Players of Black Stars before a game
The Black Stars’ push for a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will run on a tighter budget after the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, cut down the Ghana Football Association’s (GFA) request of more than $2 million.
The final approval stands at just over $1.3 million: $856,890 for the away trip to Chad and $463,600 for the home tie against Mali.
The final budget, endorsed by the Presidency, shows entire allocations scrapped, bonuses halved, and operational expenses pared down.
From fuel money to backroom bonuses, no line item escaped scrutiny.
Here is a breakdown of the items that were reduced or completely removed from the GFA’s original submission
Here is a full breakdown of approved budget for Black Stars game against Chad
Bonuses slashed
The biggest one came in performance bonuses. For both matches, the GFA’s proposed $260,000 in player bonuses was halved to $130,000.
Head coach Otto Addo’s reward also dropped from $20,000 to $10,000, while the assistant coaches’ share was trimmed from $30,000 to $15,000.
Staff payments cut
The backroom staff, covering medical officers, trainers, and analysts, saw their allocation reduced from $90,000 to $32,000 for Chad, and to $36,000 for Mali.
Support services, including welfare, media, and kit staff, were also pared down, from $72,000 to $32,000 for Chad and $72,000 to $36,000 for Mali.
Expenses tightened
Incidental expenses, designed for unexpected match-day costs, were cut sharply from $60,000 to $20,000 for both fixtures.
For the Mali game in Accra, even the finer details took a hit: officials’ accommodation fell from $33,750 to $32,500, team meals from $21,200 to $20,800, and per diems from $37,800 to $36,400.
Fuel money axed
For the Chad away fixture, the GFA had requested $5,000 for internal transport and fuel, and $2,000 in facility user fees. Both items were wiped out completely.
Management bonuses scrapped
Perhaps the most striking cut was the outright removal of the $60,000 winning bonus set aside for six management officials.
This figure was cancelled from both the Chad and Mali budgets.
The Ministry has defended its decisions, stressing that funds must be channeled directly toward the players and technical staff.
Regardless of the budget getting trimmed, Ghana’s path is clear: overcome Chad in N’Djamena on Thursday, September 4, 2025, and follow up with victory over Mali in Accra on September 8, 2025, to strengthen their hold on a World Cup qualification spot.
Meanwhile, watch videos from Black Stars first training sessions ahead of WC Qualifiers against Chad and Mali
FKA/EB
