By Mark Baber
January 7 – Ahead of the African Cup of Nations a sense of optimism prevails in Ghana as Ghana National Bank (GN Bank) confirms a new sponsorship deal with the Ghana Football Association, national team manager Avram Grant professes satisfaction with the squad’s preparations and the players insist rows over bonus payments are in the past, with the team “willing to die” for the cause.
The announcement that GN Bank would be the headline sponsor for the 2014/2015 second-tier Division One League, was first made at the Ghana Football Association (GFA)’s Ordinary Congress by GFA president Kwesi Nyantakyi.
The new deal will see significant benefits for the 48 clubs, divided into three zones, who make up the Division One, with promotion places guaranteed to the Premier League and with financial stability expected to lead to a blossoming of grassroots football and development of new talent.
GN Bank, one of Ghana’s fastest growing banks offers employee loans, saving and current accounts, consumer and residential loan products. This deal follows the earlier deal for sponsorship of the Ghanaian Premier League with the First Capital Plus Bank.
Meanwhile, speaking from Seville where the Ghana squad is preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations, coach Avram Grant said he is delighted with his team’s preparations, saying: “For the moment, the attitude is good, the players look very exciting with passion to do well for the country.”
According to Grant: “All the squad now are in the age that they can play in the next African Cup and the World Cup. We are building the first step of something good for the future.”
For his part, Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan has assured fans the bonus rows which plagued the recent World Cup and led to the government airlifting $4 million to Brazil to head off a player revolt, are a thing of the past.
A $5,000 bonus package for the players has been agreed and according to Gyan: “We are happy everything has been resolved. We are not thinking about any money issues now. What we are thinking about is the African Cup of Nations.
“It is not about the money,” said Gyan, “We are just here to die for the nation because we are Ghanaians.”
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