Sports Ministry spent $1.5m on Black Stars AFCON 2023 qualifiers – Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa

Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has revealed the government of Ghana spent an amount of GHS 19,262,766.35, the equivalent of $1.5 million during Ghana's Qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire.

According to the Member of Parliament, official documents revealed that Ghana's home and away matches versus Angola cost a total of GHS7,452,437.71.

Ghana's two games with Madagascar also cost an amount of GHS8,395,434.13

In the two games Ghana played against the Central Africa Republic cost the country up to GHS3,414,894.51.

Ghana qualified for the Côte d'Ivoire 2023 Africa Cup of Nations through Ernest Nuamah's 83rd-minute winner against the Central African Republic on the final day of qualifiers.

Although CAF has not confirmed how much Ghana will earn from the group stage participation, quarter-finalists will earn a prize money of $1,300,000.

In 2022, Ghana's Sports Minister Mustapha Ussif told Parliament that the country spent $2,500,000 during a campaign that ended in the group stage.

On Tuesday, Cameroon's 3-2 win over Gambia confirmed Ghana's elimination from the tournament. The Balck Stars picked up just two points from their three group games in Ivory Coast.

The Stars would have been paid $30,000 as qualification bonus if they had progressed to the knockout stage.