Sports Stadium comes after a CAF Licensing Inspector visited the edifice in Kumasi last Sunday to inspect the facility for the purposes of the fixture.

The contest was originally planned to be held at the Cape Coast Stadium - which had hosted all of Ghana’s previous qualifiers.

Authors
Lukman Mumuni photo
Lukman Mumuni
Lukman Abdul Mumin is a Sports Journalist based in Accra, Ghana. He has been writing for the past five years. Lukman joined Sports Brief as an Editor for the Local Desk in 2022.
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