Ministry of Sports Clears Longstanding Salary Arrears Owed to Black Stars Coaches Since 2020
The Ministry of Sports and Recreation has officially cleared all outstanding salary arrears owed to both current and former coaches of the Black Stars, concluding a long-standing financial obligation that had persisted for over four years.
The comprehensive settlement, finalized following a detailed audit and coordinated inter-agency effort, was spearheaded by the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Hon. Kofi Iddie Adams. The process aimed to resolve lingering debts to technical staff who served the national team across various coaching regimes since 2020.
According to documents reviewed by Joy Sports, former Black Stars head coach Charles Kwablan (CK) Akonnor emerged as the largest beneficiary of the exercise. Akonnor, who managed the team from January 2020 to September 2021, received $120,000 in accumulated salary arrears. His assistant during that period, David Duncan, was also compensated with $40,000.
Chris Hughton, who succeeded Otto Addo in 2023 but was dismissed following Ghana’s disappointing campaign at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) held in Côte d’Ivoire, received $68,904 covering unpaid salaries and sign-on entitlements. His former assistants, George Boateng and Mas-Ud Didi Dramani, were paid $20,833 and $12,500 respectively in outstanding sign-on fees.
The Ministry’s intervention brings relief to several coaches who served the national team under difficult financial circumstances, often working without pay for extended periods despite overseeing critical assignments, including AFCON qualifiers and World Cup campaigns.
