One of the trending topics on social media this week is Ghana Black Stars’ AFCON 2019 budget which according to netizens and spectators was colossal looking at the cash prize awarded to the winner of the tournament.
The Black Stars played absolutely nothing but lived on a $4.5million AFCON budget.
On Wednesday, July 24Sports Minister Isaac Asiamah disclosed that Ghana’s total expenditure at the tournament was $4.5million.
He said the country had budgeted $6.3million for the tournament but saved $1.7million after exiting at the last 16 stage.
Per the breakdown, $1.14million was spent on accommodation, while $8,541 was spent on visa fees. Airfare accounted for $924,168, while per diems for players, technical staff and additional technical staff were $187,050, $129,600 and $90,750, respectively.
Meanwhile, feeding cost was $419,300, internal transportation was $43,092 and winning bonuses of players accounted for $965,405.
Reacting to this, spokesperson of the Normalisation Committee, Dan Kwaku Yeboah, has hit out at journalists and officials who benefitted from the Black Stars’ AFCON budget and have turned around to criticise the expenditure.
According to him, all those who benefitted from the budget have no right to criticise and must therefore keep quiet.
“Some of the things have to be criticized but we should be realistic about it. The painful thing is that, some of them who are criticizing enjoyed part of the soup when they were in Egypt,” he said on Peace FM.
