Black Stars Crash Out, Jersey Prices Crash Next — Traders Slash Costs to Clear Piling Stock

Traders dealing in Black Stars merchandise, especially jerseys, are considering significant price cuts as demand slumps following Ghana’s exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Many retailers had stocked up heavily, banking on a deeper run in the tournament. But with sales slowing sharply after the Round of 32 elimination, concerns are mounting over unsold inventory and looming losses.

The Black Stars’ World Cup campaign initially delivered a strong boost to football‑merchandise businesses, with jersey sales surging as fan excitement peaked. Expecting the team to progress further, traders expanded their stock to meet anticipated demand.

However, Ghana’s early exit has flipped the market. Retailers are now stuck with large volumes of jerseys and are preparing to slash prices to recover their investments.

Frederick Ashley, one of the affected traders, says he is ready to cut prices drastically.

“Against Panama, sales increased. Customers were coming in for jerseys. We even went out to buy more stock. Currently, we have huge stock, but business has gone down drastically. It was going for GH¢250, but when a customer negotiates up to GH¢200, we give it out. Now we’re planning to come down to GH¢150 or even GH¢130. It will affect us, but it’s better to recoup something than lose everything.”

Despite the slowdown, he remains hopeful that national events — including next year’s Independence Day celebrations — will revive demand.

“As of now, we have over 5,000 jerseys in stock. But people love the Ghana jersey. As time goes on, something may come up.”

Other traders say they are looking to wholesalers for relief, arguing that lower wholesale prices would allow them to offer more competitive retail prices.

Yaw Broni told Citi Business News:

“The prices increased at the wholesale market, so selling became difficult. Now that we’ve exited, prices will come down. Customers can get jerseys for GH¢80 to GH¢100.”

James Antwi added:

“Customers shouldn’t expect prices to fall simply because we exited. If suppliers reduce their prices, we will also reduce ours.”

But not everyone is willing to discount. Bernard Asamoah insists he will maintain current prices.

“I have about 500 jerseys left, selling at GH¢150 each. Reducing the price would mean selling at a loss.”

With thousands of jerseys sitting on shelves across the country, traders now face a tough balancing act — protecting their margins while trying to move stock in a market where demand has cooled sharply.

— CitiNewsRoom