By Kwame Bediako
A member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Sports, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has expressed frustration over the lack of transparency regarding the budget for the Black Stars’ recent matches against Chad and Madagascar.
The national team continued its winning streak, thrashing Chad 5-0 at the Accra Sports Stadium and securing a 3-0 victory over Madagascar in Morocco during Matchday 5 and 6 of the World Cup qualifiers. These results have boosted morale and raised expectations for future performances.
However, despite President John Mahama’s earlier promise to make the budget public, member of Parliament for Old Tafo constituency, Ekow Assafuah revealed in an interview with Metro TV that only partial details—limited to salaries of coaches and staff—have been shared so far.
“We are not aware of the full budget for the Black Stars as we speak. The only information that has been provided to the committee is the breakdown of salaries for the coaches and staff, such as the assistant coaches and team managers,” Assafuah said.
He also challenged the president’s claim, noting that previous governments had similarly disclosed expenditures after matches. He argued that true transparency would mean publishing budgets before games are played—something the current administration has yet to implement.
“This promise isn’t anything groundbreaking. In previous administrations, ministries and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) have always disclosed the amount of money spent on the Black Stars after matches have been played. So, the real change would be if the government starts disclosing the budget before the matches take place,” he added.
Sports Minister Kofi Adams has since assured the public that the budget will be disclosed soon. He explained that announcing it in advance could cause unnecessary distractions and potentially impact team performance. However, he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transparency, citing the high costs involved in managing the national team.
