Wednesday, 17th June, 2026
Hon Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor
South Dayi
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to proceed to make this Statement in pursuance of Order 92.
Mr Speaker, today, God willing, at 11 p.m. GMT, our beloved Ghana Black Stars will be locking horns with the national team of Panama in faraway Canada. Mr Speaker, as a people, sports, in particular football or soccer, is one social event that unites all of us, notwithstanding the occasion. Even if we are throwing fisticuffs and there is news about soccer, we stop fighting and take interest in it.
So on this day, I am making a very brief Statement to galvanise the entire nation to throw their support, moral and spirit, behind the national football team, the Black Stars. Mr Speaker, the Black Stars have a very interesting history. Black Stars was originally called Gold Coast XI.
Sometime in 1951, just after the general elections when Dr Kwame Nkrumah became leader of Government business, he sponsored the team to tour the United Kingdom (UK). They endeared themselves to the British then with their style of play. Soccer then was essentially founded by the British, so they thought that they were the masters.
However, this beautiful African team from the Gold Coast then mesmerised a lot of the local teams that they played with. So when they returned, interest in football development and playing for the national team in particular soared.
Eventually, the account further was that Peki in my constituency, had a very famous local team called the “Black Stars”. They were playing football on weekends. Peki had a famous son called Dr Akyea Djamson. He was a famous lawyer who worked with the Ghana Commercial Bank for a long time. He was visiting Peki then on weekends with Prime Minister Nkrumah.
Dr Nkrumah developed interest in the team. So when Ohene Djan was appointed in 1957 and they were going to name the Gold Coast XI, they named the team the Black Stars. The national team took this name and it has become the nickname of the national football team ever since. We are very dominant on the continent. We have won four continental titles.
We have, from the early 2000s to date, appeared in four World Cup tournaments out of five since the 2000s. We appeared in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2022, and now 2026. On that note, I want to plead with everyone to set aside our differences – social, cultural and religious – unite today and going forward to support the Black Stars. I wish them all the best in Canada.
Today we are whipping the Panamanians by two goals to nil. I am sure that when we do that, we will return to Boston and we will be ready to face the English, which will look like the decider for the group that we belong to.
Mr Speaker, on this note, may I urge the entire nation to support the activities of the Black Stars. Organisation had run into some difficulties, but the organisation in continental northern America is fluid. A lot of people have been transported across the border. Some flew to Canada. Tickets are being given to people who are interested in attending the match in Canada. Let us support the Black Stars.
I believe that if they do well at the World Cup, not only does it get a further boost to our social and domestic matters —because families are at peace when we do well in football. It also has its own commercial value for the things we do. This is because it has a way of marketing the nation. So we want to call on everyone to support the activities of the Black Stars.
Mr Speaker, with this, I thank you for the opportunity.
Hon Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh
Bosome Freho
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
I am grateful and also thankful to you and the maker of the Statement for reminding us and the entire country that today is a day that we must be patriotic. If we have our differences, Mr Speaker, the Black Stars game today must unite us. The Black Stars game today must bring a sense of purpose. It must remind us that even though we have our differences as a country or people, we are rallied behind the flag and behind our men and women who hold our flag in international platforms and stages.
Mr Speaker, I want to also let the men who are gallantly representing us today in Canada know that even though some of us are not with them, the good people of Bosome Freho in Ghana support them in spirit. Our prayers and our thoughts are with them. We want them to know that we have always been proud of them. We have always known how they fearlessly fought to raise our flag so high.
Mr Speaker, we support the Black Stars. I will not have any predictions, but I believe that today we should have the maximum three points from the game we are going to have today.
Mr Speaker, from records and from the FIFA standards, in our group, in fact, it appears as though we are even the weakest link when it comes to our group in terms of the FIFA ranking. But we believe in our minds that Panama is the weakest link we can have in our group. So, it is important that we score Panama today to have the maximum three points.
Even if we are not able to win but pull some draws in the rest of the games, we can struggle through and make it through the group stage and then see what would come out of the other groups. We will then see the permutations and see if we will be lucky to progress to the group 32, group 16 and then the group 8 and hopefully get close to the cup.
Mr Speaker, I would also use this opportunity to remind us that President John Dramani Mahama formed a committee. In this committee he carefully selected ministries and ministers whose responsibility was to take care and manage the team successfully, take them to the cup and bring them back.
Mr Speaker, it is sad to announce that this team reneged on their duty and today we are missing one of the best mid-fielders we have, Thomas Teye Partey, out of the games today after the court in Canada, Ottawa, ruled against him. It is sad. We should have anticipated some of these things. It is the reason why the President in his wisdom formed this committee and placed key ministries in this committee to take care of some of these things.
We should have envisaged that we have a player who has some international challenges. There were enough protest alerts against Thomas Teye Partey that should have informed us that we needed to give the young man a critical attention in terms of filling his forms and any other diplomatic engagement.
Mr Speaker, the court hearing yesterday was obvious to all of us that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) failed in the due diligence they should have done. If they knew they did not fill the young man’s forms well, why proceed to court? It is the reason why I always say that it is important to engage and do more of the backroom consultation and backroom engagement than always running to social media.
It will not help us. Mr Speaker, if we really want to get results, there are things that we must selectively deal with quietly than always running to social media to score cheap political points. Mr Speaker, with these few words, I thank you and we wish the Black stars too well.
Hon James Agalga
Builsa North
Thank you, Mr Speaker, and let me commend the maker of this Statement, the Majority Chief Whip for wishing the Black Stars well.
Mr Speaker, I also wish the Black Stars well. The Black Stars have the pedigree. If we look at our outings so far as the World Cup competition is concerned, the Black Stars are amongst the best performers on the African continent at that tournament.
