The President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, joined Youth and Sports Minister, the Hon. Mustapha Ussif, other dignitaries, football afficionados and enthusiasts, and the people of the Tarkwa-Nsuaem community, to celebrate the inauguration of the newly constructed TnA Stadium in Tarkwa on Friday, August 16, 2024.
President Simeon-Okraku was among high profile personalities who attended the historic inauguration of the state-of-the-art facility in the mining town on Friday.
The new-look TnA Stadium is set to give a significant boost to the growth of 2022-23 Premier League champions, Medeama SC, and other lower division clubs in Tarkwa and adjoining areas, in particular, and to the community, in general.
Speaking to over 10,000 passionate football fans, the President of the GFA expressed his gratitude to the Goldfields Foundation for funding the reconstruction of the Stadium making reference to the mining giants' huge influence in the Black Stars maiden qualification to the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
"In 2005, Goldfields Ghana took the bold step to back Ghana's Black Stars as the team sought its first ever qualification to the FIFA Men's World Cup. The landmark and then record sponsorship of 3 million United States dollars over a three year period propelled the Black Stars to qualify to Germany 2006. Let me pay glowing tribute to Mr. Brendan Walker, former Managing Director of Goldfields Ghana Limited, who led his Management team to embark on that historic journey 19 years ago," President Simeon-Okraku said
"Goldfields Ghana continued to sponsor the Stars for a total of seven years, adding a further almost 5 million dollars to the initial 3 million. During that period, the Black Stars qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa where the team equaled the African record at the World Cup by reaching the Quarter finals and narrowly missing out on becoming the first African country to qualify to the World Cup semifinal."
He also commended Goldfields for being supportive of local clubs in its catchment areas, contributing significantly to the elevated status of Premier League side Medeama SC.
"Goldfields Ghana has also been supportive of clubs from its core geographical areas of operation and are on record to have supported Medeama Sporting Club in a major sponsorship as well as Tarkwa Real United a number of years ago. Indeed, the company's support for Medeama SC is believed to have been the catalyst that led to the club's becoming Ghana Premier League Champions in 2002/2023 season, a feat that qualified the club to the elite CAF Champions League."
"And after these impactful interventions in Ghana Football, Goldfields Ghana has topped it all with the construction of this Magnificent TnA Stadium, an investment of a whopping approximately 16.2 million United States dollars! What an extraordinary and amazing supporter of Ghana Football Goldfields Ghana has been!"
"And so, on this auspicious occasion of the official opening of the iconic TnA Stadium over here in Tarkwa, I stand, together with every stakeholder in Ghana Football, as well as the good people of this blessed nation of Ghana, to render our deepest appreciation to Goldfields Ghana and to wish them greater success in all your endeavours. Your investments in Ghana Football over the years have led to historic feats being chalked by both the Black Stars and Medeama SC. I am in no doubt that this investment in the TnA Stadium will be the catalyst for a greater boom in football in the Western Region."
He concluded: "Thank You so much, Goldfields Ghana Foundation , Thank you Goldfields Ghana Limited. And thank you to everyone gathered over here and to the millions watching us on television and live streams on the Internet. May God continue to bless us all and make Ghana Football great again!"
Having concluded his speech, the GFA President led the crowd in chants to encourage both sets of players and fans of Medeama Sporting Club and Kumasi Asante Kotoko, and this created an electric atmosphere in the stadium.
The event was massively attended by top football officials, politicians, businessmen and chiefs and the people of Tarkwa and its environs including Youth and Sports Minister, Mustapha Ussif, Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for Tarkwa Nsuaem, George Mireku Duker.
President Simeon-Okraku was accompanied by Executive Council member, Samuel Aboabire, Head of Public Relations and Strategy, Neil Armstrong- Mortagbe and Chief of Staff, Michael Osekre.
The new TnA Stadium is expected to serve as the home ground of Medeama SC in the Ghana Premier League pending approval from the Club Licensing Department of the Ghana Football Association.
Medeama SC beat Asante Kotoko2-1 in a thrilling and competitive exhibition match to officially open the stadium on a very eventful night in Tarkwa.
GFA Communications