Parliament urges Black Stars on

Accra, Feb. 5, GNA - Issues of transparency in ticketing and moderation in victory celebrations took centre stage on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday as members praised the Black Stars for their performance in the on going tournament and urged them on. Members were commenting on a statement by Mr Isaac Asiamah, Chairman of the Committee on Sport, Youth and Culture, on the floor of the House, in which he praised the Stars for their victory over their Nigerian counterparts last Sunday.

He urged the organisers to improve on their administrative machinery. "One challenge facing the Local Organising Committee is the issue of ticketing. And I call on the LOC to put up an effective administrative machinery to overcome this challenge so that the remaining matches will receive the necessary patronage." He said the Stars could not have reached the semi-finals without the support and prayers of the fans.

Mr Asiamah also urged the fans to support the team in prayers for protection against injuries and unfair treatment from referees. Contributing to the statement, Mr Sampson Ahi (NDC-Juaboso), said tickets should be sold at the gates to allow for transparency and also encourage more people to watch the remaining matches live. Mr Dominic Azumah, (NDC-Garu Tempane) said there was the need to work on the striking abilities of the Black Stars for the next match, adding that Cameroon was "a free-flowing scoring team" despite their weak defence.

He called for moderation in post match celebrations to avoid casualties.

Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Deputy Majority Leader, commended the technical team and said Ghanaians "should not be carried away with the victory" as more work was ahead. Mr Alban Bagbin, Minority Leader, proposed that the leadership in Parliament should visit the Black Stars to urge them on. "We are hosting and winning".

Prof Dominic Fobih, Sports Minister, said the boys were well aware of the task ahead and were determined to win.