At least we managed to make it to the quarterfinals, and Mr Speaker, I can count Cameroon and Senegal as the other two African countries who have made it to the quarterfinals. But Morocco actually broke the quarterfinals record by making it to the semifinals. Ghana almost made it to the semifinals, but unfortunately, our quest to make it beyond that level was disrupted by Louis Suarez.
So, Mr Speaker, we have the pedigree, and I have the conviction that the Black Stars will rise to the occasion and make us proud, even though we go to this tournament with a depleted squad. Mr Speaker, Mohammed Kudus unfortunately is injured. Alexander Djiku is injured, as well as Mohammed Salisu. These are three players who are actually part of our first team selection, but unfortunately, they are injured.
As for Thomas Partey, I think that it is regrettable that Thomas Partey cannot participate, at least in our first encounter with Panama. Listening to my Colleague, I do not know exactly why he believes that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) should bear some degree of responsibility for the unfortunate troubles that have befallen us in terms of Partey’s participation in the Panama game.
The courts in Canada have made a judicial decision based on their domestic laws. We should all have issues with countries like Canada, which have actually agreed to host a tournament such as the World Cup, but are not prepared to relax their domestic laws in favour of countries which have qualified to participate in a tournament which is an international tournament.
They want to invoke their domestic laws and have actually sought refuge under those laws to deny Ghana the privilege of having Thomas Partey represent us. These are matters that should be taken up at the highest level, even at the level of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
Mr Speaker, I must say that I am a bit disappointed that FIFA has not been able to forcefully intervene in a matter like this, because this is an international competition. Thomas Partey is not a convict. If Thomas Partey had been convicted, he would not have been able to travel to the USA in the first place. So, a law which is premised on reasonable grounds, reasonable suspicions, assumptions, when the guilt of the accused has not been proven leaves much to be desired. So, I think that as a country we should express our disgust and our unhappiness about the way the Canadian authorities have handled Thomas Partey’s case. This is rather than assume some degree of responsibility, as my friend the Hon Asafo-Adjei would want us to believe, that Thomas Partey’s woes are partly attributable to somebody failing to complete a certain form properly.
So, Mr Speaker, let me once again wish the Black Stars the best of luck in today's competition. I believe we have young talent, young players who would rise to the occasion in the absence of their senior colleagues such as Thomas Partey, Djiku, Kudus and Salisu. This is the opportunity for them to excel and register themselves on the world stage.
Mr Speaker, teams are watching. So, players like Caleb Yirenkyi and his colleagues should take advantage, because after today’s game, I am sure bigger teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, et cetera
Hon Daniel Nana Addo-Kenneth
Okere
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am also grateful for giving me this opportunity to comment on the Black Stars and also to commend our Majority Chief Whip for making this Statement.
Mr Speaker, my constituency, Okere, and the entire Akuapem area has also contributed immensely to the development of soccer, particularly in the colt division, and so has been the backlog where most of the teams in Accra here draw players from.
Mr Speaker, we cannot talk about football in Ghana without mentioning Dawu Sports Stadium and Dawu United, which is in Okere. We cannot also talk about football in Ghana without talking about some legends who have helped this nation. The Majority Chief Whip gave some history, so we can tell that in the Akuapem area we have also produced a lot of legends.
That is why it is important that I find my name in the Hansard when we are talking about Ghana Black Stars and football in this country. We all want to wish the Black Stars well. I join the many Ghanaians and my constituents to wish that this game against Panama should be a walkover. Yes, I may not make a prediction, but what is important is that it is a mustwin for Ghana Black Stars.
Mr Speaker, walking through town and coming here, we can tell the euphoria. If there is any moment that the youth of this country need a win from Black Star, it is now. It is now that the youth of this country need some enjoyment, some brief stress-relief, knowing very well that the “1-3-3” now will turn into a Black Star formation so that we can enjoy ourselves as a football nation. We all agree the importance and how football is able to unite us.
Mr Speaker, we can see everywhere in the country the flag of Ghana being hoisted or the beautiful Kweku Ananse designs that have won the best designs for this World Cup being adorned. That alone gives some form of nostalgia, some form of stress relief and hope.
Mr Speaker, for some of us, we can tell that it has been a long time we saw the Ghana flag being hoisted on our cars and all that. When we were young, whenever Black Stars was going to play, we could tell the euphoria. In fact, it was everywhere in this country. We hope that this match will be a win for this country so that we can have this wee feeling that Ghana will bring to us.
Mr Speaker, let us also pray that even though we do not have some of our key players who are injured, just like the Hon Member who spoke before said, and also our Thomas Partey issue, we pray that it does not dampen the morale in the House. We pray that this actually also would give the opportunity to others to excel and to show that, indeed, Ghana is a football nation. The match is at almost midnight, 11 p.m., so it means that we are all going to stay awake till that period. It is also going to help boost the economy. So, if we win, it is going to help us to come up with ways of raising revenue that is falling.
Mr Speaker, I am very excited to be given this opportunity to make this contribution to this Statement. I want to once again, join the many Ghanaians to wish the Black Stars well, not to dampen their spirit, to pray that the good Lord will strengthen them and make sure that they have victory for Ghana and for Africa. Thank you very much. With these few words, I end my Statement.
Hon Zuwera Mohammed Ibrahimah
Salaga South
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to add my voice to the call to rally round the flag, rally round the Black Stars of Ghana, and rally round our great nation, the Republic of Ghana.
Mr Speaker, the FIFA World Cup, a world event, presents an opportunity for countries around the world to showcase their class and performance in football, which has become an everyday favourite of most adults across the world.
Mr Speaker, listening to the maker of the Statement, the Hon Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, I felt a great sense of nostalgia because I come from a family of football. In my family, the first northerner to play professional football in this country, Alhassan Tanko, was my direct uncle, my mother ‘s brother. The one who comes directly after my mother, Ousmane Orlando of Asante Kotoko fame. He was a striker, and everybody who knows football in this country from the 1960s to the 1970s knows Ousmane Orlando.
