Gov't settles bonus arrears, releases over GH¢76 million for Black Stars' World Cup participation

The government has released more than GH¢76 million to support the Black Stars' participation in the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The funds, approved through the Ministry of Finance, are intended to cover the team's preparations, participation in the tournament and the payment of outstanding qualification bonuses.

The announcement was contained in a statement shared by the Jubilee House on social media on Friday, June 12.

According to the statement, a total of GH¢76,466,919.20 has been authorised for disbursement to the senior national football team.

Out of the amount, GH¢58,929,500.00, the cedi equivalent of US$5 million, has been released as an advance payment to support the team's preparations and participation in the group stages of the tournament.

"Government released Fifty-Eight Million, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Nine Thousand, Five Hundred Ghana Cedis (GH¢58,929,500.00), which is the cedi equivalent of US$5,000,000.00, as an advance payment to facilitate preparations and cover the costs associated with the team's participation in the group stages of the World Cup," the statement read in part.

The statement explained that the funding demonstrates government's commitment to ensuring that the Black Stars have the resources needed to compete effectively on the global stage.

An additional GH¢17,537,419.20, equivalent to US$1,488,000.00, has also been released to settle outstanding bonuses owed to players and officials from the World Cup qualifying campaign.

According to the statement, the payments are in line with an agreement under which the team received half of their bonuses during the qualifiers, with the remainder payable upon securing qualification to the tournament.