The Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has clarified that his decision to release the Black Stars’ budget for the September 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers was not influenced by external pressure.

The minister addressed the media on Tuesday, September 2, where he confirmed that the approved budget for the doubleheader against Chad and Mali had undergone significant cuts. Among the revisions were the cancellation of winning bonuses for the Management Committee members, the removal of budgetary allocations for fuelling the team bus, and a 50% reduction in winning bonuses for the head coach, his technical staff, and the playing body.

Speaking on Sporty FM, Mr. Adams stressed that the disclosure was made at the right time and not because of public calls for transparency.

“Nothing pushed me to release the Black Stars budget. I indicated that I would put the budget out when it is ready, and it was made ready on September 1, so we put it out on Tuesday, September 2,” he explained.

He further emphasized the importance of leadership based on principle rather than pressure:

“I don’t act on anyone’s push. If you are a leader and you act based on being pushed, then you are not a leader. As a leader, you do things at the right time and not based on what people say or want you to do. That is what I have always done.”

The Black Stars, who currently top Group I with 15 points, will play Chad in N’Djamena on Thursday, September 4, before hosting Mali at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday, September 8 in Matchdays 7 and 8 of the qualifiers.