Harare businessman splashes US$200 000 for Ghana match

FLAMBOYANT Harare businessman Philip Chiyangwa has splashed US$200 000 to bring the World Cup quarter finalists, Ghana for an international friendly against the Zimbabwe Warriors on September 8 at the National Sports Stadium.

The match had initially been pencilled for mid-August but the Black Stars indicated that they could not make it. Ghana will be in South Africa at Soccer City in Johannesburg on August 11.

Francis Oti Akenteng, the Ghana technical director told Standardsport that the Black Stars were not coming to Harare in August while confirming that they would play South Africa’s Bafana Bafana this month.

“I have no idea about Ghana versus Zimbabwe international friendly in August but it is true that Ghana will play an international friendly against South Africa on August 11,” Akenteng said.

However, Chiyangwa said the Black Stars had agreed to come to Zimbabwe on September 8. “My mandate is to pay the money which I did and Ghana will definitely be in Zimbabwe on September 8,” Chiyangwa said yesterday. Chiyangwa pledged to bankroll the match and mandated the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) and the Zimbabwe Football Association to facilitate Ghana’s visit.

The organisers had wanted the match to take place early this month before the European leagues kick off in mid-August but Ghana said they could not make it. This would have enabled the two teams to field all their professionals.

The match between Ghana and Zimbabwe is set on September 8 — a day reserved by FIFA for friendly internationals. However both sides would have played in the 2012 Africa Nations Cup qualifiers. The Warriors are scheduled to collide with Liberia in an away fixture on September 4. ZTA was instrumental in bringing the Brazilian national team to the National Sports Stadium on June 2 in an international friendly, which was dogged by accusations of fraud.

The international friendly would cost Chiyangwa close to US$200 000 to cover the costs of chartering a plane for Ghana to Zimbabwe. The money would cover the appearance fees for the Black Stars and the Warriors. It is understood that the Black Stars would get around US$5 000 each for the match.

Black Stars coached by Milovan Rajevac will return to the 2010 World Cup host nation for an international friendly against the Bafana Bafana on August 11.

The game, the first for both sides after the Word Cup finals will be played at the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg. Ghana would use the friendly as a build-up to the African Nations Cup qualifying match against Swaziland in September. Swaziland and Bafana Bafana play a similar style of football.

The road to Gabon and Equatorial Guinea in 2012 gets under way on the weekend of September 3-5 against Swaziland with the Black Stars playing the first group match away.

The game in the Rainbow Nation will also serve as a sign of appreciation for the wonderful support accorded Ghana during the World Cup, as the Black Stars return to familiar ground.

Despite staging a coup in bringing the Black Stars back to Emzansi, the South Africa Football Association (Safa) has been sweating over reports that Ghana might field an under strength side.

Safa chief executive Leslie Sedibe allayed fears on Thursday saying the Black Stars would bring the core of the World Cup squad. Ghana were the most successful African team at the recent World Cup, reaching the quarter-finals of the tournament, which has seen many of their players rise to prominence.

Sedibe said Safa’s contract with the Ghana Football Association states that the Black Stars squad must comprise players who qualified for the World Cup quarter-finals.

“Ghana appeared quite happy to agree to this condition,” Sedibe told football365.com. “So we do not expect any complications in this respect.”

Sedibe also revealed that there would be stiff consequences for Ghana should they decide to field a weakened team. “The contract also stipulates stiff penalties for Ghana should they renege on the guarantee to bring the nucleus of the team that thrilled soccer followers during the World Cup.”

This means that Ghanaian superstars like Asamoah Gyan, Richard Kingston, John Mensah, Sulley Muntari, Andre Ayew and Kwadwo Asamoah are all likely to showcase their skills; however, Sidibe admitted that the game might come too soon for Michael Essien, who was ruled out of the World Cup through injury.