Ghana Football Association leadership received three top FIFA executives at the Black Stars team hotel on Friday evening in Qatar.
The group, which included Manolo Zubiria, Director of Competitions, and Gelson Fernandes, Director of Member Associations (Africa), visited the Ghana squad in their hotel in Doha under the direction of FIFA Deputy Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom.
Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, the president of the GFA, welcomed the FIFA delegation together with Vice President Mark Addo, Black Stars Management Committee member Samuel Osei Kuffuor, and Executive Council member Dr. Ransford Abbey.
Additionally present at the meeting were GFA chief of staff Michael Osekre, Anthony Baffoe, a member of the Black Stars delegation at the Mundial, and marketing chief Jamil Maraby.
Grafstrom once more commended the Black Stars for making it to the tournament and welcomed the Ghana delegation to the world’s premier tournament.
“We are absolutely delighted that you arrived in Qatar in style and to have you as part of this competition is something the whole world is looking forward to because of the uniqueness of the Black Stars,” the FIFA Deputy Secretary General said.
“The facilities here are top notch to ensure that the Black Stars, like all the other teams, give off their best during this competition.
“We have high hopes for all the Black Stars because the team has a lot of young players and talented players like your teams in the past.
“We look forward to you playing in the tournament and we are happy that the Black Stars are part of the teams to bring excitement to football fans all over the world when the tournament starts here in Qatar on Sunday.”
Kurt Okraku, the head of the GFA, praised FIFA for organizing the World Cup so well and for the wonderful reception the Black Stars received in Qatar.
“Our arrival in Qatar was very smooth with everything in place to ensure that our journey from the airport to our team hotel was flawless. Since we arrived the facilities have been perfect and the players are delighted with what they have seen,” Okraku said.
“As you can see here Ghanaians and other Africans have come here in their numbers to demonstrate their support for the Black Stars and our players have seen what is at stake not only for their country but the entire continent of Africa.
“Thanks to the excellent organisation of FIFA the Black Stars players and their technical staff will now fully focus on the task ahead and that is to step onto the pitch and defend the flag of Ghana with undivided attention.”
Ghana landed in Qatar on Friday night in style the players wore traditional smocks and hats. Videos and pictures of their arrival went viral on social media.
The Black Stars of Ghana is in Group H alongside Uruguay, Portugal, and South Korea. Ghana will play Portugal on 24th November at the Stadium 974, South Korea on 28th November at the Education City Stadium, and play their final group game against Uruguay on 2nd December at the Al Janoub Stadium.