Accra: Prices of jerseys of the senior national football team, Black Stars jerseys have remained stable before and after Ghana's 1-0 victory over Panama in their opening World Cup match, although traders report a decline in sales following the game.
According to Ghana News Agency, an observation in Accra showed that while demand for jerseys was strong ahead of the match, sales slowed after the victory on Tuesday. Ms. Afia Afrakomah, a jersey seller, noted that patronage was high before the match but had dropped afterwards. She remarked, "If I say people did not buy the jerseys before the match, I would be lying. They really patronised them." However, she expressed hope that sales would improve as some people were still yet to make their purchases.
Ms. Afrakomah explained that prices had remained unchanged due to the availability of stock in the market. Another trader, Ms. Nana Gloria Adwoa, shared that most of her customers were male supporters, with the 'spider' jersey, particularly the yellow variant, being the most sought-after. She stated that original jerseys sold for GHS250, while regular versions were priced at GHS150. Although some customers negotiated prices, others paid the stated amounts.
Ms. Adwoa observed that sales peaked on the eve of the match but declined on the morning after the game. She remained optimistic that demand would improve later in the day, stating, "I will only increase my prices if the wholesale cost of the jerseys goes up. Otherwise, I will maintain the current prices."
Mr. Ibrahim Yaya, another trader, reported no sales on the day of the interview and noted that business had been slow even before the match. However, he believed that Ghana's victory could stimulate increased patronage in the coming days. He emphasized that traders were maintaining stable prices to attract customers despite fluctuating demand. Mr. Yaya added that a defeat or draw could have negatively affected sales, but the win had boosted confidence among supporters.
The traders expressed optimism that Ghana's progress in the competition would further increase demand for Black Stars merchandise. Ghana secured a 1-0 win over Panama, with Caleb Yirenkyi scoring the decisive goal.