Yesterday, the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo hosted some corporate bodies to a breakfast at Jubilee House, intended to appeal to them to assist government raise $15 million.
The amount, according to the President, is to support the senior national soccer team, the Blacks Stars, in their quest to end the nearly forty years trophy drought.
Though the total amount needed for both the FIFA World Cup and African Cup of Nations is $25 million, government, President Akufo-Addo said, would contribute $10million. Both competitions would take place next year.
The African Cup of Nations is due to take place in Cameron in the beginning of next year, 2022 which the Black Stars has already qualified, and need to prepare adequately towards it.
The FIFA World Cup is also scheduled for next year June in Qatar. The Black Stars will have to play eight qualifying matches, plus two international friendly matches in Europe.
President Akufo-Addo said even before the onset of COVID-19, government would have found it difficult to raise the amount by itself.
President Akufo-Addo said he was aware that the pandemic had wreaked havoc on all aspects of national lives, affecting government’s revenues and that of private businesses.
The country’s target is to bring the African Cup home and play the semi-finals of the World Cup, President Akufo-Addo, adding that the Ministry of Youth and Sports, working with the Ghana Football Association needs $25million to help achieve the country’s targets in the two major tournaments.
He said once properly prepared “we have the quality and the talent to match any of the best teams in the world” and indicated that the task might seem and appear daunting but it is certainly not un-surmountable.
President Akufo-Addo said football is a great passion of the Ghanaian people, and are not only obsessed about the country’s domestic football league and the national teams, but also those played in Europe, Americas and Asia.
He touted the superiority of the Black Stars on continental football competitions and said the game had been a great source of pride for the nation.
The Sports Minister, Mustapha Ussif, in his address said sports financing has been the preoccupation of the ministry where it needs to find a sustainable sports financing and development of sports in the country.
He said it has become important that a dedicated sports fund which is key to the country’s sports development was set up.
The Sports Minister said the dream to win the African Cup and participate in the World Cup requires adequate funding which government alone cannot shoulder hence the need to seek the support of corporate Ghana.
He assured that the ministry was committed to cutting out wastage and be accountable to the people of Ghana.
The post Prez pleads with corporate Ghana: Please help me raise $15m for Black Stars appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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