Mr Speaker, that is the family I come from, so when we talk football, it really strikes a nerve in me. Ghana has demonstrated to Africa and to the world that we have what it takes to bring honour to our name. Mr Speaker, our national flag, very beautifully designed by Madam Theodosia Okoh of blessed memory, is a national icon that stands out when flags are assembled.
The Ghana flag stands out. Our national anthem and the third stanza of our national anthem, the first line says, “Raise high the flag of Ghana”, the flag of Ghana, and again, let us thank Philip Gbeho for this beautiful national anthem. So, our colours, our anthem, everything is designed to together bring honour to our country.
Today, as we assemble in this Chamber, representing the people of this country, we want to assure the President of Ghana that we are with the Black Stars, and although we may be here physically, spiritually we are praying for them, to bring honour to Ghana.
Mr Speaker, most Members of Parliament (MPs) have taken it upon themselves to ensure that their constituents are not left out in this tournament. So, we have mounted screens in our constituencies, in central places, some have offered food. Let me mention my Colleague, the Hon Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, maybe because he is Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, he is providing kenkey with shito and fish for his constituents to watch the World Cup on live screens.
Those of us who cannot afford kenkey are affording drinks for our constituents, so that together we all celebrate this big sport tournament and pray to almighty Allah. My former professor at the School of Communication, Mrs Doris Dartey, said that when two teams get onto the pitch, both teams pray, and they pray to the same God. So, beyond the prayer is hard work. We pray that our team will have the discipline, what it takes, to give themselves out to Ghana and bring honour to all of us.
We will be here, cheering them on. And again, let me sing: “Raise high the flag of Ghana, And one with Africa, advance” Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
Hon Isaac Boamah-Nyarko
Effia
Mr Speaker, thank you very much. From where Hon Ibrahimah left off, I thought she was going to sing: “God bless our homeland, Ghana” [Hon Boamah-Nyarko sang.]
Mr Speaker, this is the morale with which we should go into today’s game in faraway Canada. The Ghana Black Star is noted in showcasing our talent when it comes to football, particularly at the Global Mondial. We showed what we could do in 2006 in Germany, where everybody remembered the likes of Sulley Ali Muntari; when we saw Asamoah Gyan scored that classic goal against the United States of America (U.S.A), and all of that. When Stephen Appiah, alias Capito, was there, marshalling the midfield. And then we come to 2010, South Africa, we saw how far we went.
Unfortunately, post-2010, our confidence in the Black Stars keeps dwindling. We do not appear to have much expectations and hope for the Black Stars these days. But having made it to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, having just succeeded to get to the World Cup, is a clear indication that Ghana is capable of winning its games and moving to the next stage of the competition.
Mr Speaker, we take solace in so far, the matches that African teams have played. You watch the game of Egypt against Belgium; it was so fantastic how the Egyptians performed. You watch the game of Morocco against Brazil, where they drew 1-1. You could not see any difference between the two teams. And then almighty Spain came against Cape Verde, and Cape Verde was able to survive 0-0 against Spain.
I believe that Ghana, as we play against Panama today, have what it takes to win and to move to the next stage of the competition. Mr Speaker, what we need to do as Ghanaians is to make sure that we pray for the national team. It is not at this stage that one calls for prayers. It is at this stage that one wants to see teamwork. We want the coaches to unite the players.
We know the effect that Thomas Partey’s absence in today’s game is going to have upon the team but that is why the psychologists in the team would have to show up. That is when the coach has to also encourage the boys to rise above all these challenges so that at the end of the day, Ghana will make it. We have seen this before.
As I said, Mr Speaker, Ghana is obliged to win. We do not want to get to the stage where we begin to do calculations. So, we lose against Panama and then our next match, we are waiting to see who will draw and who is going to win again. That would not help. At this stage, all that we are saying is that Ghana has to go all out.
We need to win the match against Panama and then look forward to winning against USA and even making a good stand against England.
Mr Speaker, Ghana should advance to the next stage. I want to encourage all of us as Ghanaians. I can see our young ladies and gentlemen at the gallery all in high hopes. I believe that at the end of the tournament, they will be able to single out some few Ghanaian players who were able to make Ghana proud. Mr Speaker, without more, I want to thank you for the opportunity to contribute.
Hon Haruna Iddrisu
Tamale South
Mr Speaker, let me thank you for the opportunity, and to commend the maker of the Statement.
I also like to use the opportunity to wish the Black Stars of Ghana, the gallant Black Stars, the best of luck in today’s match against Panama, and to urge them to go into it with discipline, with focus, and to be assured that the country is standing strongly behind them.
Mr Speaker, I just got back from Kukurantumi this morning with the Hon Member for the area, Nana Ampaw, and on the streets, you see Ghana. The passion that unites the country is football; therefore, it is no accident that Her Excellency the Vice President of the Republic, Prof Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang is in Toronto, on behalf of the President and on behalf of the good people of Ghana to assure the Black Stars that Ghana stands with them. But, while we are at it, I think it is also important that we improve our own football management in the country.
Let me use this opportunity to commend Rt Hon Alban Bagbin. Recently, he brought in Sutherland Football Club as part of his exercise of what we call Parliamentary Diplomacy of Visit Ghana. Mr Speaker, if you are familiar with the branding of football, if you enter the Prime Minister’s Office of the United Kingdom, you see football, Great Britain; Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Great Britain; culture, Great Britain. They have been able to brand their football well.
Mr Speaker, I am in our Ghana League, just like Mr Speaker’s Kumasi Asante Kotoko. He was not happy the last time that my team, Karela United Football Club, beat Kumasi Asante Kotoko. I am a full-time investor in football. I run Karela United Football Club and I run Steadfast Football Club. The winger, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, is my product. I am now producing a young lady who is 15 years. He has been to Monaco and he is now coming from England under training.
