Budgeted $8.5m, spent $3m – Sports Minister provides details of 2023 AFCON expenditure

Sports Minister, Mustapha Ussif, has given an account of Ghana’s expenditure at the 2023 AFCON, stating that the ministry spent a little over $3 million.

Mustapha Ussif confirmed in Parliament today, February 14, 2024, that the ministry budgeted $8,506,450.00 for the tournament that was hosted by Ivory Coast.

He noted that the Ministry of Finance released $5,071,840.36 out of the budgeted amount. He explained that his office spent a total of $3,070,067.81 out of the $5 million to cover costs incurred from pre-AFCON camping and the group stage campaign.

The Minister pointed out that the said money was spent on per diems, flights, medicals, equipment, logistics and hospitality. He, therefore, returned a balance of US$2,001,772.55.

In his address, the minister mentioned that the telecommunication network MTN gave the team $400,000, which in his words “contributed immensely in complimenting Government’s expenditure”.

The Black Stars pitched their pre-tournament camping in Ghana where they played Namibia in a friendly at Kumasi.

Despite assurance of ending Ghana’s over 40-year wait for a trophy, the team came up short and had a poor outing at the 2023 AFCON, drawing two, and losing one of their three games played in Group B.

A 2-1 defeat to Cape Verde in the opening game was followed by 2-2 draws with Egypt and Mozambique in the second and final group matches respectively.

With just two points and a goal deficit, the Black Stars recorded successive group-stage exits from the AFCON, having suffered the same fate in the 2021 edition.

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Watch detailed breakdown of Ivory Coast’s journey to AFCON glory