The Ghanaian national football team, known as the Black Stars, secured a $700,000 consolation prize for their performance in Group B during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Although they didn’t progress to the knockout stages, their efforts earned them a share of the tournament’s $34.6 million prize pool.
Their journey began with a 2-1 loss to Cape Verde, followed by two 2-2 draws against Egypt and Mozambique. This positioned them third in the group, trailing Cape Verde and Egypt but ahead of Mozambique. However, only four of the third-best-placed teams could advance, leaving the Black Stars out of contention.
As outlined by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the $34.6 million prize money will be distributed among the 24 participating teams as follows:
- Six teams finishing fourth in their groups will each receive $500,000.
- Eight teams exiting at the round of 16 will be awarded $800,000 each.
- Four losing quarterfinalists will each receive $1,300,000.
- Two losing semi-finalists will be granted $2.5 million.
- The runner-up will receive $4 million.
- The competition winner will claim $7 million.
The Black Stars’ early departure from the tournament has prompted criticism and resulted in the dismissal of coach Chris Hughton. With an initial budget of $8.5 million for the tournament, there’s now a quest to find a new coach to lead the team forward.