Mr Speaker, we have to deepen the competition. So, I am liaising with the Hon Minister for Sports and Recreation to reignite sports in schools, colleges and universities and to focus on football so that we can identify potential. Football is a huge business today, especially the export of players, apart from the young people having their talent. What Ghana needs to work on is officiating.
Our officiating is very bad. I am of the view that we should ballot when it comes to the selection of even the referees and linesmen. Nobody should determine who goes to officiate which match and then we cannot predict what happens in the Ghana Leagues.
So, Mr Speaker, once again, let me thank the maker of the Statement. On behalf of the Parliament of Ghana, I am sure Mr Speaker will do it for all of us, we want to assure the Black Stars that their country stands with them. They should win against Panama. They can win against Croatia, and they can win against England, but they need to stand well. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Hon Charles Asuako Owiredu
Abirem
Mr Speaker, thank you for ignoring my senior Colleague because we used to play soccer during our days.
Mr Speaker, Black Stars having qualified for this tournament, of course, brought a lot of Ghanaians together. and then if you see the fever in town since this morning, as I drove from home to Parliament, you see a lot of Ghanaians with high expectations. Retailers are going round selling their wares, t-shirts, Ghana-made flags, Ghana dresses, and then people buying. The euphoria is there.
Mr Speaker, there is no better way to market our country or to brand our country than to represent our country individually and collectively at that ultimate stage, the World Cup. So, people who get the opportunity to do that, represent themselves and that of the millions of their citizens. With countries in Africa, African Governments tend to support such causes because when we do that and then the national teams do well, they tend to cloud over some of the inefficiencies that is happening in the country.
So, if the Black Stars do well, of course, people will not talk about the inefficiencies that have arisen as a result of the flooding in Ghana. If the Black Stars do well, people will not talk about the unemployment situation in Ghana and the 24-Hour Economy that is failing to the extent that people are not ready to talk about.
If the Black Stars are doing well in Ghana, people will forget about the high water bills. People will forget about the high electricity bills and people will forget that the current Ministers are even fighting among themselves to succeed His Excellency the President. So, Mr Speaker, Governments put a lot into making sure that national teams do well.
Mr Speaker, one thing that has happened over the last 24 hours is the failure of the authorities to get Thomas Partey in Canada. The question that arose yesterday when the application form was being completed was, has he ever been arrested before?
How can somebody, a protocol officer, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, the Ministry of Finance, that have been put together as a tripartite to make sure that Ghanaians and the football players are sent to this World Cup, sleep on this question and answer no? How? How can they say no?
Because we have all seen on television that the former player was arrested. So how can people answer this question and say no? It means that somebody slept on his job. I still think that with the team currently in place, we can still do well.
Mr Speaker, I am urging Ghanaians to put away that perception because I have heard people say that they are even prepared to pay losing bonus. I do not think that is right for us. We would have to be together in this enterprise, support the Black Stars with all our might and with all our heart and ensure that this evening we beat Panama.
Mr Speaker, with these few words, I thank you for the opportunity.
Hon Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah
Ho West
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Football, we all know, is a passion of the nation, and it unites all of us, irrespective of your background, whether politically, religiously or socially. It unites all of us. Ghana has qualified for the 2026 World Cup, which we are all expecting that we will bring the cup to Africa and to Ghana this year.
Mr Speaker, there are others who think that we cannot bring the cup to Ghana, but I strongly believe that if the Black Stars put their hands to the wheel, they can bring the cup to Africa for the first time, and the President of the Republic will hold the cup, the cup will come to this Floor, and we will all kiss this cup in this country.
Having said that, the mishap that we have all experienced, that has happened to our midfielder, should not have happened at all. Others have spoken about it, but I think that it is a lesson for all of us to learn and make sure that it does not repeat itself.
Mr Speaker, having said that, I am a religious person. I believe in one thing. Hon Colleagues are talking about us praying for Ghana. Can we all, with your indulgence, stand and say a prayer in this House for the Black Stars, so that they can bring the cup to Ghana? With your indulgence, let us just say a two minutes' prayer for all.
If the Hon Member is a Muslim, he or she can do the Muslim prayer. If the Hon Member is a Christian, he or she can do the Christian prayer. If you permit me, Mr Speaker, I want to pray for the Black Stars. Mr Speaker, thank you.
Mr Speaker, as you rightly mentioned that our prayers are with the Black Stars, I know people are having mental prayers, but we want to say a word of prayer to articulate our desire that the cup will come to Ghana this year.
On that note, Mr Speaker, with your indulgence, if you are a believer, either a Muslim believer or a Christian believer, and you want to stand with me, you are permitted to stand with me as we pray.
Precious Lord, this House of the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana need to consider this issue as a spiritual thing. We are in the spirit and we believe that we need to also prepare adequately so that we will be awake spiritually to support the Black Stars from a distance rightly.
Hon Collins Adomako-Mensah
Afigya Kwabre North
Mr Speaker, I recall my days on campus; I was the captain of the University of Ghana soccer team, and Hon Fred Agbenyo was our referee. Hon Fred Agbenyo used to chase me around and beg me to come and play football on campus. As for Edem Agbana, when I was playing, he was always on the sidelines, cheering me on. I was in the Commonwealth Hall, and then the captain of the University of Ghana soccer team. Hon Fred, he was a referee, but unfortunately, Mr Speaker, he was always against me.
Mr Speaker, Hon Fred Agbenyo. He was a referee; even if I scored a goal, Hon Fred Agbenyo would tell me it was offside. As for Edem Agbana, I told you, Mr Speaker, he used to cheer me on. He would be on the sidelines and be cheering me on: “Collins! Collins!” Mr Speaker, I know we had a very shaky preparation, even with the timing of our current coach, but I am very confident that our guys are going to do us the honours.
Today, I believe that we are going to win by two goals to nil. I side with the Majority Chief Whip when he said that today we are going to win by two goals to nil. I know other people are cautiously optimistic, but I am very optimistic. I wish the team well. We pray with and for them, and I hope that at the end of the day, we will all be laughing. Mr Speaker, thank you.
