The government of Ghana has successfully cleared a significant sum of $904,561.31 in outstanding salary arrears owed to both current and former coaches of the senior national football team, the Black Stars. This crucial financial resolution was authorised by the Ministry for Sports and Recreation, under the leadership of Minister Kofi Iddie Adams. The move is widely seen as a vital step towards restoring trust, enhancing professionalism, and ensuring stability within the nation's football administration. The coaches, who were appointed by the Ghana Football Association (GFA), had reportedly faced extended periods without due payment, with some of the arrears dating as far back as 2022.

According to a statement from the Ministry, the disbursement of these funds followed a meticulous and rigorous audit and coordination process. This process involved multiple agencies working together to verify all claims meticulously before authorising the payments. Among the former coaching staff who received their dues was former Black Stars Head Coach C.K. Akonnor, who was paid $120,000. Chris Hughton received $68,904.11 for his services rendered between January 1 and January 23, 2024, a payment that also included his signing fee. Other former assistant coaches compensated include George Boateng, who received $20,833.34, and Mas-Ud Didi Dramani, paid $12,500. Additionally, David Duncan was paid $40,000 for his work in February 2023, and Maxwell Konadu received $30,000 for arrears that dated back to November 2022.

Payments were also comprehensively made to the current technical team of the Black Stars. Head Coach Otto Addo received a total of $420,000, paid in two separate tranches of $180,000 and $240,000, covering salary arrears for the period between October 2024 and March 2025. His assistants, Joseph Laumann and John Paintsil, were paid $75,000 and $64,864.86 respectively. The Goalkeepers’ Coach, Abdul Fatawu Dauda, received $19,459.44, and Team Coordinator Francis Bugri Tampuli was paid $33,000 for his services rendered from April 2024 to March 2025. The total amount disbursed to the current coaching staff, as detailed, sums to approximately $612,324.30, a figure corroborated by reports indicating a payment of around $612,323 to the active technical team.

Minister Kofi Iddie Adams highlighted the importance of this development, describing the clearance of the arrears as a “critical milestone.” He stated, “This payment is not just about settling debts but about restoring dignity and building a professional culture in Ghana sports.” Furthermore, Minister Adams revealed that the Ministry is actively working towards the establishment of a National Sports Fund. This fund aims to create a sustainable mechanism for ensuring timely and consistent payments to national team staff in the future, thereby preventing such situations of accumulated arrears.

The settlement of these outstanding payments is particularly timely, as the Black Stars are currently engaged in their campaign to secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup. Having established a leading position in their group with several matches still to play, the resolution of these financial issues is expected to provide a significant morale boost to the team and its technical handlers, allowing them to focus entirely on their sporting objectives.