A long-standing financial cloud has finally lifted over the Ghana national football team, the Black Stars, as the government has cleared nearly 10 million Ghana cedis ($850,000 USD) in outstanding salaries owed to coaches dating back to 2020.

The massive payout sees current head coach Otto Addo as the largest single beneficiary.

Otto Addo, who began his second tenure as Ghana coach in March 2024, had reportedly gone unpaid for eight months prior to this settlement. The 49-year-old has now received over $420,000 (GH₵4.32 million), covering his earnings up to March 2025.

Ghana News Agency reports the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, under the leadership of Minister Kofi Iddie Adams, spearheaded the settlement following an audit to determine the extent of arrears owed to coaching staff since 2020.

Addo's immediate coaching team also saw significant payouts for the same period. Assistant coach Joseph Laumann received $75,000 (GH₵771,480), while fellow assistant John Painstil was paid $64,864 (GH₵667,162).

Goalkeepers' trainer Fatau Dauda collected $19,459 (GH₵200,094), and team coordinator Francis Bugri Tampuli received $33,000 (GH₵339,451).

Former coaches compensated

The settlement also extended to former Black Stars coaching staff, addressing long-overdue payments.

Former head coach CK Akonnor, who led the team from January 2020 to September 2021, received a back payment of $120,000 (GH₵1.23 million). His assistant, David Duncan, was paid $40,000 (GH₵411,456).

Chris Hughton, who was dismissed following Ghana's disappointing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Côte d'Ivoire, collected $68,904 (GH₵708,622) in unpaid salaries and signing-on fees. His assistants, George Boateng and Mas-Ud Didi Dramani, received $20,833 (GH₵214,244) and $12,500 (GH₵128,580) respectively, as owed signing-on fees.

Maxwell Konadu, who served as an assistant to Milovan Rajevac between September 2021 and January 2022, was paid $30,000 (GH₵308,592) in arrears.

While the Ghana Football Association is responsible for contracting coaches, it is the government that ultimately shoulders the financial burden of their wages.

This settlement marks a crucial step in resolving failed financial obligation that has plagued the Black Stars for years.

The timing is particularly noteworthy as Ghana prepares for upcoming international fixtures, with the issue of coaching salaries having been a consistent concern within the nation's football community.