We’ve wasted taxpayers' money on sports – Herbert Mensah

Former board chairman of Asante Kotoko, Herbert Mensah, has condemned the amount of money spent on the Black Stars and other sports in Ghana with nothing to show for it.

Mensah believes huge sums of taxpayers’ money have been wasted over the years, particularly on the senior men’s national team, over the years without winning anything for over 40 years.

Speaking to Joy News, he noted that Ghana is no longer a sporting nation, and called for a review of the amount of money that goes into funding the Black Stars for tournaments such as the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

According to him, spending large sums of the country’s money without any proper results should be intolerable.

We have to look inwardly at ourselves. A great sporting nation like Ghana is no longer a great sporting nation. You go to the Olympics, we wasted taxpayers' money, you go to Commonwealth games, we’ve wasted taxpayers' money.

You go to the Nations Cup (AFCON) and the amount of money that is spent, singularly on football, the political sport, is not acceptable.

The Black Stars have failed to win the continental tournament for 42 years, lifting the trophy for the last time in 1982.

Ghana also failed to qualify for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco after amassing only three points in six games in the qualifying round. Otto Addo’s men drew three and lost another against Angola, Niger, and Sudan in Group F.

Not just football, other sports in the country have been on a downward trajectory for years. Hence, the Rugby Africa president’s call to reassess the situation is not far from being in the right direction.

Read Full Story