Joseph Yamin reacts to $25m budget for 2021 AFCON and 2022 World Cup campaigns

Former deputy Youth and Sports Minister, Joseph Yamin, has reacted to the reported budget for the upcoming 2021 AFCON and 2022 World Cup campaigns by the government.

The President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Monday approved a $25m for the Black Stars participation in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and 2022 World Cup qualifying campaigns after holding a successful meeting with CEO of Corporate Ghana at the Jubilee House.

The president promised to provide $10m of the $25M while entreating the corporate institutions to aid in fulfilling the quantum.

He also urged the Black Stars to annex the AFCON title that has eluded the country for so many years and also secure a semi-final spot at the World Cup.

But the former deputy youth and sports minister thinks otherwise.

According to him, the President should think about winning the FIFA World Cup rather than eyeing a semi-final spot considering the money involved.

“If the president is talking about a $25m budget, then I do not know why our target should be the semi-final and not the final itself,” he quizzed.

“Ghana is a football Nation and for most tournaments, we are the favorites to win, so to say we are setting a semi-final target means we are not too confident of our abilities at this time or we do not have what it takes to get to the final.” He told Kumasi FM.

“But I will like to ask whether we are too broke to the extent that the Government will want to look for sponsorship from these Oil Corporations.”

“Because this is a Government that terminated the sponsorship which existed between the GFA and the GNPC, claiming it was needless. That sponsorship was meant to cushion the National Team for tournaments but this Government didn’t see any wisdom in it, only for them to go back to the same institutions. And I can only say that the Government is confused and doesn’t really know what to do,” he concluded.