Sports Minister Kofi Adams has confirmed a major cut to the Ghana Football Association’s (GFA) budget for the Black Stars’ upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Chad and Mali.
The GFA initially requested over $2 million, but the ministry approved $1.3 million instead, allocating $841,290 for the Chad trip and $463,600 for the home tie against Mali.
Speaking to the press ahead of the Chad clash, Adams explained that the ministry carefully reviews all submissions from the GFA. He revealed that inflated flight ticket costs have been a recurring issue, prompting the ministry to seek cheaper alternatives.
“The estimate submitted for Match Day 7 was over $1 million. After review, the Ministry approved about $860,000,” he said. “We now apply a flat $6,000 unit for tickets for both players and officials, but we’ve also found ways to bring costs lower than what was initially presented.”
His disclosure follows growing public calls for transparency, especially after President John Mahama’s February directive for detailed reporting of national team expenses.
Each Black Stars player will also earn a $5,000 winning bonus for the qualifiers.
The team departs Accra on Tuesday, September 2, for N’Djamena, where they face Chad on Thursday at the Stade Olympique Maréchal Idriss Déby Itno. Ghana leads Group I with 15 points from six matches, and a win would bring them closer to a fifth World Cup appearance.
After Chad, the Black Stars host Mali in Accra on September 8 before closing their campaign in October against the Central African Republic and Comoros.
