Govt Approves U.S.$8 Million for Women AFCOM

By Raymond Ackumey

Government has approved an amount of US$8 million for the organisation of the 13th edition of the Africa Women Cup of Nations scheduled for Ghana between November 17 and December 1.

The championship organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) will bring together eight of the best female football countries on the continent.

Addressing yesterday's 'Meet the Press' event organised by the Ministry of Information, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Isaac Kwame Asiamah said the amount approved for the hosting of the Women's AFCON will also include renovation works at the Accra Sports Stadium, training pitches at El-Wak and the Robert Mensah Stadium in Cape Coast.

Other projects including the upgrading of the Achimota School training pitch, the Nduom Stadium in Elmina and the completion of the University of Ghana Stadium which is to be used as training ground for the participating teams will all be catered for from the amount.

The Accra Sports Stadium is expected to be the main venue for the tournament with the Cape Coast Stadium being the second.

He noted that the 11 -member Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the tournament chaired by Madam Freda Akosua Prempeh is working tirelessly to make sure Ghana delivers a world class tournament and has set July ending for all infrastructural works to be completed for the second coming of the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) inspection team.

The LOC, he disclosed, will launch the tournament on March 23 at the Alisa Hotel with preparations far advanced.

Mr Asiamah said government has also approved a $32,000 reward package for the victorious Black Queens for winning the inaugural West African Football Union (WAFU) Zone B Women's Cup held recently in Côte d'Ivoire.

The Black Queen's defeated the host 1-0 in the final game through the effort of Janet Egyir to clinch the trophy.

Giving a breakdown, he said each player will get US$1,000.

He congratulated both the national U-20 female team the Black Princesses and the U-17 female team the Black Maiden for qualifying for the FIFA Women U-20 World Cup to be held in France in August and the FIFA Women U-17 World Cup tournament to be held in November, in Uruguay.

Read Full Story