Supporters travel to Brazil; ‘No monopoly for any tour operator’
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, has once again stated that his ministry has not given the rights to any travel and tour operator to carry Ghanaian supporters to the World Cup in Brazil.
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That comes in the wake of media speculation that some tour operators in the country are selling their Brazil 2014 packages with the tagline “official World Cup operator”.
The minister said no such contract or agreement had been signed by the government, and that all options remained open to ensure that the most professional, competitive and reliable packages were looked at for consideration.
''There are tens of dozens of licensed travel and tour companies in Ghana and government sees them as potential partners. So they are all welcome to submit proposals on how they intend to execute their plans for Brazil.''
Hon. Afriyie Ankrah said the healthy competition amongst tour operators would improve packages and standards which would ultimately offer better options for Ghanaians and, indeed, some targeted neighbouring countries.
The minister also assured Ghanaians that no stone would be left unturned to ensure that the Black Stars would be as prepared as they had ever been for the World Cup finals in Brazil.
''From the onset, the directives from the President has been very clear and that is, we must prepare very well. We all want the best preparations for our team in order to get the best from the players come June.
''We must not forget that even though 'President Mahama is the Commander in Chief, he is also a Black Stars fan just as passionate as any of us cheering from wherever he happens to be when the team plays'', the minister added.
Most soccer analysts and experts are already convinced that Portugal and Germany will advance from Group G in next year's elite soccer fiesta, leaving Ghana and USA homeward-bound early.
However, the sports minister sees the equation differently: ''I am not worried about what the experts say.
''All I care about is our Black Stars, and I believe that the more we all rally around our boys, the stronger they will be. Every time our boys step out onto the field, they play for all of us and that powerful connection with every single Ghanaian is why the team continues to get stronger.”
The minister cited numerous examples of how the Black Stars and united factions, opponents and even brought fierce rivals together.
''Have we forgotten how supporters of Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko also joined forces to ensure that the Black Stars record a resounding 6-1 victory over Egypt in Kumasi?
This World Cup is for all Ghanaians, whether cheering from your living room sofa, at a viewing centre in Tamale or in Forteleza Brazil, the beauty of our team is that every single citizen feels that they have a stake in the Black Stars. We all share the same passion - we love the Black Stars''.