Budget documents submitted by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to the Ministry of Youth and Sports reveal that the Black Stars‘ 28-day per diem allocation at the 2022 FIFA World Cup amounted to $408,800.
The breakdown of the per diem budget was as follows:
- Players (26 members) – $150 per day for 28 days, totaling $109,200
- Technical Team (22 members) – $150 per day for 28 days, totaling $92,400
- Officials (37 members) – $200 per day for 28 days, totaling $207,200
This amount was separate from the $100,000 appearance fee allocated to each of the 54 individuals who traveled with the team, summing up to a staggering $5.4 million in appearance fees alone.
Other discrepancies in the budget
While the budget covers essential costs such as accommodation and meals, a closer look at the details raises questions about certain allocations.
One notable discrepancy is the budget for player flight tickets, even though some Black Stars players were already in Qatar before the tournament. The document lists a charter flight cost of $300,000 for team transportation, yet it is unclear why all players were accounted for in airfare expenses when some were already present at the location for the pre-tournament camping.
Additionally, honorariums were allocated to officials, including:
- Head of Delegation – $20,000
- General Secretary – $15,000
- Administrator – $15,000
- COVID Officer – $20,000
- National Teams Department Representative – $10,000
With a total tournament budget of $14.18 million, these revelations bring to light questions about financial accountability and transparency regarding the spending patterns of the GFA during tournaments, especially the World Cup.
As discussions about sports financing and national team expenditures continue, these figures may spark further scrutiny over how taxpayer funds are managed by the Ghana Football Association.
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