President Akufo-Addo
President Akufo-Addo wants the current crop of Black Stars players and technical team to be maintained.
He believes they have shown enough professional acumen and tenacity to lead the country to 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
This was when he met the playing body, technical team and management of the Black Stars at the Jubilee House yesterday.
He said the team spirit demonstrated by the technical and playing body of the Ghana Black Stars is worth emulating by the larger Ghanaian society.
“I am hoping that the technical team that has been put together for these two matches will at least take us through the World Cup itself,” President Akufo-Addo said.
“Mr Okraku, whatever you can do to make sure that the team stays together at least until Qatar, then afterwards, we can take the long term decisions,” was his charge for President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Okraku.
He took the opportunity to commend the team on behalf of the government and people of Ghana and urged them to go out there and make the country proud.
Considering the way their qualification to the world cup has lifted the spirit of the country and brought smiles on the faces of most Ghanaians, the President has promised to do whatever it takes to meet their needs.
The President said he was putting a special package for the Black Stars, which will be presented to them in private.
Before that, he presented the team with copies of the 2022 presidential diary.
President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, commended government for its unflinching support for association football in Ghana and for the senior national team.
He assured the President, Vice President Bawumia and the entire nation that, the GFA will do all within its power to prepare the Black Stars for a strong showing at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The Black Stars became the first African team to book their place at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which will take place in Qatar from Monday, November 21 and ends on Sunday, December 18, 2022, when they played a 1-1 with their Nigerian Super Eagles counterparts Tuesday evening, thus winning with an away goal advantage in Abuja.
Ghana first qualified and participated in the 2006 World Cup held in Germany, during the John Kufuor administration.
In 2010, the Black Stars had their second World Cup opportunity in South Africa during the John Evans Atta-Mills administration.
Their third was during the John Dramani Mahama Presidency in 2014.
2022 World Cup
The 2022 World Cup will be the first of its kind to be held in the Arab world, and it will be the second World Cup held entirely in Asia after the 2002 tournament was held in South Korea and Japan.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu