Businessman Alfred Woyome insists that the Black Stars' first FIFA World Cup appearance should largely be attributed to the role he played in making sure the team qualified for Germany 2006.

According to Woyome, he coordinated the team's camping in Austria and paid part of the Black Stars' expenses while they were preparing for the competition.

Ghana was the best African team at the FIFA World Cup in 2006, reaching the last 16 before they were booted out by the then World Champions Brazil.

“I want to state it categorically and clearly here, that Ghana’s ability to go to the World Cup the first time, was my work,” Woyome told Citi Tv's Face to Face Show.

“I had to make sure that the Black Stars were taken to Austria, trained in the Bavarian region, sponsored by a company I work with, RedBull, part of my businesses, and bused on the ground to that place.

“I had to use my own personal money to help as many people as possible to get there [Germany]."

The Black Stars have since qualified for two more World Cups, in South Africa and Brazil, but missed out in the 2018 edition in Russia.