Black Stars’ Use of D.C. United as Camp Base Is Tied to Exorbitant Costs – GFA
The Black Stars will use the D.C. United Stadium as their camp base instead of Bryant University in Boston, Head of Communications at the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Henry Asante Twum, has revealed.
As a team’s “home away from home” during the Mundial, team base camps are an essential component of the competition experience, according to FIFA, the World Cup organisers.
The Black Stars of Ghana will be based at Bryant University in Boston during the group stage, as announced by FIFA as part of the official confirmation of all 48 teams’ base camp training sites to serve as headquarters for participating nations.
Henry Asante Twum has confirmed that the Black Stars have moved their training camp from the American University campus after Carlos Queiroz expressed concerns that the open environment could compromise the team’s privacy.
“Yes, I can confirm that, anytime we get to the training facility in Boston, Carlos Queiroz had to get there earlier to make sure that he could block any avenue that is visible to the training sessions, especially rooms and offices on the campus of the university.”
Mr Asante concurred with the Portuguese gaffer that the team should remain private and not be exposed to countries competing in Group L of the World Cup.
He explained, “I think that is all about being proactive; if recalled, it can be ascertained that he (Carlos Queiroz) was appointed in a short period leading to the World Cup. Around this time, all the teams want to see the strategy of the team. It is possible one can disguise himself as a student but might have secret cameras recording the training trails of Ghana.”
“Coach Carlos Queiroz detected certain signals last Friday when he received information that the campus gym facility was open to the general public but not primarily students, as the location of the facility could aid opponents in spying on the team,” he revealed.
“As experienced as Carlos Queiroz, he requested that we search for a new training facility, which Alex Asante, Desmond Offei, John Paintsil and other technical staff scanned around the United States, and eventually they preferred to use the D.C. United facility. But don’t forget in America nothing is free, and it is coming at a very exorbitant cost.”
