King Faisal FC's owner, Alhaji Grusah, has urged Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, to look into the alleged poor administration of Asante Kotoko's Interim Administration Committee (IMC) during their most recent friendly match against DC United.
Grusah's comments come after two Sudanese players, Esmat Abdalhamid and AbdoelKarem Yagoub, disappeared the day before the game in a contentious incident. CCTV footage shows the players getting picked up by a car after they reportedly slipped out of their hotel.
On October 9, 2024, the pair headed to the USA for the game with a group of nine players and five officials. Grusah pointed out that the IMC's decision to deploy players without a complete squad was a direct cause of the regrettable circumstance. He thinks that the officials responsible must be held accountable to safeguard the integrity of Ghanaian football.
"Otumfuo Osei Tutu II ought to look into the poor IMC management by Asante Kotoko during the friendly against DC United. Unfortunately, two Sudanese players absconded as a result of their choice to send players without a full squad. "We have to hold the officials accountable," Grusah said in a Kumasi interview with Oyerepa FM.
Before their trip, Asante Kotoko encountered visa issues, which led to the denial of admission for several players. To field a full squad for the game, the team chose to work with a Ghanaian select team in the USA. They defeated DC United 2-1 at Audi Field.
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Reviving Black Stars requires a long-term development strategy. Shilla Illiasu
Shilla Illiasu, a former Black Stars player, has encouraged the Ghana Football Association to create and implement a thorough development plan for the senior men's squad.
In an interview with Citi Sports after Ghana's humiliating 2-0 defeat to Sudan in Tuesday's 2025 AFCON qualifiers in Libya, Illiasu made this call.
Illiasu, who played for Ghana in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, highlighted the need to change the focus from short-term objectives of qualifying for future competitions, such as the AFCON and the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to a longer-term strategy for sustainable success in light of Ghana's most recent defeat in Group F.
"I believe that the time has come for all Ghanaians to acknowledge that there is a problem with the team. To create a strong team, we must put aside the World Cup and AFCON. Instead, we should try to create a plan, such as a five-year development plan, and let the entire nation know that there is a problem with the team."
With two points from four games, Ghana is currently in third place in Group F and faces the possibility of missing out on AFCON qualification for the first time in 20 years.
The Black Stars will return to action in November when they play Angola and Niger in the final two qualifiers.
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