“Ghana is capable of hosting the African Cup of Nations” says Sports Minister Isaac Kwame Asiamah in Koforidua while inspecting works on a Youth Center Project.
This would surely reignite the debate as to whether the nation should put in a bid on the back of ‘successfully’ hosting the African Women’s Championships. I recall the comments of Local Organising Committee (LOC) boss Madam Freda Prempeh following the decision by CAF to strip Cameroon of the 2019 event. She was more than emphatic as to whether Ghana was prepared to bail out the continent. Hear her.
“We are hoping, if they (CAF) can give Ghana the opportunity to host AFCON again, we will be hosting about 24 countries. I believe that with the Accra Sports Stadium re-touched now, we have the Cape Coast Sports Stadium, we have the Essipong Stadium, which needs some renovation. In the Ashanti Region, we can talk of the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, we can talk of Len Clay Sports Stadium. Speaking of training pitches, Paa Joe Sports Stadium can be used. We have Prempeh College. We have one at Opoku Ware (Senior High School). In Accra, we have one at Achimota that can be worked on. El-Wak Stadium has been worked on, PRESEC Legon Park has been worked on. We have another stadium at Tamale, the Aliu Mahama Stadium. So, we can conveniently talk about six, seven or eight stadia that can host the tournament.
“There is no harm in trying. Even if we are given the opportunity to co-host, we would have moved from one level to another. I don’t see why the Normalization Committee and, therefore, the Ministry of Youth and Sports can’t put in a try.”
I am however hearing that Ghana according to the same Sports Minister Asiamah, would not be submitting a bid. We better not. It would be great but just like the National Cathedral, we do not need that now. Later would do. The hundreds of millions of dollars would better serve other purposes.
Thanks for reading this peace.
The writer Kwame Dwomoh Agyemang is the Head of Sports at Class 91.3fm and a Communications Lecturer at Pentecost University College and GH Media School.
Source:Ghana/ClassFMonline.com/91.3FM
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS