Starlets lost out on gold due to lack of funds – GFA Vice President

The vice president of the Ghana football Association, Mr George Afriyie has attributed the failure of the Black Starlets to clinch gold in the just ended African U-17 nations tournament to lack of funds.

The Black Starlets lost the final match against the Eaglets of Mali by a lone goal, picking the silver medal in Gabon.

George Afriyie who doubles as a management member of Dansoman Liberty Professional said he was pleased with the performance of the starlets because other teams might have prepared better than us.

Speaking to Oteng Apau Papin on Onua Sports, George Afriyie said, “Even the Nigerian team travelled by road to play a friendly match against Ghana, but we couldn’t do that.

“We couldn’t take the guys to a training tour. Infact I am told by BBC from the coach of Mali that they brought a video analyst from France to study Ghana and to advice the coach on how to beat Ghana. But for us we didn’t have that money to do that.

“If we want to play among the best and compete with the best, we have to do what they are doing but are we doing it?” he quizzed.

In his view the Football Association (FA) couldn’t give them more international matches to play to give an international exposure to the starlets.

He said by the next two weeks he will receive various reports from the coach and management to access what actually caused their defeat.

The four semi-finalist – Mali, Ghana, Guinea, and Niger will represent Africa in the World U-17 championship to be staged in India in October 2017.