A public dispute has erupted over the true nature of the GH¢1 million paid to each of the 18 Ghana Premier League clubs ahead of the 2026/27 season. Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Iddie Adams describes the money as government sponsorship, while Aduana FC general manager Takyi Arhin, a known GFA figure, claims it is a loan borrowed by the Football Association and must be repaid.
Minister Adams told Max TV that the Mahama administration is sponsoring the Ghana Premier League and intends to continue doing so until clubs can stand on their own. He stated that the government is "interested in building our domestic clubs and leagues." This funding totals GH¢18 million across the division and is presented as temporary and developmental.
Takyi Arhin told Sporty FM that the GH¢1 million given to each Ghana Premier League club was not provided by the government, but was a loan secured by the GFA and facilitated by the government. Arhin stated that the GFA is going to pay it back. He praised GFA president Kurt Okraku for putting money into clubs and argued that Black Stars results should not be the sole measure of the GFA president's success.
The distinction between a sponsorship or grant and a facilitated loan is crucial. If the money is a government grant or sponsorship, it is a direct public subsidy and clubs can treat it as income. However, if it is a loan secured by the GFA and facilitated by the government, the association carries the repayment obligation and clubs may still receive the cash, but the GFA's balance sheet is encumbered.
The Premier League has operated for years without a major title sponsor, and club budgets are thin. Aduana's leadership has previously stated that GH¢1 million could cover roughly a third of the club's annual operating costs. The return of the Mahama administration in 2025 brought a more visible state role in domestic football, with both the 2025/26 and 2026/27 campaigns featuring a GH¢1 million allocation per club.
GFA president Kurt Okraku had outlined a wider incentive structure that included a record GH¢3 million prize for the eventual champions at the 32nd Ordinary Congress in August. The current dispute echoes an earlier gap between political credit and the actual source of funds, as seen ahead of the 2025/26 season with a GH¢1 million-per-club figure linked to a broadcast arrangement with Adesa Productions.
Neither the Ministry nor the GFA has published the underlying agreement, so the dispute currently rests on the word of the minister against the word of a club executive close to the federation. The disagreement highlights the need for clarity on the nature of the funding and its implications for the Ghana Premier League and its clubs.
Key points
- The funding row between Sports Minister Kofi Iddie Adams and GFA insider Takyi Arhin centres on whether the GH¢18 million is a government grant or a loan to be repaid by the Football Association.
- The dispute highlights the need for transparency and clarity on the nature of the funding and its implications for the Ghana Premier League and its clubs.
- The Premier League's financial struggles, with thin club budgets and years without a major title sponsor, underpin the significance of the funding and the debate surrounding its source.
