Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku has disclosed that interim Black Stars coach Kim Lars Björkegren has not received his salary for 13 months because the association lacks sufficient funds.
Okraku made the revelation while appearing before Parliament’s Select Committee on Sports on November 4, 2026, where he highlighted the financial challenges facing the management of Ghana’s national football teams.
He explained that the salary arrears were not limited to Björkegren, who previously coached the Black Queens, as other national team coaches were also owed several months of payments.
According to the GFA president, the coach of Ghana’s Olympic team had also gone 12 months without receiving his salary.
“The coach of the Black Queens, who is today the acting coach of the Black Stars, has not been paid for 13 months. The coach of our Olympic team has not been paid for 12 months. And the list can go on and on and on and on and on,” he told the committee.
Okraku used the opportunity to renew his call for increased investment in sports, arguing that football requires substantial financial resources to operate effectively.
He said the proposed sports fund could help address some of the funding challenges but stressed that more dedicated revenue streams would be needed to ensure consistent payments to coaches and other technical staff.
He pointed out that the GFA had financial responsibilities across several national teams, including the under-15, under-17, under-20 and under-23 sides, as well as the senior men’s and women’s teams.
Other categories, such as beach soccer and futsal, also require financial support, he added.
“And you’re thinking about the coach of the U17, the coach of the U15, the coach of the U20, the coach of the U23, and the coach of the A national team, both boys and girls. Then you talk about beach soccer, and then you talk about futsal. And here, we’re not only talking about the head coach,” Okraku said.
His disclosure comes at a time when the GFA is facing growing criticism over the performances of Ghana’s various national teams, with some members of the public calling for his resignation.
The revelation of the unpaid salaries has also drawn attention to the financial pressures facing the association as it manages the country’s national football teams.
