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The lost AFCON fever
Low patronage for Black Stars paraphernalia
Coming events, they say cast their shadows before them.
Could this axiom be the reason for the obvious fans apathy against the Black Stars in an AFCON year?
A few fans have confirmed that due to the recent poor performances and disappointing results they churn out, they have decided to be indifferent and wait for the championship to peak and see what the Stars have for Ghanaians.
But another school of thought is also hanging around those who have decided to be patriotic and support the Black Stars no matter what.
However, this group are also supporting with caution and with modest expectation.
Fans boredom against the Black Stars have become very palpable but the levels to which it has sunk to needs the football people to rethink and get the fans back to the stands to cheer their national teams.
A walk through some principal streets of the capital reveals a situation unprecedented.
Usually, an AFCON period would be one replica jersey and other sports paraphernalia vendors look out for to cash out.
They sell products ranging from jerseys, flags, various wrist bands created in national colours to balls and face painting, especially on match days.
Now, one gets to his/her place of work to also find colleagues dressed dazzlingly in Black Stars replica jerseys and other stuff related to the team.
The sound of vuvuzela would also be heard everywhere, sending a strong message to even the non-fanatics of the team’s readiness for battle.
But what is seen today is nothing to write home about. The streets look normal with people minding their businesses. Vendors anticipate the worst so they are reluctant to invest in the sale of paraphernalia.
The streets of Osu Oxford street is a good example. On match days especially, vendors would be seen busily attending to customers, accompanied by some hawking along the street to attend to those in vehicles.
The Kwame Nkrumah Circle area, stretching to the Awudome end is also not spared of the usual hustling and bustling in this ‘festive’ period but a visit there revealed otherwise.
If that is a sign of how the spirit of the fans has dimmed, then the Black Stars have a long road to journey back to their fans.
This situation has brought about issues concerning player commitment, the quality of playing staff and the competence of the technical team appointed to end the 42-year-old AFCON drought.
It came as little surprise, therefore when the supposed team’s king pin, Kudus Mohammed granted an interview underscoring his commitment to the team.
I have always maintained that an invitation to feature for a national team was something every footballer should grab with pride because it does a lot of good to the player’s reputation.
This is a fact players are well aware of.
Ghana is blessed with a lot of talented players who are plying their trades across the globe and for that matter, concerns about quality must not come up.
But it does because it appears the system or criteria for selection lacks transparency and therefore anytime teams are selected, it attracts dissenting views.
However, a team of 27 players or so meant that the system cannot have every player on board. It is the reason the wailing and gnashing of teeth must end for fans to wear their colourful jerseys to support their team.
The group opening loss to Cape Verde may have dampened the spirit of many further. The outcome of the second game against Egypt remains unknown as of press time for this paper but no matter the outcome, Ghanaian fans must reignite that passion and support for the team to thrive
By Andrew Nortey
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GEXIM deepens relations with US EXIM Bank
A management team of the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) led by the Acting Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah met with the leadership of the Export–Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) on Wednesday April 23, 2025 in Washington DC, United States of America.
The Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM, Mr. James C. Cruse and Vice President, International Relations, Ms. Isabel Galdiz received the GEXIM delegation, which included Deputy CEO for Banking, Mr. Moses Klu Mensah and Head of International Cooperation, Mr. Jonathan Christopher Koney at the headquarters of US EXIM.
The meeting offered the GEXIM team the opportunity to share the strategic direction of the Bank in line with the resetting agenda of the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for the repositioning of the Ghanaian economy into an export-led one by providing the requisite investment to Ghanaian businesses.
Mr. James C. Cruse expressed US EXIM’s eagerness to deepen its existing relations with GEXIM and proposed the signing of a new Cooperative Framework Agreement following the expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 to utilize US EXIM’s medium term loan guarantees to procure machinery by GEXIM for qualified Ghanaian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Mr.Sylvester Mensah thanked the Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM for hosting the GEXIM delegation and reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment between Ghana and its global partners for economic transformation of Ghana with GEXIM playing a pivotal role.
The two teams will be meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 US EXIM Annual Conference on 29th and April 30, 2025 to explore possible areas of collaboration and matching Ghanaian businesses to American companies. The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.
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Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation –Pres.Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the misuse of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) for personal financial gain by individuals in leadership positions.
Speaking during a meeting with Chief Executives of specified entities under the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) on Thursday, March 13, the President directly attributed the dire state of SOEs to their leadership, accusing chief executives, management teams, and governing boards of prioritising personal enrichment over organisational efficiency.
He pointed to bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures as factors draining public funds while SOEs continue to rely on government bailouts.
“Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation by appointees. The chief executives, management, and boards of these enterprises are responsible for this situation. Some SOEs have become perennial loss-makers, draining public funds with bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures while relying on government bailouts as if entitled to them. Many of these entities are at their lowest point in the entire history of the Fourth Republic,” he said.
President Mahama further noted that many SOEs have been plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and mismanagement, leading to consistent financial losses. He cited the 2023 State Ownership Report by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), which highlighted systemic inefficiencies and wasteful expenditures within these entities.
He therefore reaffirmed his commitment to reforming under-performing SOEs and ensuring they serve national interests.
He warned that loss-making SOEs will no longer be tolerated and will either be merged, privatised, or closed.
“I will assess you based on your performance. If you do not align with the pace of the reset agenda, you may be asked to step aside. If that adds to the horror movie, so be it,” he added.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
