Ghana deputy sports minister Yamin rubbishes claims of a curse on Black Stars

Published on: 14 February 2014
Ghana deputy sports minister Yamin rubbishes claims of a curse on Black Stars
Black Stars are not cursed says deputy sports minister

Ghana's deputy sports minister Joseph Yamin has rubbished claims that a curse by former players of the national team is the reason behind the Black Stars failure to win the Africa Cup of Nations trophy since 1982.

Some Ghanaians including some ex-players think government's failure to honour promises of building houses for the 1978 Africa Cup of Nations winning squad is the cause of the Black Stars recent problems.

The then Ghana ruler I.K Acheampong promised the 1978 squad houses for winning the title at home but he was overthrown in a military coup, leaving the promise in limbo.

The 1963 and 1965 title winning squads also claim they were promised houses by the then leader Dr. Kwame Nkrumah but there are no records to support that.

Sports journalist Moses Foh Amoaning is among the an ardent believers in this concept and recently took some ex-players and some official to a church to pray to exorcise the 'curse'.

But Yamin has rubbished claims of a curse insisting the ministry's decision to woo the ex-players is not out of a fear of a curse.

“Most of the old players followed the Black Stars to places like Zambia, Egypt to motivate the playing body and this in a way contributed to the team’s qualification into the World Cup in Brazil, so I don’t think they have cursed the nation, when it comes to winning titles," Yamin said.

“They didn’t play for Ghana for financial gains in their days, so we need to do something for them as a nation and the Sports Minister and I have decided to honour them.

“We don’t think that is the main reason for Ghana’s failure and that is not the reason why we have decided to give them something. “But if after paying them off and it is the cause of Ghana’s plight in winning continental trophies in recent times, so be it.”

Ghana won the Nations Cup in 1963, 1965, 1978 and 1982 and has since then failed in its quest to clinch any title despite making the final in 1992 and 2010.

The Local Black Stars has made to the final of the recently created African Nations Champion on two occasions, 2009 and 2014, but failed in both instances.

Inspite of this, Ghana qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 2006 and has since qualified for the 2010 and 2014 - a feat it had not achieved despite having several Africa best players in the era before the year 2000.

Do you think the Black Stars are cursed? Do you think the previous promises have got anything to do the the failure to win titles for Ghana? Make your views known in the box below

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