Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, has revealed that the senior national team, the Black Stars, will require an amount of $25 million to fund their 2022 Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Cameroon, as well as the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.



This was revealed at a breakfast meeting with Chief Executive Officers from corporate Ghana at the Jubilee House in Accra on Monday.

The Black Stars have already booked their spot at next year’s AFCON and will start the qualifying campaign for the 2022 World Cup in June.

In order to adequately fund both campaigns, the Minister has embarked on fund-raising efforts from corporate Ghana to support the team.

“It is the dream of the nation to win the Africa Cup of Nations again in Cameroon next year, and to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup,” the Sports Minister said.

“These campaigns require a substantial amount of investment to be able to execute this mandate, approximately $25 million and government alone cannot shoulder this responsibility at the expense of other sporting disciplines.

“Supporting the Black Stars will enable the government to use the sports budget to support other disciplines especially as we gear towards the Tokyo Olympic Games.

“Historically, the Black Stars have performed well every time corporate Ghana has backed them and it is our hope that you will do same again,” Mustapha Ussif told a gathering of CEOs from corporate Ghana.

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, announced at the meeting that government will provide $10 million of the required amount with a 5-member committee, headed by the Sports Minister, tasked to raise the remaining $15 million.



credit: Citi Sports

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Ghana have qualified for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations after their 1-1 draw against South Africa in Johannesburg on Thursday evening.

Mohammed Kudu’s early second-half goal was cancelled by Percy Tau’s strike as the Black Stars settled for a draw to seal qualification with one game left in the qualifying group.

Both teams had a very physical first half but couldn’t find the net in the first 5 minutes of play.

Mohammed Kudus opened the scoring three minutes into the second half after a display of individual brilliance and a very great finish to put Ghana in front, but the lead lasted for only three minutes as South Africa equalized through Percy Tau who shot past Razak Abalora after a fine move.

Black Stars will face Sao Tome and Principe in the last qualifiers group game in Accra on Sunday.

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The Confederation of African Football CAF have postponed the 33rd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.

The competition that was supposed to take place in January/February of 2021 has been postponed to January/February of 2022 after the CAF excos met on Tuesday.

CAF moved the competition to 2022 due to the Coronavirus pandemic that has affected football around the world.

AFCON 2022 will take place in Cameroon.

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The Confederation of African Football will consider postponing the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations if it becomes impossible to honor the competition in January and February of next year.

CAF has suspended the qualifying events for the competition until at least September.

And with the coronavirus pandemic forcing the postponement of major sporting events across the globe, there are doubts the biennial competition will come off  in Cameroon as scheduled.

The CAF General Secretary, Abdel Muonaim Bah, says the continent’s football governing body is considering different options for the competition.

“If we cannot play the AFCON in January, February 2021, obviously we have other different options.

“The first one could be to play during the summer of 2021, but the main issue will be the weather condition in Cameroon; we know that it could be very challenging.

“The other issue is to postpone it for one year and so to play in January, February 2022,” Abdel Muonaim Bah said in an interview with Cameroonian journalist Njie Enow of CRTV.

CAF has already indicated intention to conclude the qualifying series for the competition by November 2020.

It is unclear the decision on the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, which were also scheduled to begin in the October FIFA international break with match day two of that qualifying series slated for November 2020.






Culled from CitiSports

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Two time AFCON winning coach, Herve Renard has set his sights on winning the Afcon with Ghana, who have long been eluded with the most important trophy on the continent since 1982.

The Frenchman served as Ghana’s assistant coach under then-head coach Claude Ley Roy during the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, which the country failed to win after hosting.

It’s been over three decades and after several showings at the tournament and twice coming close in recent times, 2010 as well as 2015, the former Ivory Coast manager fancies his chances with the Blackstars.

He has had several stints on the African terrain, winning his first of two with Zambia after a second spell in 2012 and Ivory Coast after beating Ghana to the trophy in 2015.

In a recent interview, with Tv3’s Juliet Bawuah, the French man has outlined his undying wish to help the country break their long wait for an AFCON trophy.

“Yes I have to come back one day to help one country to win, and that country hasn’t won it for a long time,” and that’s is your Country, Ghana, I will love to win this feat with the Black Stars”

Mr. Renard is the current manager of the Saudi Arabian national team.

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Ghana’s Black Stars will leave the country for Sao Tome and Principe on Sunday for the second game of Group C in the 2021 Nations Cup qualifiers. 

The team will leave Accra with a chattered flight to the Island country as they continue their journey to AFCON 2021.

Ghana defeated the Bafana Bafana of South Africa on Thursday to begin the qualifiers on a bright note after Thomas Partey and debutante Kudus Mohammed had netted in each half to hand all three points to the West Africans.

Sao Tome and Principe were hammered by Sudan in their opening game 4-0, leaving them rooted at the bottom of the table.

Paderborn winger Christopher Antwi-Adjei joins the team in training after missing the South Africa clash following late arrival from Germany.

He is expected to play a role in the game against Sao Tome on Monday.

Coach Kwesi Appiah has his full squad expect defender Mohammed Salisu, who failed to make the trip to Ghana due to injury.



credit: ghanasoccernet

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The President of the Ghana Football Association, Kurt Okraku and some members of the Executive Council were at the Kotoka International Airport to see off the national Under 23 team, the Black Meteors for the African Under 23 Championship in Egypt.

The President was accompanied by Messrs Randy Abbey, Kingsley Osei Bonsu, and Samuel Anim Addo, and in a brief address to the team, the GFA President urged the players to go out there and dedicate themselves and prove to the world that they are indeed from Ghana.

“It’s been sixteen years since we qualified to the Olympics and you have about three or four games away from a ticket to the Olympics. We believe you can do it so believe in yourselves and do it for Ghana,” said the GFA President.

The GFA President also advised the players to listen attentively to their technical team throughout their campaign in Egypt.

A member of the GFA Executive Council, Randy Abbey, also urged the team to seize the golden opportunity presented them to make history.

“You have a chance to make history; a chance to end our long wait to the Olympics. Please go all out and make history,” Randy Abbey told the players.

source: GhanaFA

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The minister of Youth and Sports Isaac Asiamah revealed to the parliament today that Ghana spent 4.5 million dollars in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

Minister Isaac Asiamah stated that the overall budget for the AFCON campaign was $6.3 million.

Despite the fact that Ghana won only one game and exited in the round of 16, Hon Isaac Asiamah stated that 70% of the budget was used in Egypt.

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AFCON 2019: Algeria crowned champions of Africa for the second time

Baghdad Bounedjah’s first minute deflected effort handed Algeria their second Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title after a 29-year wait with a 1-0 victory over Senegal in a highly charged final at the Cairo International Stadium on Friday night.

credit: CAFonline

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Riyad Mahrez scored a late free-kick to give Algeria a 2-1 victory over Nigeria and to put them in the finals of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.



Algeria took the lead in the first half after Riyad Mahrez cross deflected on William Troost-Ekong before entering the back of the net.

Nigeria restored parity through Odion Ighalo’s penalty after Etebo’s shot hit the hand of an Algerian defender. Algeria had a late free-kick which was taken and scored by Riyad Mahrez to send his team to the finals.

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