Hon Eric Edem Agbana
Ketu North
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to comment on this very important Statement. Let me commend the maker of the Statement for raising or delivering such an important and timely Statement.
Mr Speaker, I am a very passionate football lover and fan, and just like the Hon Haruna Iddrisu, I am also an investor in the game. Quite recently, my team qualified to play in Division 1. So, I am in the football ecosystem, and just like Hon Fred Agbenyo, I happen to chair the under-19 of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) competition. So, I am very much present in the ecosystem, and I find it very timely that this Statement has been read and we are contributing to it.
Mr Speaker, tonight’s game is the opener. This 2026 World Cup is unique in many ways. This is the first time we have an expanded World Cup with about 48 teams participating, and it is also a World Cup that we have seen the African teams make us proud. Many of the African teams are making the continent proud. Tonight will be no exception. I believe that the Black Stars of Ghana will rise to the occasion and once again defend the red, gold, green, and the black star that we have.
Mr Speaker, prior to the participation in the World Cup, many people have raised concerns about the team’s preparations. But I can say that with the calibre of players that we have in camp, their drive, energy and hunger to succeed is for me a motivation that indeed Ghana will do well in this World Cup. I know that tonight we will record our first victory, get the three points, move on to defeat England, and then we will defeat Croatia and qualify.
I have said, and I always maintain that, Mr Speaker, if there is any African team that can win the World Cup, it will first be Ghana, and I will not be surprised if it happens this year. People believe that the exclusion of Thomas Partey and some other players, like Kudus, due to injury, may affect the team. I understand that, indeed, those players are very important for the team, and we need their presence. However, I can also say that we have equally good materials as replacements.
Mr Speaker, players like Caleb Yirenkyi and Marvin Senaya are quite new to the team. However, when we check their progress and how far they have come in football, these are also quality and excellent materials that, today, will make this country proud. I want to say that football is one of the few things that unites us as a people. Today, because of football, all of us in this Chamber are happy, and we are laughing with each other. There seems to be no division because football has that powerful force of uniting the people of Ghana. So, I want to call the people of Ghana to rally around the flag and support the Black Stars and make Ghana proud. I know that the Black Stars will emerge victorious tonight.
Mr Speaker, I am afraid of those investors who may be paying close attention to our predictions because Hon Collins said we will win by two goals to nil. Some people would take that to be over 1.5. Mr Speaker, only a few people may understand. I would not want to fall into the temptation of predicting correctly what will happen. But I can tell you, Mr Speaker, that the Black Stars will emerge victorious in tonight’s game. They will move on to the knockout stages, and they will continue to make Ghana proud. Go Ghana, Go Black Stars, Go Africa. Mr Speaker, I believe that football has the potential—
Hon Fred Kwesi Agbenyo
Guan
Mr Speaker, thank you very much. Let me start by thanking and commending the maker of the Statement, the Majority Chief Whip.
Mr Speaker, for a very long time, I have not seen the kind of euphoria that I have seen around the Black Stars with the commencement of their match today. It tells me clearly that the people of this country love football and they love their national team.
Mr Speaker, the first time we appeared at the World Cup was in 2006 in Germany. At the time, I remember we were going to play against the Czech Republic, which was rated as the 10th best team in the world, and everybody thought that they were going to beat us in the game. But the spirit of the Ghanaian, the resilience of the Ghanaian, the tenacity came to the fore that day, and we beat the Czech Republic, two goals to nil, and we proceeded to the second stage of that tournament.
Mr Speaker, our best performance was in South Africa 2010 when our team went to the quarterfinals. In fact, we almost got to the semifinals of that tournament, but for that boy called Suarez. Mr Speaker, I have confidence in our national team. I have confidence that they are going to surprise all of us. Anytime the people of this country do not seem to have confidence in the national team is the time they perform better and good. I am certain that this evening we are going to win the match.
Mr Speaker, our next match in America will be against England. That is a match that all of us would watch in amazement to see how the team will perform. Mr Speaker, even as I commend the national team and eulogises them to move on, there is something that is worrying me, and I want to use this opportunity to talk about. The time has come for Africa to rise up. The West has taken over all our good materials. Yesterday, when I sat behind the television set and I watched Senegal play France, I saw two African countries playing against each other. They have taken our players.
In England today, the best of our players are on their team. We go to Spain, and the best of our players are on their team, and the same with America and Canada. The time has come if Africa must win the World Cup; we must unite and get to FIFA, that our players must return home and play for their nations; that is how we can win.
Mr Speaker, it is something we need to fight for. Currently, Mr Speaker, there are players who are playing for other nationalities who are very good, and yet they were not selected for the World Cup. Meanwhile, if these players were to be available for Ghana, we would have selected them to go and play for them.
Mr Speaker, Mr Partey’s issue is very sad, and I think that FIFA must take a cue from this. If a nation is not prepared to allow people to come to their country, especially on occasions like this, it is not by force to host such tournaments. Mr Partey was not seeking permission to go to Canada to work. He was not seeking permission to enter Canada for leisure. He was going there for just 24 hours to play football and exit. How can Canada strictly enforce their laws and refuse him an entry visa? I do not think it is fair. Assuming a person from America or anywhere in Europe was entering Canada with the same charges that they have charged Mr Partey, would the Canadian government refuse them the opportunity?
Mr Speaker, Mr Mike Tyson, a former boxer, we know his record when it comes to rape and what have you, and yet he goes to Canada at will. Nobody stops him. This is discriminatory, and I am disappointed in FIFA that FIFA has not been able to put its foot down and call the government to order. Yes, America does not want the people of Iran to come to their country.
