The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, took to the floor of Parliament on Wednesday to unveil the financial costs of Ghana’s participation in the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) held in Abidjan.
He shed light on the nation’s expenditure, stating, “Our estimated budget for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations tournament was $8,506,450.00.”
Mustapha Ussif also mentioned that out of the allocated budget, the Ministry of Finance released $5,071,840.36 for the initial phase of the competition.
“This amount was designated for per diems, flight arrangements for the team, medicals, equipment, logistics, and hospitality,” he explained. However, only $3,070,067.81 was spent, resulting in a surplus of $2,001,772.55 following Ghana’s exit from the tournament in the group stage.
Highlighting additional support, he revealed, “An amount of US$400,000.00 was received from MTN Ghana.”
Clarifying recent media speculations, Ussif addressed rumors surrounding player incentives before the crucial match against Mozambique.
“No money was paid to the players as they did not qualify to the next round of the tournament,” he stated .
Ghana’s journey in the AFCON 2023 tournament ended with a 2-2 draw against Mozambique in their final group game.
