You are here: HomeOpinionsArticles2016 07 14Article 455205

Sports News of Thursday, 14 July 2016

Source: footballghana.com

Nii Lantey launches fresh attack on 'indisciplined' GFA

Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, Minister of Youth and Sports Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, Minister of Youth and Sports

The frosty relationship between the Ghana FA and the Sports Ministry hit a new low after the Minister, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, launched a damaging attack on the Federation by claiming that some of its officials are 'indisciplined'.

The controversial government official waded into the 2014 World Cup saga by claiming that some of the officials were as indisciplined as Sulley Muntari, who was axed from the team for unruly behaviour.

The minister's comments will widen the rift between him and the GFA, who have expressed their unhappiness over his comments and actions towards the Federation since taking over.

Vanderpuye was not in charge of the sports ministry when the incident which resulted in Muntari's sacking took place, yet he made the conclusion which is likely to infuriate the GFA.

Muntari was sacked in disgrace from the Ghana camp in Brazil for 'unprovoked physical attack' on management member, Moses Armah, during a meeting over unpaid appearances fees.

“I don’t want to say that it was only the players that were indisciplined because some of the administrators are also indisciplined," the sports minister told TV3.

"I think when we all appreciate what is right to be done, and we all do the right thing, the discipline will trickle from the head to the down because if you look at the sequence, Sulley Muntari didn’t act well, but the whole scenario indicated that one way or the other the individuals there did not act well.

“Everybody was indisciplined to the extent that the indiscipline was acted towards the minister, and I said it wasn’t the right to be done but to ensure discipline, the administrators must first be disciplined."

The claim by the minister is likely to strengthen further the resolve of the GFA that Vanderpuye has got ulterior motives towards the federation which has resulted in his consistent attacks.

Vanderpuye was not in charge, yet he reached the conclusion that management was indisciplined even though the commission set up to investigate the World Cup saga did not reach that conclusion.

Muntari attacked management member Armah without any provocation, and now the minister implies the owner of Medeama was indisciplined that's why he was physically attacked.

This is likely to infuriate the GFA and Armah, who claim the attack on was unprovoked.

This will widen the rift between the GFA and Vanderpuye, who has consistently tagged the Federation and its officials negatively since he took over as the minister.

There have been calls for peace talks, but the latest claim by the minister is unlikely to make that meeting take place.

In 2010 Vanderpuye was alleged to be part of a group set up to try to unseat the leadership of the GFA through a coup d'etat. He was part of the group that forced out BT Baba as the chairman of the Ghana Olympic Committee.