26th November, 2013
The FIFA World Cup trophy arrived in Accra on Monday from Morocco as part of a tour of 88 countries sponsored by Coca-Cola, to the excitement of Ghanaian President John Mahama, sports officials and fans.
PANA reports from the Ghanaian capital that President Mahama kissed the trophy, raised it up and said it was his prayer that Ghana would win the 2014 competition in Brazil to enable him to have another privilege to lift it again.
“As I lift the trophy, I pray that I get the chance to hold it again for Ghana,’’ he said at a special Presidential Gala dinner in Accra on Monday night.
Minister of Youth and Sports Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, Ghana Football Association (GFA) president Kwesi Nyantakyi, Ghana’s football legend Abedi Ayew and other key football and sports personalities had earlier welcomed the FIFA delegation accompanying the trophy.
Ghana is the 42nd stop on the tour.
The Trophy was also sent to the Lizzy’s Sports Complex in Accra operated by Marcel Desailly, a retired Ghanaian-born French footballer and star of the France national football team squad, with which he won the 1998 World Cup.
The trophy will be on public display at the Accra International Conference Centre on Tuesday.
Ghana qualified for its third straight World Cup finals on Nov. 19 when it beat Egypt 7-3 on aggregate.
Ghana joins Algeria, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria to fly Africa’s flag at the Brazil finals.