America granted them at least 24 hours’ visa to come and play and return to Mexico. Why did Canada not do the same thing? It is not in our interest as Ghanaians to come and sit in this Chamber and start blaming the GFA and the Black Stars management team for what has happened. Nobody anticipated a thing like this to happen. They did all the background checks and everything. It is the Canadian government that was adamant. And so, for the former ambassador to come and sit here and blame GFA and all that, I think it is most unfortunate.
Once again, I wish the Ghana Black Stars the very best of luck. The spirit of Ghana is behind them. All of us are behind them, and they are going to come out victoriously. I thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity.
Hon Samuel Abdulai Jinapor
Damongo
Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity. My Big Brother, the MP for Daboya, should know that Damongo always beats Daboya in football. So, I have to contribute before him.
Mr Speaker, let me associate myself with the sentiments expressed by my Colleagues in support of the Black Stars of Ghana. Mr Speaker, today, the Black Stars will be playing Panama, and it is our hope and prayer that the Black Stars will come out victorious and win convincingly against Panama. Indeed, that will put us in a good state to be able to take on England, and I believe that the match against England would be the clash of the titans, and Black Stars will have to prevail over England for so many reasons. Our final match with Croatia should also be one that the Black Stars will be victorious.
Mr Speaker, in times like these, Ghanaians have demonstrated it in the past, where we have rallied behind our national team and gone beyond our individual preferences in terms of other issues in our country to support the Black Stars.
Mr Speaker, you recall that the first time the Black Stars qualified to play in the World Cup was in the year 2006, Germany 2006. And this was when the Black Stars played all the way to the quarter finals and lifted the flag of Ghana very high. It was in 2006 that the Black Stars qualified for the first time. Ghana had been working over the years to qualify for the World Cup, but it was in 2006 when we first qualified. Indeed, in 2010, the Black Stars again lifted the flag of Ghana. But for the very unfortunate and mischievous conduct of Suarez of Uruguay, the Black Stars would have qualified for the semi-finals and become the first African country to qualify to play in the semi-finals of the World Cup.
Indeed, Mr Speaker, if the current technology existed, which is the laser technology, that would determine when the ball had crossed the line, I would say that the Black Stars indeed would have qualified for the semi-finals in 2010 in South Africa. Across the world, all persons of the black race were indeed very proud. We are told that in London, Paris, New York, and in several capital cities of the world, black people and people who believed in Africa congregated to cheer on the Black Stars.
Mr Speaker, I have no doubt that with the support of the nation and this House in particular, the Black Stars in Canada and the United States, in 2026, it will be 20 clear years since we first qualified to play in the World Cup, will do our country proud and lift the flag of Ghana.
Mr Speaker, it brings a lot of benefits to our country, such as franchising, trading, commerce, and the image of our country is lifted when the Black Stars do well. And so, let all of us support the Black Stars. It is most unfortunate that we are not going to have our star midfielder, Mr Thomas Partey, play in this particular game. But it is our hope that the authorities will put in place the right measures to ensure that the immigration status of Thomas Partey is dealt with. He is a man I know personally, that I have met personally, and all of us are praying for him, and all of us are rallying behind him. He should be strong and stay focused, and I believe that his best days are yet to come.
Mr Speaker, let the Black Stars go forward. Let the Black Stars come back to Ghana with the World Cup. I thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
Hon Shaibu Mahama
Daboya/Mankarigu
Mr Speaker, I am exceedingly grateful for the opportunity, and let me thank the maker of the Statement. I mean, who else could have done it better than the Majority Chief Whip, who has ignited the whole Chamber?
Mr Speaker, the noise is from outside; today is a great day, a day of representation. Indeed, my younger brother was right that where we come from, the eldest speak last. So, I am taking over from him. Mr Speaker, never mind that we have been dethroned of the most capped country as far as the World Cup appearance is concerned. Our pedigree in Africa is unmatched. The last time we hosted the African Cup and won it was about four decades ago.
Today is a different day, a day when our young men are very charged to put the flag of Ghana very high at the world stage. We have done it before and we have the players to do that again. We have a depleted midfield. But that notwithstanding, we think that the young men who have been called upon to take over the positions of injured and suspended players, will rise to the occasion. I am very confident that today the legacy of the great men and women who have carried the flag of Ghana so high will be repeated.
Mr Speaker, each day, we say our opening prayer in this Chamber and in one of the stanzas, it says, “God bless the effort of those who have made this a living reality”, that is, who have taken us to wherever we are today. We speak of these young men in Canada today, who are going to raise the flag of Africa very high.
Mr Speaker, indeed, the whole nation is rallying behind the red-gold-green flag. I know there is a huge mobilisation in the USA and indeed North America generally, to support the Black Stars today. They know the pedigree, the standards we have set in South Africa and they know that we would surpass that standard we set.
Mr Speaker, today, let us all rally around the flag. Let us sit together and get our coffee ready for 11:00 p.m. up till midnight when we celebrate. Tomorrow, when we get here, you should be the first to announce the good news to the whole country.
Mr Speaker, on that note, let me thank the maker of the Statement and then wish the Black Stars the very best. Thank you so much, Mr Speaker.
Hon Abena Osei-Asare
Atiwa East
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, I rise to associate myself with the comments made by both Sides of the House. In fact, let me say that I believe today is a day of accountability for our Black Stars. They will have to account for all the investments that we have made in them.
Mr Speaker, yes, the people of Ghana have invested so much in them and I say again that today is a day of accountability. It is a day of accountability for the Black Stars— Mr Speaker, that is very important and I pray and hope that they will not peak before their time.
Yesterday, I watched the match between Senegal and France and I was a bit disappointed with Senegal. They played so well in the first half. In the first half, they should have utilised their chances and they should have been up by two goals to nil. So, we are using this opportunity to also speak to the Black Stars. They should take advantage of every opportunity that they get. Apart from Ivory Coast, no African country has three points. They all have shared one each with them. But I must say that Cape Verde has done very well by standing toe-to-toe with Spain. Beyond that, most of the African countries that have played, apart from Ivory Coast, have one point each.
