Editor of Kotoko Express, Jerome Otchere, has waded into the conversation after it emerged that the Black Stars will need $25m for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers and the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations [Afcon] that will be hosted in Cameroon.
On Monday, April 26, President Nana Akufo-Addo held a breakfast meeting at the Jubilee House with corporate bodies to plan on winning the Afcon and make an impact in the World Cup that will be hosted in Qatar next year.
Addressing stakeholders, the Sports Minister, Mustapha Ussif, reiterated that the government has managed to raise $10m.
He said a four-member committee has been put in place to raise the $15m from corporate bodies.
Reacting to the issue, the renowned journalist questioned the decision of government and insisted money is not the solution to annex trophies but proper planning.
“It seems to me we are not learning as a country and I am surprised,” he told Asempa FM on the Ultimate Sports Show.
“We have made mistakes in the past and we keep repeating the same mistakes.
“We know the Ghana Football Association is trying its best to revive football because of what has happened in the past and now anything about money and Black Stars, the ordinary Ghanaian is pissed off.
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“We have in the past seen how the European countries spend money on their national teams and they win trophies but that is not in our case.
“We must understand that money does not win trophies and we saw what happened during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
“After exiting from the Afcon, Ghanaians were jubilating because they don’t care about the national team again.
“We have World Cup qualifiers coming up in June and if we don’t take care we might not qualify because it seems everything is about money and I have heard some people underrating the countries we are to play against.
“We must realise what we have done wrong in the past and learn from that,” he added.
The four-member committee includes Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports-designate, Evans Bobie Opoku, Ghana Football Association head Kurt Okraku, head coach Charles Akonnor and former Ghana international Sammy Kuffuor.
Qualification to the World Cup will start in June, with the Black Stars drawn against South Africa, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia in Group G for the second round.
The third round will see the 10 group winners from the second round drawn into five home-and-away ties. The winners of each tie will advance to the tournament.
Next year will be 40 years since the Black Stars last lifted the Afcon trophy.
They defeated host nation Libya to win the tournament in 1982 and since then, they have suffered three final heartbreaks.
However, the president, who was 38 years the last time Black Stars enjoyed continental success, has charged coach Akonnor’s side to end the drought in Cameroon next year, having secured qualification last month.