THE acting Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Rashid Pelpuo, has assured the Black Queens that government will provide the necessary logistics to ensure they succeed in the upcoming WAFU tournament.
The minister gave the assurance at the Ghanaman Excellence Soccer Academy camp yesterday when he paid the Queens a surprise visit on his way back to Accra after delivering the keynote address at the opening of a three-day delegates congress of the Young Men Christian Association (YMCA).
The visit was to afford Mr Pelpuo the opportunity to interact with the players and officials of the team, as well as introduce himself to them after assuming office a month ago.
He commended the Queens for the commitment they had so far exhibited and urged them to remain focused as they prepare to participate in the WAFU tournament slated for September/October in Nigeria.
He advised them not to rest on their laurels as they strive to bring honour to the nation, while marketing themselves for a possible opportunity to ply their chosen profession outside the shores of Ghana.
Head Coach Anthony Edusei assured the minister of building a formidable team to win laurels for Ghana.
He indicated that following the phase-out measures adopted by the team’s management which had resulted in some members of the ageing players being discarded for non-performance, he was determined to build a winsome youthful team.
He said a new crop of young players had been introduced as part of measures to rejuvenate the Queens as they sought to qualify for the Africa Women’s Championship and possibly win the cup for the first time.
Coach Edusei appealed for governmental support, saying “the Queens are capable of conquering Africa and the world as a whole if the level of funding and support given to the Black Stars can be extended to them”.
The captain of the side, Aminatu Ibrahim, appealed to the government to consider procuring a bus for the team as transporting the team during engagements was a major problem managers and handlers had had to contend with all the time.
The minister gave the assurance that he would present their grievances to the President for immediate action, since it was the duty of the government to ensure problems facing citizens were addressed.
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