President Kufuor Meets CAN 2008 Bid Committee

President John Agyekum Kufuor yesterday asked members of the African Cup of Nations (CAN 2008) Bid Committee to use their combined and considerable experience to create a watershed for football in the country. He said it was a big shame that Ghana, which used to dominate the continent in football was now having to struggle to keep a position in football against very small teams.

President Kufuor made the call at a meeting with some members of the 15-member Committee at the Castle, Osu. Cabinet in November 2002 gave tentative approval for Ghana to bid for the hosting and organisation of the 26th African Cup of Nations tournament. He said football and sports in general had now become a big business and no more an entertainment, adding “we should stress on the scientific nature of sports generally".

President Kufuor said watching football from developed countries, it was no longer natural talents at work but the footballers had been deliberately trained, nurtured and motivated for a purpose, which is to win. He said, " in Ghana we continue to rely on raw talents similar to the days of the talented players like the Baba Yara's and with this, we can never revert to our glorious days but now we are in an era of value added to football and we need to add value to our football".

President Kufuor told members of the Committee that, “you should constitute yourselves into a powerful strategic committee to devise ways and means to lift the level of Ghana's football from its current poor state to a play of scientific and technological activity". He said much was expected of the Committee and it was good that they had positioned themselves in a way to bring the private sector into the football arena in a businesslike manner.

Alhaji Rashid Bawa, Minister of State (Youth and Sports) said the Committee was set up, among other things, to examine the requirements of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the hosting of the tournament and determine Ghana's capacity to meet them.

Others were to examine in detail the feasibility, cost methodology and viability to Ghana of bidding and hosting the tournament and above all source private sector partnership, support and sponsorship for the bidding and hosting processes.

Dr Kofi Amoah, Chief Executive Officer of PVI (USA and Ghana) Chairman of the Committee said their objective was to re-connect the present trend of football in Ghana with its glorious past and sustain the glory in future. He said Ghana's pedigree in football was well-known and the bid was a perfect opportunity for the members, as citizens to serve and unite energies in the public and private sectors to organise the bid and win to host the tournament.