Leading communication giants, MTN have reinforced their commitment to the Ghana Football Association ( GFA) by extending the existing sponsorship with the senior national team, Black Stars by $2m (two million US Dollars) for a further two years which also ropes in all national teams.
The groundbreaking deal was revealed during a colourful ceremony at MTN House in Accra on Thursday attended by bigwigs of Ghana football including GFA President Kurt Simeon-Okraku and Executive Committee members, new Chief Director at the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, Wilhemina Asamoah representing the Minister, Black Stars legends and football fans.
Revealing that his allegiance to the Black Stars stretches back to Ghana’s quarter final run at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in his native South Africa, MTN CEO, Stephen Blewett hailed Ghanaian love and passion for football, evidenced by his first hand experience after arriving in Accra last year.
“I had a good idea of how passionate Ghana was about football before coming here. But one memory stands out after arriving in Ghana, during a Black Stars match, the streets were empty and the country came to a standstill,” Mr. Blewett said.
“It became clear to me that football is not just a sport, it is part of the national heartbeat. The pride, passion and unity football ignites in the country is a testament to its unmatched power to connect and inspire people,” he said.
Mr. Weblett expressed MTN’s pride at being the biggest corporate supporter of Ghanaian football as headline sponsor of all four national teams namely Black Stars, Queens, Satellites and Starlets for two years from September 1, 2025 to August 31, 2027.
This is in addition to their already existing sponsorship of the MTN FA Cup since 2011, with a national MTN elite U-19 team also on the horizon to scout players for the national U-20 team.
He charged the Black Stars to not only qualify but target winning the FIFA World Cup and implored Ghanaians to instill a sense of belief and hope in the players.
“By embracing all national teams, we are affirming that every Ghanaian player deserves the opportunity to shine,” he explained.
“Ghana has never lifted the World Cup trophy, but that is a spark, not a scar. It should be the fire that drives us to worker harder and emphatically at MTN Ghana, we want to see Ghana win the World Cup, that’s our dream, mission and commitment,” he said.
GFA boss Kurt Okraku noted that MTN has impacted Ghanaian youth with their investment in Ghanaian football. The MTN FA Cup, he said, encompasses 2nd and 3rd tier clubs in every corner of the country, offering a big platform for young relatively unknown players to rub shoulders against their seniors and showcase their quality and skills.
He pledged judicious use of the resources to yield positive results in order to keep the partnership alive.
“MTN Ghana believes in our today and collective future. They have always shown commitment, leadership and support and with this deal, the biggest problem of Ghana football has been solved by MTN,” Mr Simeon-Okraku said.
“I’m so grateful to MTN for the belief in my leadership, the belief in the vehicle of football and what football can do for the youth and people of Ghana,” he stated.
On her part, the Chief Director of the Sports and Recreation Ministry, Wilhemina Asamoah reiterated that MTN’s commitment to not just football but all sectors is worthy of emulation by other corporate bodies.
She congratulated the GFA for making Ghana football so attractive to a big conglomerate like MTN and hailedv the abilility of sports to impact lives and contribute to economic growth, cultural and social cohesion.
