In anticipation of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Ghana’s President, Kurt Okraku, has pleaded with the nation to support the Black Stars.
He said these things on Monday morning during the Black Stars’ final 27-man team announcement for the Ivory Coast competition.
Speaking to the media, Mr. Okraku stressed the need for the entire nation to support the team and put aside personal preferences for the players that make up Chris Hughton’s final tournament roster.
In addition, he emphasised the need of presenting a united front while travelling to the Ivory Coast and urged the populace to assist the squad in its efforts to represent the country.
He emphasized that such collective backing is crucial for the players to maintain focus and perform at their peak adrenaline levels.
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“All of us hear have opinions on who must be in the squad for the AFCON, whether the player is your friend or your brother we must support the team.
“My plea to all of us is that the entire nation must get behind the team, we have one single senior national team in the men, and these men are the Black Stars, let’s get behind the squad, let’s us leave behind us the past and as Ghanaians let’s support the team who have been called to represent Ghana in Cote D’Ivoire.
“This is the only way the team can deliver, we all know the performance of the team in the last few months has not been good, but let us continue to support the team,” he added.
Ghana will begin training on Tuesday, January 2 in Kumasi. On January 8, they will play a practice match against Namibia at Baba Yara Stadium. On January 10, they will leave for Ivory Coast.
In the forthcoming competition, Ghana is paired with strong opponents like Cape Verde, Egypt, and Mozambique in Group B.