Coach of the Black Challenge team, Richard Obeng, has condemned the National Sports Authority (NSA) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports for their neglect of the team upon their return from the African Amputee Football Cup of Nations (AAFCON) in Egypt.
Despite successfully defending their title, the national amputee football team encountered significant challenges upon returning home.
During an exclusive interview in Kumasi, Coach Obeng detailed the team’s hardships and highlighted the lack of recognition from the authorities.
He also disclosed that their initiative to seek support elsewhere prompted a delayed response from the Ministry.
“We have not been going around begging for alms after winning the tournament,” Obeng said.
“We first went to the NSA and inquired why no one met us to receive our trophy. We were told they were not aware of our return. This was false because the date for our return tickets was known to them.”
The coach also recounted their visit to Pastor Adom Kyei, who had previously purchased the jerseys for the team.
“We went to him because he purchased the jerseys we wore at the tournament for us. We had no jerseys. We went there just to show our appreciation,” Obeng explained.
The turning point came after the team met with former President John Mahama. This meeting seemed to prompt the Ministry to finally reach out.
“We were only called after we visited Ex-President Mahama. Prior to that, we had made a request to present the trophy to the Minister on the 3rd of June or any date that might be appropriate for the Minister. But we didn’t get any response. We only got his attention after we visited the ex-president,” Obeng stated.
The Black Challenge team won the AAFCON 2024 in Egypt, for the second time after beating Morocco in the final.