Goldfields Ghana Limited, former title sponsors of the Black Stars, have revealed they opted out of their sponsorship deal with the national team NOT for footballing reasons.
The mining firm decided against renewing their six-year sponsorship of the national team in 2012 after making the team a global brand.
It was widely reported that firm pulled out due to financial challenges but vice-president of the company Alfred Baku has revealed the move was to afford other companies they chance to associate themselves with the national pride.
‘Exactly a year ago, we sat down as the Executive Committee of Goldfields management and we said that we have supported the Black Stars for six odd years so we don’t want to carry and just be sponsoring,’ he told reporters
‘We needed to allow other corporate bodies to come so we stepped aside, not because we were broke. There are a lot of challenges with the mining industry with the gold price not doing well and the input price also rising.
‘But, we did not step aside because of challenges. Today we see GNPC also supporting the Black Stars.’
Goldfields Ghana Limited pumped in $15 million during the exciting six-year period which ensured the country’s qualification to the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.