Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams has addressed concerns over unpaid salaries owed to national team coaches, including Black Stars head coach Otto Addo, explaining that steps have been taken to regularise payments under a new, structured system.
Speaking to Citi Sports, Adams admitted that several coaches were owed, noting that past payment arrangements were inconsistent.
“That’s true, we owed a number of the coaches, and we are looking for a structured system for payment of the coaches,” he said.
“In the past, before I became minister, some of these coaches, especially the expatriate coaches of the women’s national team, were paid from the sponsorship fund that goes to the FA.”
According to the minister, responsibility for all coaches’ salaries has now shifted fully to government, with the Ministry of Finance approving all disbursements.
“That has since changed now, all that has been offloaded onto government, and so we have submitted the details. The finance minister has since approved the payments, and the payments, even per the contract, are supposed to be in arrears,” Adams explained.
He further clarified the specifics of Otto Addo’s contract, stressing that the Black Stars coach is not owed his full salary.
“For the head coach, we pay him 50% ahead of time,” Adams said.
“So, at the beginning of the year, 50% of his salary was paid ahead. What he is owed is actually 50%, not the full salary.”
Adams revealed that payments resumed in March following a press conference announcing the settlement of arrears for national team coaches.
“So, we paid after March and also paid him 50% of the 12-month salary that is due him,” he added.
“What you now owe him is post-March 50% of salary, because you would have paid the other 50% for January, February, and March.”
The minister’s comments aim to reassure government’s committed to clearing outstanding payments and ensuring a more transparent and consistent salary structure for national team coaches going forward.
