Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku has pushed back against growing calls for full public disclosure of the Black Stars budget, arguing that the selective focus on football finances is unfair and creates unnecessary confusion.
In an interview with Asaase Radio, Okraku stated that he has no objection to transparency in principle but questioned why the national team is singled out when other government-funded sectors are not held to the same standard.
“I don’t have any problem with making the Black Stars budget public,” Okraku said.
“But why are we not asking every sector to also make their budgets public? Why single out football? Why create confusion where there is no need for confusion?”
The remarks come amid mounting public and media pressure for detailed breakdowns of government funding allocated to the Black Stars’ preparations for international competitions, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and friendlies.
Sports Minister Kofi Adams has previously released budget figures ahead of major tournaments — a practice that has drawn criticism from some GFA officials who argue it undermines the association’s autonomy.
Okraku described the GFA as a private entity operating under recognised financial and administrative guidelines.
“The GFA is a private entity. We operate within recognized financial and administrative structures. We should be allowed to run our operations without unnecessary distractions,” he said.
He further challenged the broader narrative around transparency:
“If we’re talking about transparency, it should apply across the board. Why not ask the ministries or other sectors receiving public funds to also disclose their budgets publicly?”
While acknowledging the importance of accountability, Okraku suggested that the current scrutiny risks distracting from the team’s on-field objectives and creating undue pressure on the GFA’s internal management.
The debate highlights ongoing tensions between public expectations for oversight of government-funded sports programmes and the GFA’s position as an independent association. The Black Stars are currently preparing for key World Cup qualifiers and friendlies, with the budget issue likely to remain a point of discussion in the coming months.
