Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams believes Ghana’s greatest advantage at the next FIFA World Cup may not only be what happens on the pitch but the army of supporters expected to follow the Black Stars across North America.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on Wednesday, Mr Adams said excitement among Ghanaians at home and abroad is already building strongly around the national team, despite perceptions that the current squad lacks some of the superstar names of previous generations.
The Buem MP’s comments come as preparations for the tournament, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, gather momentum.
The competition is expected to attract large numbers of African fans, particularly from diaspora communities spread across North America.
According to the Sports Minister, early signs of support have already been evident wherever the Black Stars have appeared.
“I think the energy level is quite high. If you observe, even when the chief arrived in the United States at that late point, the number of Ghanaians who were at the airport and at the hotel to welcome them should tell you one thing, that Ghanaians in America are ready for the team.”
He said the enthusiasm extends far beyond the United States.
“Ghanaians in Canada are ready, and Ghanaians even in Europe are planning to travel that far to also go and watch on their own, and the energy is building up also in Accra here and beyond.”
Mr Adams argued that support for the Black Stars is drawing not only Ghanaians but also Africans in the diaspora who want to rally behind one of the continent’s representatives on the global stage.
“In terms of preparation of funds, whether you are talking about Ghanaians in diaspora or Africans in diaspora generally, they are yearning to be behind Ghana, and so I must say that many things are falling in place for us.”
The minister said the atmosphere surrounding the team gives him confidence that Ghana can exceed expectations at the tournament.
“That is why I say that this World Cup, you may think that we don’t have the stars, but let me tell you that we have a team that has a certain spirit behind them that will take us very far.”
He also pointed to the locations assigned to Ghana, arguing that they could work in the team’s favour because of the large Ghanaian communities living there.
“Just analyse and look at even the draws that we did. Look at the positioning, the cities that we got. These are cities that are heavily loaded with Ghanaians.”
Highlighting Toronto as an example, he added: “If you go to Canada, you will all know that Toronto has a huge black population, Ghanaians are there, we didn’t choose it.”
Mr Adams suggested that the combination of strong diaspora backing, growing enthusiasm at home and the team’s fighting spirit could become a powerful asset as Ghana seeks another memorable World Cup campaign.
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