I pray and hope that today, we utilise our chances very well. Like I said, it is a day of accountability. We expect them to account to us for every pesewa that Ghana has invested in them. But I know they will not disappoint us. Looking at the kind of support that they have, not just in Ghana but across Africa—If you recall, South Africa mentioned that because they did not have the support of Africa, they ended up losing their match. But for us, Ghanaians and most of the African countries, we are supporting the people of Ghana, we are supporting the black stars and we know they would make us proud.
Mr Speaker, I want to use this opportunity to also urge the Hon Minister not to lose hope. The fact that Mr Thomas Partey is not playing does not mean the team is not the team that can win a match. He should relax and allow God to do what he will do today. I believe that they are all going to work together and make sure that we do not even feel the absence of Mr Partey but yet other players will fill in and make sure that today, this evening at 11 p.m. and after the match, we will all put our hands to our chest and say that yes, they have accounted very well for every pesewa that we have spent on them.
Mr Speaker, with these few words, I would like to wish our Black Stars a very good luck this evening and thank you for the opportunity.
Hon Ernest Henry Norgbey
Ashaiman
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity granted me. Let me also stand on the existing comments made by Colleagues to congratulate the senior national team, the Black Stars, for this opportunity offered to Ghanaians.
Mr Speaker, once again, let me congratulate the Government of Ghana (GoG) for creating the enabling environment, providing all logistical needs for the Black Stars to shine in Canada. Today, we are all hopeful the Ghana national team, the Black Stars, will win to the glory of God.
Mr Speaker, it is a journey of a thousand miles and today is the day we are starting that journey by playing the Panama national team in faraway Toronto. We are all praying and are also hopeful that at the end of the day, by the end of the two hours’ hostility, the Black Stars would come out with flying colours, thus, the three points that we all need. We have 10 teams from Africa. So far, we can boast of Cote d’Ivoire winning their first match.
We have the Moroccans holding the Brazilians to a pulsating 1-1 draw. It was the Moroccans who even scored the first goal, which means that Africans can do better at the national or international stage. Today is another day for the good people of Ghana and the Black Stars, as we speak, are poised for action. I spoke with the captain this morning and also to the Hon Minister for Sports and Recreation, Mr Kofi Adams, as well.
In fact, morale is very high at camp and we are not expecting anything short of two goals to one. Somebody said it would be two goals to nil. But what we are expecting from the Black Stars is to add more goals which will be an added advantage. All that we need at this point is to get the three points to push us to the next level. As for England, I can bet you and I can assure you we will colonise England. England colonised us in the past.
But in football, we shall colonise England in the second match. I therefore want to urge Ghanaians and all fans across the world and across the globe to support the senior national team, the Black Stars, who are far away in Canada to play their first match today at 11pm Ghana time and from there, that is where we start progressing. We can bet and assure you that the senior national team will top the group, progress to the second round and to the quarterfinals. I want to take the opportunity to thank every Ghanaian, including the Government of Ghana, and our new Vice-President from the PanAfrican Parliament—because he was looking at my face.
Mr Speaker, let me take the opportunity to congratulate everyone ahead of the game. All that we need to do s to pray for Mother Ghana and pray for the Black Stars. Let the coach have that mental fortitude to know when and where to make the substitution and who should be on the field of play. That is the only way we will be able to overcome this hurdle. I want to say that at the end of the two hours, Ghana Black Stars will be the winner. I thank you very much. But, Mr Speaker, my Committee is organising a small jama at the Foyer here, just after adjournment.
Mr Speaker, do not worry. From here, we will all move to the Foyer where we will have small jama session to whip up euphoria and sentiment against the Panama national team. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
Hon Matthew Nyindam
Kpandai
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for this great opportunity to contribute to the discussion on the Floor wishing our Black Stars the best today.
Mr Speaker, in the first place, let me congratulate them for even qualifying for this World Cup. I am very positive-minded that today, by close of the game, the Black Stars should be able to win by two goals to one. I am very positive-minded about that. We are not underrating any team. We know the tournament is tough. We cannot underrate any country at this time when it comes to football, but we believe that we have the men to make Ghana proud. We are very positive-minded about that.
Mr Speaker, despite all the challenges that we had, some of our players at this particular time, to the extent that one of our great men in the midfield is still struggling to get a visa to play his first match. There are 22 players. I am sure that the coach and the technical team will find a better replacement for Mr Partey to operate within the midfield and then make sure that we get the goals that we deserve. Yes, we are Ghanaians. We are behind them. It is teamwork and not individual brilliance.
My prayer and my wish is for all the 11 players that will enter the field at that particular time to know that whoever scores, scores for the team. It does not matter whether you are a defender or any other player. We know for now the team relies heavily on Antoine Selorm Semenyo when it comes to striking, who is doing so well for all of us. But as I said, it is a teamwork. They should take off individualism and play as a team. I am sure that if they do that; they see themselves as one and they see themselves as getting the glory for themselves, I am sure that they will come out and come out well.
My last take on this is to also encourage the technical team and the Government, whatever they can do to actually boost their morale and boost it well, I am sure that we will come out with flying colours. All the best to them and all the best to the technical team. I am grateful, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity.
Hon Kofi Arko Nokoe
Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira
Mr Speaker, it is Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to join in today’s Statement in support of the high morale that is flying from the coast of Ghana all the way to the north and to the world. Mr Speaker, today is a beautiful day and the most beautiful thing is that when it comes to football, we are all united all over. Mr Speaker, playing at the World Cup level comes with a lot of advantages. All over the world, Ghana is known, especially for the World Cup.
Mr Speaker, I remember when I was a child in the United Kingdom (UK), mentioning Ghana, sometimes people got it confused with Guyana. But when it comes to the World Cup, people like Asamoah Gyan, Abedi Pele, and the rest are known. It is known that Ghana has always been a nation of football.
