They were only concerned about money- Ranking Member on Black Meteors early exit

Honorable Komla Woyome, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Youth, Sports & Culture Committee, has attributed the shock early exit of the Black Meteors from the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco to the players’ focus on money rather than their performance on the field.

Accompanied by Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Evans Bobbie Opoku and Honorable Evans Antwi, another member of the Parliamentary Select Committee of Youth, Sports & Culture, Komla Woyome was present in Morocco to witness the tournament.

The Black Meteors’ campaign was marred by poor performances, resulting in their failure to advance past the group stage. Their primary objective was to finish in the top three and qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris next year.

Although they began the tournament with a promising 3-2 victory over Congo, they suffered a devastating 5-1 defeat against Morocco in their second match. This left them with the sole option of winning against Guinea to progress to the semi-finals. However, their defensive approach proved inadequate, allowing Guinea to equalize, thereby confirming Ghana’s elimination.

Komla Woyome expressed his disappointment with the team’s failure, highlighting the lack of commitment among the players to represent the national colors. He also criticized the technical team, led by head coach Ibrahim Tanko, for their perceived laziness in carrying out their professional duties.

“The Black Meteors players were primarily focused on money rather than showing commitment. The technical team, led by head coach Ibrahim Tanko, displayed a lack of diligence in executing their professional responsibilities,” he stated during an interview with Onua FM.

Frederick Acheampong, the Chairman of the management committee of the team, has confirmed that both the technical team and players have been effectively dissolved due to their inability to achieve their goals.

With their early exit, the Black Meteors will have to wait until at least 2027 to secure a return to the Olympic Games, as their last appearance was in 2004 when the Games were hosted in Athens, Greece.