The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has thrown its support behind President John Dramani Mahama’s call for greater transparency in the budgeting process for the senior national team, the Black Stars.
During his State of the Nation Address on Thursday, February 27, President Mahama emphasized the need for openness regarding government spending on national teams.
He directed the Minister of Sports and Recreation to ensure that all budgets related to the Black Stars and other national teams are made public.
“There will be no secrecy in how much the government spends on the national teams. The budgets presented by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and other sports associations must be made public. After all, it is the taxpayer’s funds that are used to support these activities,” President Mahama said.
In response, the GFA released a statement on Friday, fully supporting the President’s stance on financial transparency.
“We also endorse His Excellency’s call for transparency in relation to the budgeting and expenditure related to the Black Stars and, by extension, all national teams,” the GFA said in its release.
The GFA further clarified its role in the budgeting process, stating that while it submits an initial draft budget to the Ministry of Sports, all financial decisions and payments related to the Black Stars are ultimately handled by the Ministry.
“Indeed, as part of our commitment to transparency, the GFA has always provided the Ministry responsible for Sports with the first draft budget for the national teams. Beyond this, everything to do with the budgeting and expenditure related to the Black Stars sits with the Ministry. For emphasis, payments made in relation to the Black Stars are exclusively handled by the Ministry.
The GFA also expressed enthusiasm for President Mahama’s commitment to football development and pledged to collaborate with the Ministry to fulfill the aspirations of Ghanaians.
Meanwhile, the Black Stars are set to continue their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with two crucial fixtures—facing Chad in Accra on March 21 before taking on Madagascar in Morocco on March 24, 2025.