Prez Akuffo Addo names Ghana’s ‘Operations Team’ for AFCON & World Cup 2022 projects

Ghana President, H.E. Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo-Addo has set up an operations team to bring glory to the nation through football.

The team has been put together to realize various targets as Ghana’s senior national team, the Black Stars compete in two international competitions next year.

The Black Stars have already qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Cameroon next year and will also vie for a ticket to the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar when the qualifiers start later this year.

Ghana has not won the AFCON since 1982 and also failed to make the FIFA World Cup in 2018.

The Operational Team includes 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.

In announcing the team to the public in a breakfast meeting at the Jubilee House on Monday, the president tasked them to win the AFCON tournament and end the 40 year drought while making history by becoming the first African country to make the semi final stage of the FIFA World Cup.

President Akuffo-Addo who believes football is the nation’s passion is confident achieving success in these two major competitions will bring several benefits to the country and has therefore approved a $25 million budget to finance them.

His government has already committed $10 million to this cause and he made a passionate plea to corporate Ghana for further assistance to raise the required sum.

“Even before the onset of Covid-19, government would have found 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,” he said.

“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’s work starts with immediate effect.