Ghana’s government has been urged to clear outstanding debts owed to players of the Black Challenge before the national amputee football team competes at the 2026 World Amputee Football Cup in Mexico.
Talent Hour for Persons with Disabilities (TH4D) has also called on businesses and the public to provide financial support as Ghana prepares for the tournament, which will be held in San Juan de los Lagos from 13 to 22 November 2026.
The Black Challenge is one of 24 teams expected to compete for the world title.
In a statement issued on Monday, TH4D praised the Ghana National Paralympic Committee (NPC), its president Samson Deen and the team’s management for paying the participation fee that secured Ghana’s place in the competition.
The organisation also recognised President John Dramani Mahama’s previous donation of $10,000 to the team after its success at the 2024 African Amputee Football Cup of Nations in Egypt.
However, TH4D said players were still owed money from expenses linked to earlier competitions, including the 2023 African Paralympic Games and the 2024 African Amputee Football Cup of Nations.
It said some Ghanaian players based abroad had been forced to take personal loans to cover the cost of returning to their clubs after the 2024 tournament.
TH4D said the unpaid obligations had placed continued financial pressure on players who had represented Ghana internationally, and appealed to Mr Mahama and the government to settle the debts.
It also called for a dedicated package of rewards and incentives to recognise the team’s achievements and help motivate the players ahead of the tournament in Mexico.
African champions
The Black Challenge defeated Morocco 2-1 in Cairo to win the 2024 African Amputee Football Cup of Nations.
The title was Ghana’s second in succession at the continental tournament.
TH4D said it would continue working to promote inclusion and support athletes with disabilities in developing their sporting careers.
