Broken Promises: Abeiku Quansah Reflects on Disappointing Returns from 2009 U-20 World Cup Investment
Abeiku Quansah, a key member of Ghana’s historic Black Satellites squad that clinched the U-20 World Cup in 2009, has voiced his disappointment over the returns from a government investment made on behalf of the players 15 years ago.
In an interview with Glorious Sports Today, Quansah detailed how the government’s decision to invest GH₵10,000 per player initially seemed like a prudent plan, but the outcome has fallen far short of expectations.
“The money we got was GH₵77,000 after 15 years. You can’t even buy land in Accra with that amount. Maybe in my village, but even then, you can’t build anything substantial,” he lamented.
Quansah suggested that the players could have done better by managing the funds privately, adding, “If we had saved that amount ourselves, the returns would have been much greater. This entire situation is disheartening.”
Beyond the financial disappointment, the former winger expressed frustration at the government’s inability to honor promises made to the team. He believes this failure has undermined the motivation of younger athletes.
“They should have fulfilled their promise so that the younger generation would be inspired. It’s unfortunate, but this is a good lesson for the young ones coming,” Quansah said.