Sekondi, June 20 GNA - The Ministry of Education and Sports (MES) and the Western Regional Sports Council (WRSC) have jointly donated a total of 21 million cedis cash to the family of the late Isaac Salifu Ansah, a former goalkeeper of the national football team the Black Stars at Sekondi.

Madam Sophia Horner-Sam, Deputy Western Regional Minister on behalf of the two institutions presented the money to the family at a meeting at Sekondi on Monday. She said the donation, which should have been made earlier had to be delayed because the sector Minister was not in the country at the time of the burial and funeral cerebrations of the late ace goalkeeper. There was also difficulty in locating the residence of the late Salifu Ansah when the Regional Administration heard of his death.

Madam Horner-Sam said though the donation was belated, she hoped that it would go a long way to support the funeral expenses incurred by the family. She said the late Salifu Ansah's contribution to the country's success and achievements in football can therefore not be glossed over. She deplored the way some family members tried to create the impression that the Government deliberately failed to attend the funeral of late Ansah.

Madam Horner-Sam rather blamed the family for not informing the Regional Coordinating Council of the death and funeral arrangements of Ansah and appealed to members of the family to work closely together and ensure that the educational needs of the late Ansah's children were catered for.

Receiving the donation on behalf of the family, Madam Kate Ansah, sister of the late Salifu Ansah and Madam Diana Nyarko, the widow of deceased said the donation would assist the family in the education of the five children of the late Ansah. They expressed their appreciation to the MES and the Regional Coordinating Council for the donation.

It would be re-called that on June 10 this year, Madam Kate Ansah accused the Ministry and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for their absence at the funeral and burial ceremony. Madam Ansah cited instances when some national soccer heroes were given full honours during their death and burial ceremonies and asked, "Are some more important than others"? Somebody should please answer this," she said.

Keeper Salifu Ansah died at the Takoradi Hospital on April 19 at the age of 45. He featured prominently for Sekondi Eleven Wise, Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Sekondi Hasaacas and Accra Hearts of Oak Football Club and until his death he was the goalkeeper's trainer of Hearts. Ansah was also for a long time the goalkeeper of the national football team, the Black Stars.