It would amaze all of us to know that in this current competition, which is the 2026 World Cup, there are a lot of Ghanaians who are playing for other countries. I am talking about Ghanaian footballers who might have one parent coming from Ghana. I can mention Kevin Danso of Australia. He is half Ghanaian because one of his parents hails from Ghana. So many of them. Patrick Wilmer, also of Austria, Jamie Leweling of Germany, Kevin Adeyemi of Germany, Denis Odoi of England, Mr Speaker, so many of them. It shows that, indeed, greatness, especially when it comes to football, hails from Ghana. We must be proud of ourselves.
Mr Speaker, we know how it is for a black person to rise to that level in Japan. Mr Speaker, I was amazed. The last time, I was watching the match where I saw a Ghanaian in the post of the Japanese team with pride. I knew that, indeed, Ghana is a great nation. The hope is that this World Cup will present to us and to people all over the world that they can come and play for the Black Stars because this is where the blessings hail from. Watching France against Senegal, as my Colleague mentioned, showcased that Africa can one day, very soon, win the World Cup. Africa is close to winning the World Cup, and it is our prayer and our hope that it will not be any other nation but this great country of ours, which is Ghana.
Mr Speaker, it should be known that even though we are in Ghana and we could not be in the United States of America to support, we are with them in full spirits. Mr Speaker, we will not be asleep; we will be awake. One unique thing that comes with us is the jama. The jama as I watched the Black Stars arrive in Toronto. The jama and the morale that they were welcomed with, it tells that, indeed, we are a great nation. So, we wish the Black Stars, the technical team and everybody that is there well.
I am happy to see Asamoah Gyan and the senior colleagues also there. May we be one, and may this World Cup present to us a united front that even after the World Cup, when it comes to national affairs, we will be one, united for the welfare of Ghana so that in future, we will not have our compatriots playing for other countries.
May the good Lord give us all the blessings so that soon, the World Cup will be brought to this Chamber so that we can celebrate it and say that, indeed, the Black Stars have made us proud. Thank you so much.
Hon Jerry Ahmed Shaib
Weija-Gbawe
Mr Speaker, I want to thank you very much for this opportunity and to commend my Colleague, Hon Rockson-Nelson extremely for making this Statement.
We all understand that football is a rally point for the Ghanaian people, just like religion is for most people. Football has become the religion for us to worship and we do so irrespective of our party lines, irrespective of our ethnic backgrounds, wherever we are coming from and however we are seeing things.
As the Black Stars are scheduled to play tonight, it is our prayer and it is the prayer of everyone in this Chamber, I believe, that the Black Stars would come out victorious. I am expecting that we have about three goals to nil against the people of Panama. But it is also important to let history guide us all the time, to remind of what His Excellency, the President said on 17th November, 2024. Mr Speaker, I quote, “Nothing is working in this country.
Everything has gone awry and it has even affected the Black Stars. The Black Stars have always been the Black Stars. I mean we have all been proud of the Black Stars and you can count on the Black Stars to score when it matters. Today, look at the Black Stars; so sad, so sad.” We are praying that everything in this country would work after the victory of the Black Stars. We are praying that 1-3- 3 would work after the victory of the Black Stars. The 24-Hour Economy, we are praying —
Mr Speaker, I am well guided. To be honest, I am not doing politics, but I am well-guided. His Excellency also told us that the Black Stars will be composed of the local stars. He says: “We will build a new Black Stars based on homegrown players”. The Black Stars we are talking about today is made up of foreign-based players. It is only one Korle Gonno boy, and he has even been made a second goalkeeper. He is the Hearts of Oak goalkeeper that I play football with in Korle Gonno.
We are praying for the Black Stars to have a sound victory. We have even been told that most of the homegrown players were refused, which is a campaign promise that has not been fulfilled. But that is not a conversation for today, as you have advised. We are praying that all the Black Star players will understand that Ghana is key.
Victory for the Ghanaian people is key. Just like the Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee said, it is time for accountability. They should know that it is not just the money that we have invested. We have invested our hearts into the game. People have died when Black Stars have lost matches. They should be reminded that they are not going to kill anybody.
They are going to make us extremely happy, pursuant to all the investments that have been made. We wish them well and we pray that the Black Stars come back very successful.
Hon Ayariga Mahama
Bawku Central
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
After all that my Colleague MPs have said, there is very little to be added. Except to say that the members of the team: the players, technical team and the coaches, should know that today they just do not carry a jersey, they carry the hopes and aspirations of over 33 million people back home and so many others around the world in the diaspora. So, as a team, every pass, every tackle, every move in this match should carry that burden of responsibility. I know that Panama is not an easy team to beat.
If we check the FIFA rankings of the various national teams, we will see that Panama is a team in good standing by FIFA evaluation of national teams. But Ghana is a country with a history. We have talents, we have competencies, and we expect to see all that deployed today by our national team. As for those of us who are going to be watching, I urge you to be careful when watching the match.
While I am very confident, I know that in this day and age, the various national teams tend to surprise all of us. I was extremely excited watching the match between Morocco and Brazil. I was extremely impressed with the performance of Cape Verde vis-à-vis Spain. Across board, there have been a lot of surprises, so I believe that we can also surprise the world. I have been a Minister for Youth and Sports before.
I have been to the African Cup of Nations with the Black Stars before and I know that the Black Stars are capable of reaching the furthest stage of the tournament if they get the needed support. I can assure the House that the Government and the people are ready to give them all the needed support. I want to thank Colleagues for wishing them well.
I want to thank Ghanaians for rallying behind the Black Stars, and I want to join the Deputy Minority Whip to commend Ghanaians for putting aside partisan considerations and rallying around the Black Stars as one people with one common destiny.
Mr Speaker, on that note, I wish the Black Stars, I wish Ghana, and I wish all of us watching the best football match of the tournament so far. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
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