Sports Ministry settles long-standing salary arrears owed to 11 Black Stars coaches since 2020 – Nsemkeka
The Ministry of Sports and Recreation has cleared all outstanding salary arrears owed to both current and former coaches of the Black Stars, fulfilling a financial obligation that had remained unresolved since 2020.
The settlement follows a detailed audit and coordination effort between state agencies, led by the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams. Coaches who served across different periods, some no longer in their roles, have now been paid in full for the time owed.
Per documents seen by Joy Sports, CK Akonnor, who served as Ghana’s head coach from January 2020 to September 2021, was the biggest beneficiary of the pay-out, receiving $120,000 in back pay. His assistant, David Duncan, was paid $40,000.
Chris Hughton, who was sacked following Ghana’s poor showing at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire, which was played in January 2024, received $68,904 in owed salaries and sign-on fees, while his assistants, George Boateng and Mas-Ud Didi Dramani, received $20,833 and $12,500 as owed sign-on fees.
The current coaching staff led by Otto Addo, who have been in charge since March 2024, had also not been paid salaries since October 2024 (the last 8 months).
They have also now been paid up to March 2025 (6 months), with Addo, now in his second stint as Ghana coach, receiving in excess of $420,000 for that period.
Other members of his backroom staff, including assistants Joseph Laumann ($75,000), John Painstil ($64,864), goalkeepers trainer Fatau Dauda ($19,459), and Team Coordinator Francis Bugri Tampuli ($33,000), have all been paid for the same period.
It means the current coaching staff are still owed compensation for April and May 2025.
Maxwell Konadu, who served as Milovan Rajevac’s assistant from September 2021 to January 2022, was also paid $30,000 in arrears.
Although the Ghana Football Association (GFA) contracted the coaches, the responsibility for their remuneration ultimately rested with the government, which until now had not fulfilled that obligation in several instances.
Editor’s Note
For years, many of these coaches operated under financial uncertainty despite their roles in high-stakes international matches and tournaments.
The clearance of these arrears marks a meaningful shift in government’s posture toward the professionals who guide Ghana’s national football teams.
It removes a long-standing source of friction, restores a measure of trust and sets a precedent for how similar matters should be handled going forward; promptly, transparently, and with respect for contractual obligations.