Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has defended his decision to publish the Black Stars’ budget before Ghana’s FIFA World Cup qualifying fixtures against Chad and Mali.

The Buem MP insisted the move was necessary to ensure transparency in the use of public funds.

The Minister came under criticism from sections of the public and some football analysts who argued that making the budget public and implementing cuts to certain proposed expenditures, just days before the matches, may have contributed to the Black Stars’ shaky performance in the 1–1 draw with Chad.

Responding to the backlash in an interview with Citi FM on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, Mr Adams stressed that the publication of the budget followed due process.

He explained that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) submits its estimates to the Ministry, which then reviews and forwards recommendations to the presidency for approval before any budget can be released.

“The timing is dictated by the budgeting process. You cannot release something that has not been approved,” he said.

Dismissing suggestions that the decision unsettled the players, Mr Adams maintained that the disclosure did not undermine morale.

“I had already indicated in March that subsequent budgets would be made public before the matches, so this was no surprise. The players did not suffer any reduction. If anything, I rather enhanced their confidence,” he remarked.