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The former Hoffenheim striker shares his thoughts on the financial support disclosed for the Black Stars
Former Ghana striker Prince Tagoe has claimed the nation’s budget for the upcoming 2022 World Cup qualifiers and the Africa Cup of Nations tournament doesn’t “sound well” and has asked authorities to investigate.
Last week, Ghana president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo disclosed a budget of $25 million has been earmarked for the campaigns, a revelation that has drawn a lot of criticism.
A later development, though, was that the budget also covers the assignments of Ghana’s other national football teams.
“Now things are not going well for the Black Stars, so I believe the budget approved for the tournaments is too huge,” former TSG Hoffenheim striker Tagoe, who represented Ghana at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations and 2010 World Cup tournaments, told Angel TV.
“France won the 2018 World Cup and received $30m. So, if Ghana are taking this money to Afcon I think it is too much and the authorities must see to it and do something about it.
“In the last Afcon, the target was to win it, but it couldn’t materialise, so for them to come out with this budget for the tournament I think they are putting unnecessary pressure on the president. I feel the budget doesn’t sound well to me.”
Ghana president Akuffo has charged the Black Stars to win next year’s Afcon tournament to end a 39-year drought and as well secure qualification for the 2022 World Cup and go on to reach the semi-final.
“The budget we have done is not only for Black Stars. It is for all our national team activities from now till 2022,” sports minister Mustapha Ussif explained.
“We have eight World Cup qualifiers, the Chan team will be playing qualifiers, the women’s team as well, and we have to participate at the Afcon, and if we qualify for the world cup, we will participate there as well.
“We have U17, U20, U23 and the senior national teams and the same for the women and all these teams have tournaments to play. Out of the $25 million, if we have to play in the Afcon, we have to prepare. And we need to play two friendly games. And besides that, the World Cup qualifiers that we have to play, we will not spend less than $700,000 on each match.”
“Then we are then going to participate in the Afcon and we have to play a series of matches, all the way to the final. So this is an expensive venture.”
Ghana are seeking a return to the World Cup after missing out on the 2018 edition.
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