The Vice President of the Ghana Football Association, Mark Addo, has defended the huge budget prepared by the GFA for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, stating that they wanted to avoid being caught unprepared during the competition.
Many Ghanaians have expressed dissatisfaction with the GFA and the Sports Ministry for planning to spend significantly more than the prize money of 7 million dollars, especially given the current economic crisis in the country.
Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, revealed that the Sports Ministry was looking to allocate $8.5 million for the AFCON.
Speaking at a GFA press conference, Mark Addo explained, “You build (budget) as if you’re going there to win the tournament. Everything is built on the assumption that after the qualification, round 16, last eight, semi-final and final.
“We don’t want to be in a situation where we are in the middle of a competition and you called the Sports minister and say wait a minute we didn’t plan for this, so it’s better to be totally prepared. That’s how it’s done.”
Despite the high expectations, Ghana’s national team, the Black Stars, failed to advance past the group stage, finishing third in a group that included Cape Verde, Egypt, and Mozambique.
The Black Stars suffered a 2-1 defeat to Cape Verde, followed by consecutive 2-2 draws against Egypt and Mozambique, resulting in Ghana’s elimination from the tournament.
