The Ministry of Youth and Sports has made significant budget cuts to the Black Stars’ preparations for the 2026 World Cup qualifier against Chad, reducing the overall expenditure from an estimated $1,239,090 to $841,290.
According to a post from SPORTYFM, the most notable adjustment was in incidental expenses, which were slashed from $60,000 to $20,000.
Player and official bonuses also took major hits, with bonuses for team officials completely cancelled, while allowances for assistant coaches and players were halved.
For instance, the players’ bonuses, initially pegged at $10,000 were trimmed to $5,000 while the head coach’s bonus was reduced from $20,000 to $10,000.
Assistant coaches will now share $5,000 instead of the proposed $10,000 and support staff such as doctors, physios, analysts and psychologists will receive $4,000 instead of $10,000.
Similarly, bonuses for the kits officer, media, masseur, welfare officer and dietician were cut from $8,000 to $4,000.
Some items, however, remained untouched. The charter flight allocation was maintained at $300,000 while daily allowances (per diem) for players and officials, as well as accommodation and meals in Chad, remained unchanged.
The Ministry’s decision reflects ongoing efforts to curb spending amid concerns about financial prudence in Ghanaian sports administration.
While the drastic cuts may spark debate, officials believe the revised figure strikes a balance between adequate support for the national team and responsible use of state resources.
Black Stars will now look to make the most of the revised budget as they gear up for the crucial clash against Chad, with fans hoping that financial issues will not derail Ghana’s quest for another World Cup appearance.
To secure qualification, the Black Stars must win their next two matches against Chad and Mali. Ghana has so far earned 15 points from six games, recording five victories and suffering a single defeat to Comoros.
The last encounter between Ghana and Chad was on March 21, 2025 at the Accra Sports Stadium, where the Black Stars triumphed with a convincing 5-0 win.
It was a crushing setback for Chad, who will now be aiming to make history when they take on the Black Stars this Friday.
By Jesse Otoo
