The Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has revealed that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) initially submitted a $2 million budget for the Black Stars’ 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Chad and Mali.
This disclosure comes after a press briefing on Tuesday, September 2, where the minister confirmed that the government had reduced the allocation for the fixtures scheduled this month.
Ghana are currently in Chad for their Matchday 7 clash on Thursday, September 4, before hosting Mali at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday, September 8, for Matchday 8.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem on Wednesday, September 3, the Buem MP explained that the budget was trimmed down to $1.3 million.
“The Ghana Football Association (GFA) presented an estimated budget of $2 million for the games, but government approved $1.3 million for the games,” he said.
He explained that the decision followed earlier discussions with the GFA about cutting costs on certain allowances.
“We had a meeting in February when I took office, and I told the GFA that there are some things government cannot pay again — such as the winning bonus for Black Stars Management Committee members and other things. That is exactly what we have done as a ministry and as a government,” he added.
Minister Adams stressed that the budget cut would not affect the team’s output.
“I don’t believe that the decision to cut down the budget presented by the GFA will affect the performance of the team. These are professional players, and so there is no need to be worried,” he assured.
The Black Stars currently top Group I with 15 points from six matches, leaving them in a strong position in their quest for a place at the 2026 World Cup.
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