We didn’t want to be caught unprepared - Mark Addo on Ghana’s AFCON budget

The Vice President of the Ghana Football Association, Mark Addo, says his outfit prepared a huge budget for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations because they didn’t want to be caught in the middle of the competition unprepared.

Ghanaians have been unhappy with the Ghana Football Association and the Sports Ministry for intending to spend so much more than the price money of 7 million dollars when the country is in economic crisis.

According to North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Sports Ministry intended to allocate $8.5 million for the AFCON.

Addressing the issue at a GFA press conference, Mark Addo stated, “You build (budget) as if you’re going there to win the tournament. Everything is built on the assumption that after the qualification, round 16, last eight, semi-final and final.

“We don’t want to be in a situation where we are in the middle of a competition and you called the Sports minister and say wait a minute we didn’t plan for this, so it’s better to be totally prepared. That’s how it’s done.”

Despite the high expectations, Ghana failed to advance past the group stage, finishing third in a group comprising Cape Verde, Egypt, and Mozambique.

The Black Stars suffered a 2-1 defeat to Cape Verde, followed by consecutive 2-2 draws against Egypt and Mozambique, resulting in Ghana's elimination from the tournament.