The Ghana Football Association is seeking assistance from its kit sponsors Puma for the Black Stars to play some key international matches in their preparations to qualify for the 2022 Fifa World Cup.
Ghana, who failed to qualify for the 2018 edition in Russia, will know her path to qualifying for the mundial in Qatar when the draw for the second round is held in Cairo on January 21, 2020.
Last week, GFA President Kurt Okraku and two other officials – Executive Council Member, Randy Abbey and Acting General Secretary Alex Asante – visited Puma, the German sports goods makers who have been the country’s kit partners since 2005.
A publication by the GFA on the visit stated that “Mr. Okraku expressed disappointment over Ghana’s inability to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, but added that Puma can offer support to Ghana’s quest to qualify for the next Fifa World Cup in Qatar by assisting the GFA to play key international matches to help the team’s preparations if possible.”
The Black Stars are among 26 top-seeded teams who have been joined by 14 winners from Round 1 of the African qualifiers to form ten groups of four (based on the December 2019 edition of the Fifa Ranking), with the ten group winners then advancing to Round 3.
The second round of Africa’s qualifiers will kick off in March 2020 and will conclude in October 2021. In Round 3, which is scheduled for November 2021, the ten group winners from Round 2 will be paired up for knockout matches, with the five winners securing a berth at Qatar 2022.
Ghana and Puma renewed their long-standing kit sponsorship contract prior to the 2019 Afcon in Egypt a couple of months ago.
Puma is preparing to release new kits for Ghana later in September 2020.
