Gov't could send supporters to 2015 AFCON

Sports Minister Mahama Ayariga has hinted there could be a state package to send Ghanaian fans to Equatorial Guinea to support the Black Stars at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Ministry run into several problems – including national humiliation – the last time it supported Ghanaian fans on a large scale to the World Cup in Brazil to cheer the Black Stars.


Hundreds of the fans sponsored by the state to Brazil refused to return to Ghana and eventually sought asylum under the false pretext of a religious conflict.


Others also faced serious problems with logistics with several reports flying around about the inadequate services to the Ghanaian fans while in Brazil while other reports suggested financial embezzlement and misappropriation.


This was one of the major reasons for the formation of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry set up to look into issues that led to Ghana’s shameful first round exit from the tournament.


Then Sports Minister Elvis Afriyie Ankrah even declared during his appearance before the commission that if given the chance again, he ‘would have never advocated for supporters to be sent to Brazil [for the World Cup]‘.

But before the completion of the Commission’s work and the finalization of its report, Sports Minister Mahama Ayariga says government might eventually take the risk of sending supporters to Equatorial Guinea even though the decision is not yet made.


“The Ministry has not yet taken a decision regarding sending supporters to Equatorial Guinea,” he told GHANAsoccernet.com.


“But you all know that football also goes with support and so we have to find a way of making sure that there are enough supporters in the stadia to support our Black Stars.


“And so we are looking at the logistics – how can we support? Because there are those who would want to go and they have constraints with visa, travel, accommodation and other services.


“And so we are in discussions. I have had discussions with my brother the Ghanaian ambassador to Equatorial Guinea, he sent me a text today saying he sent a team to go to the town we are supposed to be playing – Mongomo – and they have done all the analysis in terms of logistics, hotels etc for supporters.

“And that this weekend he is in Ghana and will give me a full brief.


“I will meet with travel agents, give them the briefing and then make sure I put the travel agents in touch with our mission to ensure that we have a whole program.


“I will appeal to corporate Ghana to provide support to the various supporters unions to be able to go – that I will do.


“And of government has resources and the President does decide on extending support to supporters unions, we will make that support available but as we speak, there is no decision yet.”