GFA reveal why Black Stars camped in Qatar ahead of 2021 AFCON

Ghana Football Association (GFA) communications director, Henry Asante Twum has opened up on why the Black Stars camped in Doha, Qatar ahead of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Cameroon.

Black Stars spent three weeks in the Asian country where they started preparations and played a friendly match against Alegria before the start of the AFCON.

Sports Minister Mustapha Ussif said in Parliament that the team camped there in a bid to acclimatize with the weather conditions and the environment, bearing in mind the 2022 World Cup, which the Black Stars stand a chance of qualifying to, would be played there.

However, the GFA spokesperson who was with the team in Doha has stated a different reason.

"We chose Qatar for training because, before the AFCON, 7 African countries were going to camp in Qatar. And some of the friendly matches offers we got, the teams were based there," he told Accra-based Starr FM.

"Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia playing in the Fifa Arab Cup were to remain there. We camped there to have access to top-quality friendly matches and save cost," he added.

Ghana suffered a shock first round at the just-ended tournament, in which Senegal were crowned champions after beating Egypt on penalties in Sunday's final.

The four-time African champions did not win a single match and claimed one point from a possible nine to finish bottom of their group.