Plans by the senior national football team, Black Stars camping in Johannesburg, South Africa, ahead of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Ivory Coast have sparked outrage among Ghanaians.
The Black Stars aim to use the South African camp to prepare for the tournament and end Ghana’s over 40-year trophy drought.
The pre-AFCON camping arrangements for various countries were revealed, showing that Ghana opted for South Africa while Algeria is camping in Togo.
Information indicates that the Black Stars declined invitation by Algeria to play a friendly match ahead of the tournament.
Rather, a friendly encounter against Botswana which did not qualify for the tournament is scheduled for Monday, January 8, 2024, before the team flies to Abidjan two days later for the AFCON.
The friendly encounter also would be an opportunity for Coach Chris Hughton to assess his team as they take on other top giants in the tournament.
Pre-AFCON camping for various countries includes; Cameroon-Saudi Arabia , Gambia-Saudi Arabia & Morocco, DR Congo-Abu Dhabi, Burkina Faso-Abu Dhabi, Nigeria-Dubai, Guinea Bissau-Mali, Namibia-Ghana and Zambia-Saudi Arabia.
Others are; Angola-Dubai, Tanzania-Egypt, Equatorial Guinea-Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Abu Dhabi, Cape Verde, Abu Dhabi & Tunisia, Mauritania-Tunisia, Mozambique-South Africa
The teams that have chosen to camp in their country Egypt, Mali, South Africa, Senegal, Morocco, Tunisia and Cote d’Ivoire.
The weather data for the 10 days the Black Stars will spend in South Africa indicates temperatures ranging from 14°C to 25°C, while Ivory Coast, the tournament’s host, experiences temperatures between 25°C and 32°C during the same period.
Ghanaians are questioning the rationale behind the Black Stars camping in South Africa, especially given the proximity of Ivory Coast and the budget of $1 million for the South African camp.
In response to the public outcry, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) clarified that the decision was made by Black Stars’ Coach Chris Hughton. The GFA endorsed the coach’s proposal to camp in South Africa for 10 days before returning to Ghana and then heading to the Ivory Coast for the AFCON tournament.
GFA Communications Director Henry Asante Twum said ”I want to put on record that the decision to camp in South Africa is the sole decision of coach Chris Hughton.
“He made a proposal to the FA, and we approved it through the Youth and Sports Ministry.
“The decision to camp in South Africa wasn’t taken by Kurt Okraku but the head coach of the team.”
The Black Stars would face Botswana in Johannesburg on Monday, January 8, 2024, before flying to Abidjan two days later for the continent’s biggest event.
Ghana is placed in Group B with Egypt, Cape Verde and Mozambique.
The four-time champions would open their campaign against Cape Verde after which they would take on Egypt and Mozambique.
The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled for Saturday, January 13 to Sunday, February 11, 2024.
