Ghana’s national deaf football team, the Black Wonders, could miss the inaugural Deaf African Football Cup of Nations (DAFCON) and the 2027 Deaf Football World Cup because of a funding crisis.
The Ghana Deaf Football Association (GDFA) has appealed to President John Dramani Mahama and other senior officials for urgent financial support, after reportedly being told by the Ministry of Sports and Recreation that no money was available for the team’s participation.
The 16-nation DAFCON will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 30 November to 13 December. The Black Wonders have been drawn in Group D alongside Mali, Kenya and Zanzibar, but their immediate challenge is securing the funds to travel.
The tournament also serves as Africa’s qualifying competition for the Deaf Football World Cup in Australia next November. Failure to take part would therefore end Ghana’s hopes of reaching the global tournament.
The GDFA has petitioned President Mahama, Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Iddie Adams, and the team’s patron, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings.
GDFA president Christopher Ekpo accused successive governments of neglecting deaf football and questioned why the team continued to struggle for basic assistance while other national sides received state funding.
“Are deaf people not Ghanaians?” Mr Ekpo said, describing the treatment of deaf athletes as persistent discrimination.
“We deserve to be treated as human beings and as citizens of this country. We will continue to fight until our needs are met, and we are given the equal treatment we deserve to travel, compete and bring honour to our nation.”
The association’s petition alleges years of institutional neglect, including unpaid tournament costs, insufficient equipment and limited access to national sporting facilities.
It claims the Black Wonders are regularly charged to use National Sports Authority (NSA) facilities, although NSA Deputy Director-General Veronica Commey recently intervened to ease those problems.
The GDFA says government funding has remained virtually non-existent despite the submission of annual programmes and budgets. It adds that the team’s operating budget is approximately 10 times smaller than those of Ghana’s other national football teams, but has still not been met.
Players have reportedly relied on personal contributions from officials to buy jerseys, while previous international achievements have brought neither financial rewards nor adequate recognition.
The association also recalled preparations for the 2023 Deaf Football World Cup, when Dr Agyeman-Rawlings’ intervention reportedly secured only 20 air tickets for players and officials. Debts from that campaign remain unpaid, it claims, despite further appeals to the ministry.
For DAFCON, the GDFA says it submitted its budget to Minister Adams in April but is still waiting for the required funding. Mr Ekpo has challenged the minister to honour a commitment made during parliamentary vetting to support inclusive sports development rather than prioritising established national teams.
Despite continued lobbying by Dr Agyeman-Rawlings, the Black Wonders have no certainty that they will travel to Ethiopia.
“We demand inclusion as Ghanaians and not to be treated as second-class citizens,” the association said.
