The original plan, according to Henry Asante Twum, the director of communications for the Ghana Football Association, called for the Black Stars to camp in Ghana prior to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The GFA changed its original plans and moved their camp from Johannesburg to Kumasi in response to public opposition.
“When you are going into a tournament, a number of factors come in…I will be a big liar to say Ghana was not considered [as a camping base],” Asante Twum said in an interview.
“There were a number of countries that we considered. Ghana was one, Togo was another, Cameroon, Benin and Equatorial Guinea before South Africa.
“In choosing a place for camping, we considered having a serene atmosphere for the team…a serene and a destruction-free environment was the first major point,” he added.
“At the time we were taking the decision not to camp in Ghana, we did not have the opportunity to play any high-profile friendly games. If we were going to fly a team to come and play us, it meant we must pay.”
