Organized supporter groups urged to work together

Accra, June 2, GNA - Organized support groups in the country have been urged to co-exist and work hand-in-hand as they have one destiny, which is to cheer the national teams of Ghana on to victory at all times.

In a speech read for him at the launch of the Supporter Union of Ghana (SUGHA) in Accra, Paapa Owusu-Ankomah, Minister of Education, Science and Sports said it was important for all who support the national teams to eschew all forms of negative conducts that would damage the country's reputation.

He said it was not the prerogative of his ministry to dictate to Ghanaians to which supporters group they must belong as Ghana was in an era of freedom of association.

Paapa Owusu-Akomah said what was important for all groups going to Germany to support the national team, the Black Stars was to co-exist peaceful to ensure that the purpose of forming the support groups, which was to cheer the team, was achieved.

He urged SUGHA and the other supporters unions to have one thing in mind when they enter the stadiums to give total support to the Stars even when things are not going well.

Nii Amarkai Amarteifio, former Secretary for Youth and Sports who was the chairman for the occasion stressed the importance of support in football.

He said the role support played in the game could never be understated, meaning that traditional methods of supporting would no longer be enough, if one wanted to make the desired impart. "Supporting nowadays goes beyond just going to the stadium to cheer teams as it starts out side the pitch where the players are motivated to give off their very best on the pitch of play" Ni Amarkai Amarteifio urged SUGHA not to depend on the traditional ways of supporting but look for other means to boost the morale of the players off the field for them to know that the whole nation is behind them in spirit.

Mr Sarfo Abebrese, President of SUGHA at the launch presented a sum of 30 million cedis to the team and promised to increase the sum to 40 million should they reach the second round and 50 million if the Black Stars reached the semi finals.

In addition, the SUGHA President presented 40 Puma branded SUGHA track suits to members of the squad wear at their leisure time. The presentation also did not end there as SUGHA also presented 30 tracksuits each to Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak who would be participating in the group stage of CAF Champions League after the FIFA World Cup.

In addition to the tracksuits, SUGHA presented an unspecified amount of cash to the mouthpieces of the two clubs.

At the same ceremony, there was the launch of the "Yenie", the Ghana Football Association (GFA) official cheer song for the Black Stars and the commissioning of a 61-seater 250 million cedi air-conditioned bus for members of the Association.