The Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Koku Anyidoho, has expressed joy over Ghana’s failure to get the opportunity to host the 2017 African Cup of Nations after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) picked Gabon as host for the continental football tournament.

Koku Anyidoho says hosting the tournament could have compounded Ghana’s challenges.

Speaking on Atinka FM’s AM Drive hosted by Kwame Adinkra on Thursday, Mr. Anyidoho explained that Ghana has so many challenges including the current power crisis, bad roads and economic problems and that hosting the tournament will compound these challenges.

Mr. Anyidoho’s assertions contradict the assertion by Vice President of the Ghana Football Association, Fred Crentsil, who had described Ghana losing out to Gabon as “unfortunate.”

Ghana’s bidding Committee was made up of Ernest Thompson (Chairman), Abedi Ayew Pele, (Vice-Chairman), Fred Crentsil, Randy Abbey, Herbert Mensah (administrator and businessman), Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe, Lepowura Nuru Deen Jawula and Nana Sam Brew Butler (all former Ghana Football Association chairmen).

Others include Alex Mould, CEO of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Rex Danquah and Abdulai Yakubu, Chief Director of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The rest are ex-Black Stars players, Stephen Leroy Appiah, Tony Yeboah, Tony Baffoe, Ibrahim Sunday, Abdul Razak and former WBC Featherweight champion, Azumah Nelson.

Ghana hosted the finals in 1963, 1978 and 2008, and co-hosted in 2000 with Nigeria as late replacements when Zimbabwe was stripped of the right to hold the event.