Kofi Adams questions impact of GH¢1m Ghana Premier League support

Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams has challenged Ghana Premier League clubs to show what they built with the GH¢1 million each received before the 2025/26 season. The 18 clubs also received 30 footballs and 30 pairs of boots as part of the support package.

The funding was backed by the government and distributed through the Ghana Football Association’s broadcast and commercialisation partnership with Adesa Productions Limited. Adams said the intervention was designed to strengthen domestic football and give clubs resources to improve their operations.

He said clubs should be able to point to lasting developments created with the money, rather than showing that it only covered the costs of taking part in one season. Areas identified for investment included commercial departments, supporter databases, medical systems, improved player contracts, academies, club shops, digital ticketing and content production.

Adams also questioned what had changed inside the clubs since the funds arrived. In his view, a club that looks the same at the end of the season would have received help to finance a campaign, not support that transformed the institution.

The minister warned that the government could not continue giving clubs GH¢1 million every year if they remained dependent on the same level of assistance. He said the focus should move towards measuring how much additional value domestic football creates from every cedi invested in it.

He linked that goal to the relationship between clubs and their supporters, arguing that stronger fan engagement could open more commercial opportunities. The government has also supported broadcasting and helped raise the Ghana Premier League championship prize from GH¢500,000 to GH¢2 million, with rewards extending to other positions in the table.

The comments came as Ghana football stakeholders reviewed the 2025/26 season and considered reforms for the next campaign. The financial sustainability and long-term development of Premier League clubs remain central issues in those discussions.