Let us continue to support the Black Stars – Finance Minister urges Ghanaians
The Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori Atta, has urged all Ghanaians to bear the senior national men’s team the Black Stars in prayer as they kick-start their 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign against Portugal at 4pm today.
Reading the 2023 budget statement on the floor of Parliament, Mr Ofori Atta encouraged all Ghanaians to rally behind the Stars in today’s Group H game against Portugal.
“This afternoon, the senior national team, the Black Stars, will be representing our nation for the fourth time at the Football World Cup in Qatar. Let us continue to bear them in our prayers and offer our support. Working together after missing the last tournament, we have risen again and taken our place on the world stage,” he said.
The Speaker of Parliament and MPs also turned up to the occasion wearing Ghanaian paraphernalia or jersey.
This is a massive show of support for the Black Stars, who will be at the forefront in Stadium 974 in Qatar as they make a return to the global stage.
Earlier in November, the Sports Minister and MP for Yagaba/Kubori, Mustapha Ussif presented on the floor of Parliament that government had budgeted over $8 million for Ghana’s group stage campaign at the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
According to the Minister, the amount will increase if the team progresses to the next round of the tournament.
Four of the five African teams who qualified for the tournament have so far not put impressive displays with Morocco and and Tunsia snatching draws from Croatia and Denmark as Senegal and Cameroon lost against Netherlands and Switzerland respectively.
Interestingly, the African teams have come up against teams from Europe and Ghana’s story will not be expectational as they take on another European team in Portugal.
The Black Stars have had mixed results in terms of first games at the World Cup and will be hoping to end the goal drought of African teams at the tournament so far by scoring a goal and even more realistic, grab a famous win against Portugal.