Ghanaian sports personalities have been urged to emulate other sports stars in the fight against the coronavirus.
The Covid-19 has caught a lot of countries by surprise as governments of these nations believed the virus could never break borders and would have remained in the epicenter, Wuhan, China.
The virus has now transcended borders and is rampaging countries across the globe affecting economies and causing deaths. Various governments are now receiving support from their citizens to fight the virus and footballers do not want to be left out in this fight.
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Notably among African footballers to have supported this fight are Sadio Mane and Wilfried Zaha.
Dr. Adu Owusu Sarkodie, an Economist and lecturer at the University of Ghana, has called on Ghanaian sportswomen and men to rally behind the government to fight the coronavirus outbreak.
Speaking in an interview on Happy98.9FM’s Happy Morning Show, the economist said Ghana needed all the support it could get to fight the virus: “Ghanaian sportsmen and women should contribute to the fight against the novel coronavirus. Just like their colleagues in Europe are doing, they should also support the government.”
Setting the precedence for African players, Senegalese international and Liverpool FC’s Sadio Mané has already donated an amount of $50,000 to help his country fight the COVID-19 virus.
According to the Senego website, Mané donated 30 million CFA francs ($50,000) to Senegal’s National Medical Commission to fight the coronavirus.
Joining the ever growing list of footballers supporting the COVID-19 fight, Ivorian and Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha has also supported the National Health Service (NHS) staff in England to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
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The London-born ace has offered to open up 50 properties in the capital to healthcare workers who are battling the virus – free of charge.
Zaha co-owns ZoProperties, which has a portfolio of rental accommodation usually offered to business travellers, with properties in Notting Hill, Shoreditch and Aldgate.
But the £130,000-a-week star is now offering free use of those properties to paramedics and other NHS workers in central London hospitals helping to fight COVID-19, with many looking for alternative accommodation to help limit the spread of the virus to friends and family.
Maverick footballer, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has also started raising money to help battle the outbreak in Italy. The AC Milan striker has set up an online fundraiser with a target of €1m, calling other footballers and sporting stars to help ‘kick the coronavirus away’.
Milan’s captain Alessio Romagnoli has donated €5,000 to the cause, while Gigio Donnarumma and Lucas Biglia have followed suit, donating €10,000 and €7,000 respectively.
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The money will be used to support hospitals and medical staff in Italy – the county that has suffered worse from the virus, other than China, with more than 63,927 cases and 6,077 deaths.
The Swede, who has also played for Serie A clubs Juventus and Inter, has pledged €100,000 to the cause himself, proclaiming in true Zlatan style: ‘If the virus don’t go to Zlatan, Zlatan goes to the virus!’
In an incredible act of selflessness, Ronaldo is set to use his football fortune to help fight off the deadly virus.
He will be one of a number of Mendes’ clients who put their wealth to good use by purchasing medical equipment for hospitals that desperately need it as they struggle to deal with the influx of patients critically ill with Covid-19.
Cristiano Ronaldo will team up with his agent Jorge Mendes to help combat the spread of coronavirus by paying for medical supplies in Portugal.
US based Ghanaian MLS players Harrison Afful and David Accam led by Jonathan Mensah have also donated an undisclosed amount of money through the Jonathan Mensah Foundation to purchase sanitizers, industrial detergents, gloves and face masks help some communities in Accra and Tema fight the spread of the Coronavirus.
Though these three Ghanaian players have done their part in the fight against COVID-19 some Ghanaians expect more from other members of the senior national team, the Black Stars.
With the captain of the team and the eldest of the Ayew brothers, Andre Ayew taking home a weekly fee of €80,000 from playing for Swansea City, his younger brother, Jordan Ayew making €33,000 per week playing for Crystal Palace to Thomas Partey of the Atletico Madrid fame also making a decent sum of €47,000 per week and Inter Milan midfielder, Kwadwo Asamoah making a weekly fee of €105,000 some section of Ghanaians are asking if Ghanaian players abroad are too broke or selfish to provide financial support to help their country in trying times such as this, or they are in the process of mobilizing funds?
By: Joel Sanco
