2023 AFCON: Black Stars Switch Camping Base From Johannesburg To Kumasi

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has cancelled its planned camping of the Black Stars in South Africa after public protests.

The team will now camp in Kumasi ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast next month.

The GFA says the camp will now begin on January 2, 2024, instead of the planned December 31.

A statement on Thursday said, “The Ghana Football Association wishes to announce that following a review meeting between the Management & Technical Team, it has changed plans to camp the Black Stars in South Africa ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

“Ghana was originally scheduled to open a training camp in South Africa from Sunday, December 31, 2023, for a ten-day period ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Tournament in Cote D’Ivoire. Following the decision, the team will now camp in Kumasi beginning Tuesday, January 2, 2023.”

The International friendly against Botswana scheduled on Monday, January 8, 2023 in Johannesburg is called off and the FA is working on finding a new opponent for the team as part of the build up to the tournament in Abidjan.

The GFA added, “The Association is mindful of the request of the Black Stars Technical Team for a quiet and serene camping atmosphere, and thus, the hotel will be strictly inaccessible to the public and the media.

“Again, the training sessions will be behind closed doors and not available to the public and media.

“The team will, however, organise a session with the media. The friendly match will also be open to the public, after which they will be a post-match press conference with the media.

“The Association calls for public understanding and support to ensure that the objectives of the Technical Team of the Black Stars during the camping period in Kumasi are achieved.”