Ghana Can Win Amputee Football World Cup - Ali Jarra

Ali Jarra, Head Coach of the Ghana National Amputee Football team

Head Coach of the Ghana National Amputee Football team, the Black Challenge, Ali Jarra, has expressed optimism at Ghana’s ability to win this year’s Amputee Football World Cup scheduled to take place in Guadalajara, Mexico from October 24 to November 5.

Coach Ali Jarra is very hopeful Ghana would bring the cup home because, “we have some of the best amputee football players in the world with all it takes to win the cup for the first time for Africa”.

“I have monitored our players in Turkey and those in the local league in Ghana and can say with all confidence that, if we get the requisite support we can bring the cup home,” the former Ghana international assured.

Ghana is in Group B with Argentina, France and Italy, all tough nations but the experienced coach is unperturbed by the threat they pose.

“We are not shaken by the threat they pose to us; we can beat them and move to the next stage till the ultimate. I trust my boys to deliver where it matters most,” a confident Ali Jarra boasted.

According to the coach who is a Person with Disability (PWD), the only thing left now is for the nation to make funds and logistics available for the team to emplane to Mexico to do the nation proud.

He lamented the way Ghana is treating PWDs, pleading with the President of Ghana to change the trend to give meaning to his inaugural speech that sought to give support to the disadvantaged.

“It is a pity that we (PWDs) have to always beg and cry out loud before being given the chance to participate in international events in the name of Ghana. This trend must stop if we truly consider every Ghanaian equal,” he lamented.

“Your Excellency, President Akufo Addo, I am personally appealing to you to make this dream a reality; I can assure you we wouldn’t disappoint you,” he appealed.

The coach would soon call the players to camp for the best to be selected for the Mundial.

Ghana has thirteen amputee football professionals plying their trade in Turkey and many playing in the local league.

It would be recalled that Ghana produced the first set of professionals in amputee football in 2011 after the Amputee Football World Cup in Argentina where Ghana placed 6th and became the first African nation to reach the quarter finals.

The performance at that Mundial resulted in the transfer that has become the door-opener to many amputee football players in Ghana and Africa as a whole.