by Charles Gladden
BELMOPAN, Wed. Oct. 19, 2022
Back in September of this year, the Football Federation of Belize (FBB) signed an agreement for two exhibition games to be played in Belmopan between Belize’s A team and Ghana’s Asante Kotoko team in November during the Belize International College of Mayors and Investors Conference (BICMIC).
Since being founded in 1935, Asante Kotoko Sports Club has won 24 national titles and is the reigning champion in the Ghana Premier League, a Division One professional league established by the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
Ghana as a nation is known throughout Africa as a football powerhouse, as they have participated in three FIFA World Cup tournaments (2006, 2010, and 2014) and are scheduled to participate in the 2022 World Cup games. In addition, they also won the FIFA U17 World Cup twice—in 1991 and 1995, and are the only African nation to have won the FIFA U20 World Cup (2009).
“It’s just not about a football match. For us, it’s about cultural exchange, business exchange, and then to collaborate more on various aspects of the economy and the country to see how best we can develop Ghana and Belize through collaborative efforts,” said Nana Yaw Amponsah, CEO of Asante Kotoko Sporting Club.
“… I am particular about up-and-coming kids. We take them off the streets through sports. Sports is also a business, especially football. It is a multinational business, a multi-million-dollar industry, and we need to seize every opportunity to take our fair share of this kick”, he added.
The exhibition match was arranged through the efforts of Belmopan mayor, Sheran Palacio, who visited Ghana and Liberia in July of this year.
“As you know, I journeyed to Ghana twice, and these are some of the fruits that we’re reaping right now, and I’m definitely looking forward to this encounter between our team and the leading team out of Ghana, and the exposure that our guys are going to have. I’m sure that many of us are looking forward to the different games that they will be having and for us to develop our sport even further,” said Mayor Palacio.
The Asante Kotoko team is expected to arrive in Belize on November 15 and will be staying for 10 days.