By Edzorna Francis Mensah
The Minister of Youth and Sports has called on Ghanaians to rally behind the National Sports Team, The Black Stars as they prepare for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), 2022 in Cameroon.
In less than a month, precisely from 9th January to 6th February 2022, Ghana will be at ‘war front’ where the Black Stars will pitch itself with the rest of Africa in 2022 AFCON with the dream to see The Stars end the 40-year drought of Continental Trophy.
In line with this, the sector Minister, Ussif Mustapha used the opportunity to make a statement on the floor of Parliament on 14th December 2021 “towards a united national Support for the Black Stars” as they engage in another attempt to lift the trophy for the 5th time.
According to him, “the wind of politics blowing through many aspects of our lives has in recent times, permeated into our football, leaving the country divided even when the national teams are at the ‘war front”, and as we know, no nation can win a battle/war without unity and tenacity of purpose”.
It is precisely the reason why he appealed to all especially his colleagues MPs to promote unity and support for the national team as he “entreated all Ghanaians, regardless of party and religious affiliations, to rally behind the national team as they embark on another AFCON journey next month in Cameroon”.
He also used the opportunity to announce to the country through Parliament “how much we have so far raised from the Special Presidential Fundraising Campaign for the Black Stars and other national teams”.
Ahead of the AFCON, this year, President Akufo-Addo invited Corporate Ghana to a breakfast meeting in order to raise about $25m US Dollars to support the government’s funding of various national teams, especially the Black Stars.
So far, corporate Ghana has supported us to raise about $2m US Dollars, and “I want to, on behalf of the President, thank all those who have fulfilled their pledges”, he added.
Background
Since 2008 when Ghana hosted the AFCON, the Black Stars have come so close on many occasions.
The team made it to the semi-finals in 2008, qualified for the final in 2010 and lost to the winners, Egypt by a lone goal.
They made it to the semis again in 2012 and 2013, and got to the final again in 2015 and lost to Ivory Coast on penalties.
In 2017, Ghana lost to Cameroon in the semi-finals.
It is quite obvious from the above that the Black Stars have always come so close to winning the trophy.
