Ghana's £10m Sunderland parternership shirt deal at risk of collapse

Ghana’s proposed £10 million partnership with Sunderland could be on the verge of collapse, raising questions over a major tourism marketing opportunity and a planned friendly involving Asante Kotoko.

The proposed agreement would see the Visit Ghana brand displayed on Sunderland’s shirts as part of a deal aimed at promoting Ghana as a tourism destination to a global football audience.

According to a report by Graphic Sports, negotiations between Sunderland, Visit Ghana and representatives of the Ghanaian government have been ongoing for about six months.

However, Sunderland is now understood to be working on the assumption that the deal will not go ahead because it has yet to receive the formal approval required from the Ghanaian authorities.

The uncertainty could also affect plans for a friendly between 2026 Democracy Cup champions Asante Kotoko and Sunderland in England, which was expected to form part of the wider partnership.

The proposed sponsorship had generated significant interest after being publicly announced by government-linked representatives, with expectations that the Visit Ghana branding would appear on Sunderland's shirts at the start of the current Premier League season.

A successful agreement would have given Ghana sustained exposure in one of the world's most widely followed football leagues and provided an international platform to promote the country's tourism industry.

But with the required approval yet to be secured, the future of both the sponsorship and the proposed Kotoko-Sunderland fixture remains uncertain.