President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged Ghanaians to support the Ghana Black Stars, as they begin their World Cup participation in Qatar next month.
President Akufo-Addo made the appeal when the leadership of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), called on him at the Jubilee House on Thursday to present to him the official Jersey of the Black Stars.
The President said Ghanaians needed to give maximum support to the Black Stars to give off their best, adding: “Let’s keep our fingers crossed and cheer them [the Black Stars] on.”
On the selection of players to play for the country during the world cup, President Akufo-Addo urged the GFA to leave that solely to the technical team.
He urged the GFA, the sports Ministry and all other stakeholders including the politicians to desist from interfering, particularly in player selection.
“We have confidence in the people you have chosen. You have got a very good technical team, such as Ato Addo, Chris Hughton, George Boateng and Richard Kingston.
“I think…We should leave them and their professional judgment, [to determine] who are the best combinations for us” the President said.
GFA Boss, Kurt Edwin Simeon Okraku, told the Presiden Akufo-Addo that the Black Stars would commence their Qatar 2022 journey with a “training camp” in Abu Dhabi on 10 November.
“We expect the last batch of the playing body and technical team to arrive on the (14 November) which is the deadline given by all clubs in the world to release the players,” Okraku said.
“On the 17 November we will play a friendly match against Switzerland in Abu Dhabi and on the 18 November, we will depart finally to the tournament country or city, Doha,” he added.
Ghana earned her spot in the World Cup in Qatar on 29 March 2022, having battled Nigeria to a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their play-off. Ghana’s lone goal in Nigeria came at the 10-minute mark from Thomas Partey.
This will be the fourth World Cup of the Black Stars in five attempts, having missed out on Russia 2018. Ghana is in Group H with Portugal, Uruguay, and South Korea.
Rex Mainoo Yeboah, ISD
