George Afriyie is a former Vice President of the Ghana Football Association
Former Vice President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), George Afriyie, has criticized current GFA President Kurt Okraku’s stance on the disclosure of the Black Stars budget.
The debate centers around Okraku’s reluctance to make the team’s finances public, which has raised eyebrows across the football community. Afriyie’s response to Okraku’s remarks has intensified the debate over the transparency of public funds allocated to Ghana’s national football team.
During an interview with Asaase Radio, Kurt Okraku questioned the logic behind disclosing the Black Stars budget, arguing that the GFA, as a private entity, should not be compelled to release its financial details.
“I don’t have any problem with making the Black Stars budget public,” Okraku said, “but why should only the Black Stars’ finances be made public? Why not every sector of the economy?” His comments suggest a broader concern about unnecessary scrutiny and the potential for public confusion over football’s financial matters.
Responding to Okraku’s position, George Afriyie voiced his surprise at the GFA president’s views. In an interview with Asempa FM, Afriyie argued that the Black Stars, as the nation’s premier football team, are owned by the government and, by extension, funded by taxpayers.
“The government is responsible for providing financial support to the Black Stars, and as such, the public has every right to know how that money is being spent,” Afriyie emphasized. His statement highlights the tension between transparency and privacy within the sports sector.
The current debate over public disclosure of the Black Stars’ budget can be traced back to February 2025 when former President John Mahama addressed the issue during his State of the Nation Address.
Mahama called for an end to the secrecy surrounding government spending on national teams, specifically the Black Stars.
He tasked the Ministry of Sports with ensuring that these budgets were made publicly available, a move that was seen as a step toward greater accountability in the management of taxpayer money.
