Mark Addo, Vice President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), has addressed the issue of government investment in the Black Stars during the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), highlighting the lack of precise figures available to the GFA.
Following allegations by North Tongu Member of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, that the government spent $8.5 million on the Black Stars at the 2023 AFCON, the GFA has distanced itself from these claims.
Addo clarified that while the Sports Ministry is responsible for budgeting and expenditure, the GFA does not directly control the funds allocated to the team.
“The FA does not receive any money from the Ministry to spend on any item,” stated Addo during a press conference on Wednesday, February 7, 2024.
He elaborated, “The Ministry has a purse holder who is embedded in the team, so every expenditure he accounts for it.”
Addo emphasized that while the GFA provides a list of requirements to the Sports Ministry for budget allocation, they are not informed about the specific amount of funding provided by the government.
“The perception that the Ministry has spent $8.5 million on the Black Stars, anyone on the FA does not know about it because we didn’t advance from our group stage. Once we prepare where we presume the team will reach for the Ministry, we have no idea the amount,” he added.
