Ghana’s Black Challenge receive GH¢50,000, poultry farming support ahead of World Cup

Ghana’s national amputee football team, the Black Challenge, have received GH¢50,000 from the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, ahead of their participation in the 2026 World Amputee Football World Cup in Mexico.

Opoku presented the money during a visit to the team’s training session at the University of Ghana on Monday, while also pledging a poultry farming package for eight locally based players to help them establish businesses after the tournament.

The proposed package includes battery cages, laying birds, poultry feed and technical support under the government’s Nkoko Nketenkete programme.

The minister said the support was intended to motivate the players ahead of their international assignment while providing them with opportunities to earn a living beyond football.

“You are going to hold the flag of Ghana, and our presence here indicates that the whole nation is behind you,” Opoku told the players.

He encouraged the team to approach the tournament with confidence, stressing the importance of providing both financial and moral support as they prepare to represent the country.

“You are stronger than you know,” he said, urging the players to make Ghana proud.

Opoku, who was accompanied by the ministry’s Chief Director and budget officer, said he had been informed that the Black Challenge squad comprised eight locally based players and seven based in Turkey.

He invited the eight players based in Ghana to participate in the government’s poultry initiative after returning from the World Cup.

“The Ministry of Food and Agriculture is putting together a special package, so as soon as you return, get in touch with us. The Honourable Dumelo will handle all of you,” he said.

The minister explained that the package would provide the players with the equipment, birds, feed and technical expertise needed to establish poultry enterprises.

He said the initiative was designed to help the players build sustainable livelihoods while contributing to Ghana’s food production agenda.

Nkoko Nketenkete is the household and backyard poultry component of the Feed Ghana Programme, launched by President John Dramani Mahama to strengthen food security, increase domestic production and improve household incomes.

The proposed intervention would extend the programme’s benefits to athletes with disabilities, offering them an opportunity to explore agribusiness alongside their sporting careers.

Its success will depend on the timely delivery of the promised resources, appropriate training and sustained technical assistance to help the players establish and manage their businesses.

The players have been asked to contact the ministry after returning from Mexico to begin arrangements for the proposed poultry enterprises.

The Black Challenge will compete at the 2026 World Amputee Football Federation World Cup, scheduled for 13-22 November in San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico.

Ghana have been drawn in Group D alongside Angola, Colombia and Iraq, with 24 national teams set to compete for the title.