The Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams, has announced the end of a scheme that saw government provide free matchday tickets to Ghanaians to watch Black Stars matches at the ongoing FIFA World Cup.
According to the Minister, the tickets were procured for the three group-stage games.
“The Ministry confirms that the government ticket allocation covered only Ghana’s group-stage matches,” a statement issued by Mr Adams said.
“There is currently no Government-supported ticket arrangement for any subsequent stage of the competition.
“Accordingly, fans who wish to attend any further Black Stars matches are advised to procure tickets directly through FIFA’s official ticketing platform or through accredited and authorised ticketing agencies.”
The Sports and Recreation Minister revealed that 948 tickets were distributed for the Panama game, 1,000 for the England clash and 974 for the Croatia game.
There will be none, however, for the Colombia game on Saturday.
The statement said a publication format will be agreed upon to publish names of all those who received tickets under the scheme.
“In line with our commitment to transparency and accountability, the list of persons, groups and institutions who received tickets under the scheme will be published at a later date, once the appropriate publication format is agreed.”
The Minister expressed appreciation to all Ghanaian fans across the world, urging them to continue to support the Black Stars.
“The Ministry also expresses its appreciation to Ghana’s Missions in Canada and the United States, recognised associations, supporter groups and stakeholders for their support in coordinating the process.”