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Soccer News of Wednesday, 16 January 2002

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"Drunkard" Blay Leaves For Mali

Ghanaian International defender George Blay, who missed the flight to Mali last Friday, has now left to join his colleagues in Segou- Mali for the African Nations Cup tournament. The player could not join the team that Friday, because he arrived late after going on drinking spree.

Blay, seen as a key pillar in the Black Stars defence was reportedly drenched in alcohol when he arrived at the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Secretariat hours after the team had boarded the flight.

FA officials claim that the Belgium- based player who was not also present when the team met with the President John Kufuor was “soaked in alcohol, could not coordinate his thoughts, his speech slurred and staggered in his walk."

The Graphic Sports newspaper quoted an FA official as saying that “George's situation was that bad, he could not have been allowed to travel alone. New arrangements were therefore made for him to leave with a Ghana Airways flight on Tuesday."

George Blay had taken advantage of a break given the team on Thursday to travel to Sekondi- Takoradi in the Western region, but failed to report back to camp. The Ghanaian delegation in Mali led by GFA Chairman Ben Koufie is waiting to assess the player when he arrives.