Pratt Leads World Cup Team To South Africa

The draw for next year's FIFA World Cup tournament, which takes place in Cape Town today, witnessed yet another profligate dissipation of state funds, as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government has sent another team aside the Ghana Football Association delegation for the event.

At a time when there is public outcry that the nation's coffers is in the red, DAILY GUIDE can say that government has sponsored two parallel teams to South Africa, just to witness the draw.

But one person whose inclusion in the sponsored 10-man delegation could provoke a mouthful of debate is social critic and Managing Editor of The Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt.

DAILY GUIDE sources in Cape Town hinted that while the Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Kwesi Nyantakyi, led a four-man team to the event, and were later joined by the Sports Minister, Rashid Pelpuo, his arch rival, Kojo Bonsu, also led another five-member delegation to the same place including Pratt.

The accredited group comprised GFA President Kwesi Nyantakyi; GFA Vice President Fred Pappoe; Black Stars Coach Milovan Rajevac; GFA Spokesperson Randy Abbey; and Youth and Sports Minister Hon. Rashid Abdul Pelpuo, who joined the squad there.

The source named the other group as comprising Kojo Bonsu, the controversial and self-styled football administrator; Kwesi Pratt, Managing Editor of Insight newspaper; Stephen M. E. K Ackah, Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Sports; Kojo Twum-Boafo, defeated National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate for the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency; and a certain Ben Mensah of Olympics F/C. Furthermore, DAILY GUIDE gathered that the Acting Chief Executive of the National Sports Council (NSC), Worlanyo Agra, and Ade Coker were also flown to South Africa for the draw.

As at press time yesterday, some members of the parallel team were spotted on a shopping spree at the Water-Front area busily picking items at the nerve-centre of the beautiful South African city.

It is not clear who financed the parallel group to the draw, but unconfirmed information say the government is footing the bills including that of air ticket and hotel.

Kwesi Pratt is a political and social commentator whose sponsorship to an event such as a World Cup draw has certainly raised eyebrows, more so when he has played a leading role in championing the cause of the NDC before and after the 2008 elections.

Kojo Bonsu, DAILY GUIDE further gathered, was recently stopped by Vice President John Mahama from leading a team to Germany. The abortive trip came a few months after he was entangled in a controversial trip to Cote d'Ivoire, which was part of what led to the sacking of former Sports Minister, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak.

He was again in the news recently over his advocacy for government to form a Public Interest Committee to check alleged indiscipline and corruption in the GFA.

“The government has every right and authority, with the full support of FIFA, to get involved in anything concerning the national teams,” he said.

Quoting Article 70 of the GFA Statutes, he argued that it was time to extend the national standard of governance to football, especially now that the government was obliged to make huge financial commitments to the Black Stars to participate in the Africa Nations Cup and the World Cup.

The 32 nations will be drawn into eight groups of four with the top two in each group progressing to the knockout stages, beginning with a round of 16.

The teams will be seeded in four pots which have been confirmed by FIFA:

Pot 1 (seeds)
South Africa, Germany, Brazil, Italy, Spain, England, Holland, Argentina.

Pot 2 (Europe)
France, Portugal, Slovenia, Switzerland, Greece, Serbia, Denmark, Slovakia.

Pot 3 (Africa and South America)
Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Algeria, Paraguay, Chile, Uruguay.

Pot 4 (Asia, Oceania and North/Central America)
Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Mexico, Honduras.

The 90-minute ceremony will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. More than 2,000 guests will be present in addition to a media presence of around 800.

South African President Jacob Zuma, FIFA president Sepp Blatter, Franz Beckenbauer, Michel Platini, Eusebio and Roger Milla will all be there.

Former South African President Nelson Mandela will address the audience by video conferencing. Other attendees include Nobel Peace Prize winners FW de Klerk and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

By Bennett Akuaku