John Dramani Mahama is the President of Ghana
President John Dramani Mahama has assured the public that funding issues concerning Black Stars players will be resolved promptly to avoid controversy during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
He disclosed that the government will collaborate with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to plan appropriately and ensure timely payments to the players.
The president explained that this approach is intended to prevent a repeat of the 2014 World Cup incident, where players refused to train due to delayed payments, causing significant unrest in camp.
I never said Ghana won’t qualify for the World Cup – Prophet Fire Oja
“Between the GFA, the players, and the government, there was always this perception among the players that someone might divert funds meant for them. I believe we’ve learned from those experiences and moved forward.
“In that particular instance, the players refused to train and wouldn’t go onto the pitch unless they saw their money in physical cash,” he said during an interview with Sporty FM.
President Mahama further emphasised that the incident is now behind them, and his administration is committed to addressing such challenges ahead of the tournament.
“To avoid discouragement or any disruption, certain decisions were made at the time. But all that is in the past. We’ve encouraged the GFA to ensure that payments due to the players are processed as quickly as possible,” he noted.
Watch the interview below:
@sportyfm President Mahama admits that the $3m cash scandal at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil dented Ghana’s image.
SB/EB
Meanwhile, watch highlights of Ghana’s 1-0 win over Comoros in the World Cup qualifiers
