Black Stars tasked to make 2022 World Cup semi finals

Ghana President, His Excellency Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo-Addo has set a target for the senior national football team at next year’s FIFA World Cup.

Qatar will host world football’s biggest showpiece in 2022, when 32 nations assemble to compete in Asia’s first ever FIFA World Cup.

Ghana will be bidding to make the competition for a 4th time and the first since 2018 when the qualifiers begin later this year.

Preparations have already began in earnest as the Ghana Football Association President, Kurt E. S. Okraku working with the Sports Minister have put together a plan to ensure the Black Stars seal qualification to the tournament.

President Akuffo-Addo who believes football as a passion of the nation needs to be given the necessary support, has set up an operations team to ensure effective utilizing of plans.

In announcing the team to the audience during a breakfast meeting at the Jubilee House on Monday, the President tasked the team to work on ensuring the Black Stars do not only qualify for the World Cup, but also make the last four stage.

“Next year will witness two great competitions, one continental, the other global,” he said.

“The global is the FIFA World Cup, the apex competition for global football scheduled for June of next year. The team has to play 8 world cup qualifying matches plus 2 international friendlies in Europe,” he added.

“We must reach at least the semi finals of the World Cup in Qatar. Our exploits in South Africa in 2010, where we reached the quarter finals of the world cup tell us that once properly prepared we have the quality and talent to match any of the best teams in the world.

“The task it seems might appear daunting but it is not certainly not insurmountable,” President Akuffo-Addo concluded.

Ghana qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 2006 and made consecutive appearances in the next two editions (2010 and 2014).

The Black Stars made a huge mark at the 2010 showpiece when they became the third African Country to make the last 8. They were on the brink of sealing what would have been a historic semi final berth but were undone by a shootout loss to Uruguay.

After missing out on the 2018 edition, government has endorsed a grand plan to see the Black Stars back at the world stage next year.

A competent team consisting of the Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Yusif, deputy Sports Minister designate, Evans Opoku Bobie, Ghana FA President Kurt E. S. Okraku and former Ghana international Samuel Osei Kuffour have been tasked to make this dream a reality.

m