Government sows $10 million for Black Stars’ AFCON & World Cup campaigns

Government has committed a seed money of $10 million towards Ghana’s Africa Cup of Nations and FIFA World Cup campaigns next year.

The aforementioned amount forms part of a budgeted $25 million set aside to ensure Ghana achieves all set objectives at the two international football competitions.

Ghana President, H. E. Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo-Addo announced this during a breakfast meeting with some selected stakeholders at the Jubilee House on Monday.

The meeting presented the opportunity for the president to announce his operational team for the above mentioned projects while also revealing the various tasks they were to accomplish.

In explaining, the president said the $25 million was to help Ghana’s quest to end a near 40 year AFCON title drought. Ghana last won the competition in 1982 and have fallen short of replicating that fear despite coming close thrice in 1992, 2010 and 2015.

President Akuffo-Addo also mentioned that part of the money will go into Ghana’s FIFA World Cup qualifying and preparation campaign with an ultimate target of making the semi final stage set.

He requested for the help of corporate Ghana to come together and raise the remaining $15 million after his government donated the $10million.

He said “I need your help. Next year will witness two great competitions, one continental, the other global.

“The continental is the Africa Cup of Nations due to take place in Cameroon at the beginning next year. The Black Stars have qualified in grand style for the tournament and we are left with adequate preparations.

“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.

“The target is to bring the cup home next year by winning AFCON 2022. We have to go a step further than the second places recorded in 1992, 2010 and 2015 and bring the 40 year drought to an end.

“We must also 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.

“The Ministry of Youth and Sports working with the Ghana Football Association need some $25 million to realize our objectives for these two major tournaments.

“Even before the onset of Covid-19, government would have fund it difficult to raise this amount by itself.

“Government however is committed to providing $10 million of this target amount. I’m aware that the pandemic has wreaked havoc on all aspects of our national life. Affecting revenues of government and many of you, but also resulting in increasing profits for others.

“We should be reminded of the fact that a successful Ghana in the world’s game brings credit to Ghanaians and Ghanaian businesses and opens up even more doors for Ghanaians and their businesses.

“Bringing back smiles on the faces of our people is priceless so I’m asking all of you to contribute to raising the balance of this amount which is $15 million,” he concluded.

The operations team tasked to realize these set objectives are 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.