Businessman and younger brother of President John Dramani Mahama, has promised the senior national team, the Black Stars, a special bonus if they progress to the next stage of the on-going World Cup, being staged in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Ibrahim Mahama, who in his private jet, flew to watch the Ghana-England match in Boston, US, said he is prepared to give them more dollars aside what the government is promising to pay them.
The boss of Engineers and Planner (E&P) had in April, ahead of the tournament donated millions of dollars to the committee that was seeing to Ghana’s campaign to the mundial.
During a fundraiser, he was unveiled as the highest donor, pledged $5million dollar to the Committee towards preparation.
Speaking to the team and the technical bench on Thursday, June 25, at the team’s camp in Rhode Island Mahama said aside the special package, he is going to make sure “I invest in you”.
“Most of the young men, I don’t even know their names and their faces, I just hear the names and I can’t put their faces together. I’ve heard the name Semenyoa and I say where is Semenyoa from? Where is Semenyoa from? And coming to see this team, it just reminds me of how they came up and how they made us proud. You guys, I’m going to follow your journey and I’m going to also make sure that I invest in you because not you alone, the technical team have done very well”.
According to him, unlike government which has to seek approval in Parliament before spending on the team, he is in the best position to gifts them because he is in-charge of his own affairs.
“But I say I have a much better bonus for you than the taxpayers. They have to go to Parliament and say I don’t have to go to Parliament. So please do us proud and then you’ll be rewarded”, Ibrahim said.
He said for a while he had tuned his mind off of the Black Stars because of the disappointment he suffered South Africa in 2010 where Uruguay through Luiz Suarez denied Ghana the opportunity to for the first time progress to the Semi-finals after the strike used his hand to clear a ball that looked like was entering the net.
The philanthropist said his son, who is also a footballer, convinced him to come back to football and since then, he has been following the game.
Mahama said he had traveled to watch only the Ghana-England match but he has now been motivated to stay and watch more matches, encouraging the team to do their best and make Ghana proud.
“I was holding money back even when I pledged and I told the Minister that look I won’t give you the money till I see any good performance but now I want to rush home and give him all the money. In 2010, the President and I went to South Africa to watch the match and were robbed and from then I just said to myself that I won’t follow football again. My son has actually been following football and he encouraged me to look into football.
I thought we were just coming to see players but I’ve seen the technical team and I’m very impressed. It looks like you’ve done a good job. With Jordan here, as a young boy I saw starting football from my mother’s house, I’m so proud that he’s actually grown up to be the captain of the Black Stars where he would also mentor other young men”, he said.
He also took time to commend the technical team especially the head, Carlos Queiroz for his sterling performances so far.
He recalled that the Portuguese took the team few months to the tournament but he has been able to turn the underperforming squad to one of the most admired in the tournament.
“Let’s find many more Ghanaians who have untold stories to see how we can. Once again, with the coach, I’m very, very proud because you came in at a shorter time. You’ve been able to put the boys together in your wonderful performance”.
Minister for Foreign Affairs who spoke earlier eulogized the team for their dedication and commitment to raise the flag of Ghana high. He conveyed government’s support to the team indicating that everyone is behind them. He said he watched their match live in the stadium with England with the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa reminded them that in their first match with Panama, the Vice President Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, and the Chief Justice (CJ) Paul Baffoe-Bonnie were also present in the stadium in Canada.
He disclosed that if they progress, the President will likely come all the way to also watch them showcase their talent and go further into the tournament.
Ghana plays it last group match tomorrow, Saturday, June 27 in Philadelphia US, against Croatia. Ghana is second on the table sharing 4 points with England which is first due to goal difference.
By Gifty Boateng