The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mahama Ayariga, has announced that Ghana will join the biding race to host the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The announcement comes barely four days after Libya withdrew as host for the tournament to be held in January 2017.
Mr Ayariga made the disclosure after he presented a sum of GH¢1.7 million to members of Ghana’s victorious AFCON winning sides.
Mr Ayariga said: “As you are aware, Libya has withdrawn as hosts of AFCON 2017, so I sought permission from the President John Dramani Mahama for Ghana to put in a bid.
“The President gave his blessings and I believe Ghana stands in good stead to win the rights to host the tournament.”
The minister noted that the nation had the requisite stadia, hospitality and excellent air travel to put in an event-winning bid.
"Ghana has the infrastructure and we are looking to add to it. We have projects such as the stadium in Cape Coast and we are going to construct a few more in other regions.
“We have everything to be able to host the rest of Africa, so we will enter the bidding race with the conviction that we are the best country to host the rest of Africa,” the minister stressed.
Ghana joins Algeria, Kenya and Tanzania as nations who have expressed an interest in hosting African football’s showpiece tournament.
Meanwhile, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), in a statement, has announced that they will receive applications for the new hosts until Tuesday, September, 30, 2014.
The statement added that the designation of the host country would be made at a meeting of the CAF Executive Committee in 2015.
