Ghana’s Black Stars are one of two teams set to receive a $700,000 consolation prize following their third-place finish in Group B of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Despite falling short of qualification for the knockout stages, their performance secured a share of the tournament’s $34.6 million prize money.
The Black Stars’ journey in the tournament included a 2-1 loss to eventual Group B winners, Cape Verde, followed by two 2-2 draws against Egypt and Mozambique. This positioned them third in the group, behind Cape Verde and Egypt but ahead of Mozambique. They were accompanied by Zambia as one of the two teams finishing third but missing out on the opportunity to qualify, as only four of the third-best-placed teams could progress in the competition.
Yesterday, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), in a statement, provided details on how the entire $34.6 million prize money would be distributed among the 24 participating teams.
According to the breakdown, the six teams finishing at the bottom (fourth) of the six groups will receive $500,000 each, while the eight teams exiting at the round of 16 will be awarded $800,000 each.
The four losing quarterfinalists will each receive $1,300,000 and the two losing semi-finalists will be granted $2.5 million for their efforts.
The losing finalist, determined after the final on Sunday, February 11, 2024, will receive $4 million and the winner of the competition will claim $7 million.
How does the prize money for AFCON 2023 compare
In 2024, four major international tournaments are set to captivate football fans, including the simultaneous occurrences of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 and AFCON 2023. Later in the year, Germany will host Euro 2024, followed by the Copa America 2024 in South America.
The rewards at AFC Asian Cup, are slightly less than the AFCON, with the winner taking home $5 million, and the second-placed team bagging a prize of $3 million.
UEFA has already unveiled the prize money distribution for the premier international tournament in Europe, EURO 2024. The winner stands to cash in $30.9 million, while the second-placed team is set to receive a sum of $27.9 million.
In South America, the victorious nation will claim a cash prize of $10 million, while the team finishing in second place will get a sum of $5 million.
Source: graphic.com.gh
