Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku has addressed the growing public debate surrounding calls for the publication of the Black Stars budget, stressing that while he supports accountability, he is concerned about football being unfairly targeted.
The conversation has intensified in recent weeks largely because the senior national team benefits from state funding. Since assuming office, the Minister of Sports and Recreation has routinely made public the team’s budgetary allocations ahead of international assignments—a practice that has reportedly raised concerns within sections of the football fraternity.
Speaking in an interview with Asaase Radio, Okraku made it clear that transparency itself is not the issue, but rather the selective focus on football.
“I don’t have any problem with making the Black Stars budget public. But why are we not asking every sector to also make their budgets public? Why only the Black Stars? Why create confusion where there’s no need for confusion? The GFA is a private entity,” he stated.
Okraku argued that discussions around openness and accountability should be applied uniformly across all sectors that benefit from public funds, instead of singling out the football association. According to him, such selective scrutiny risks distorting public discourse and undermining institutions that already operate within established financial frameworks.
The question of Black Stars expenditure has often resurfaced during major international tournaments, with sections of the public demanding clearer breakdowns of spending. The GFA president, however, maintains that the association continues to adhere to recognised administrative and financial procedures while investing in national team activities and long-term development programmes.
Meanwhile, the Government of Ghana has reportedly earmarked GH¢150 million (approximately $13.7 million) to support preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Ghana has been drawn in a group alongside Panama, England and Croatia as the Black Stars gear up for another appearance on the global stage.
