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The Minster of Youth and Sports, Hon. Mahama Ayariga has denied claims that he was with the Black Stars in Equatorial Guinea during the month long Africa Cup of Nation tournament.

According to the minister, he shuttled between Ghana and Equatorial Guinea four different times during the entire period of the just-ended AFCON.

“I never stayed in Equatorial Guinea as it is out there. I watched Ghana’s first match with Senegal on my hospital bed here in Ghana,” he told Peace FM'S Kwami Sefa Kayi.

Mahama Ayariga was reacting to claims by some soccer experts including former Ghana Football Association [GFA] president, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe about why he pitched camp with the Black Stars in the oil-rich Central African country throughout the tournament, thus neglecting his core official functions.

But speaking on Peace FM’s flagship morning show Kokrokoo, Mahama Ayariga noted that, even when he wanted to leave the Stars camp on his fleeting visit, the player insisted that he stayed.

“I was actually going in and out. People thought I was there the entire period, but I was in and out. At a point I wanted to leave, the entire team disagreed. The players even gave me a room to sleep,” he said.

Adding that “I was coming in here [Ghana] to perform my administrative functions, take decisions with my technical people and okay decisions”.