Sports
Beyond the FIFA badges
Twenty-two FIFA badges were presented to Ghanaian referees and assistants based on their performance from the previous year.
Historically, FIFA gives these Referees’ badges for the calendar year to the top ranked referees from the previous year who excel in both local and international matches.
And, owing to the importance of referees not only in sports but other spheres of life, it is important to congratulate them instead of attempting to denigrate the feat.
It is a major feat in every sense of the word. Selecting 22 from a field of hundreds of match officials across the country should tell us that these group of officials have done something good.
The recipients comprised 10 Centre Referees, 10 Assistant Referees, a Futsal Referee, Beach Soccer Referee, and Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
Officiating has been one of the most challenging areas in sports in Ghana, especially football and it is a global phenomenon.
In fact, the recent rift between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Boxing Association (IBA) leading to the latter’s split is as a result of ills committed by referees.
Football has not been spared of the controversies associated with officiating with announcement of referees’ sanctions flying around most of the time.
In the Ghana Premier League (GPL), it is a major worry for clubs, especially when they are faced with away matches where some of their calls beats one’s imagination.
A lot of the incidents that have clouded the game’s integrity in controversy have come from referee’s decisions with the unfortunate May 9 Accra Sports Stadium incident.
At the presentation ceremony, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, and General Secretary, Prosper Harrison Addo, congratulated the officials and made statement I found very profound.
“This is not to say that there have not been challenges. Refereeing is an art that has to grow continuously. On that journey of growth, there will be mistakes. On that journey of growth, there will be challenges.
“But when you are very motivated and your eyes are fixed on excellence, you continue to invest in yourself and to challenge yourself towards being much better at every given opportunity. That’s why I’m so happy about the performances you guys have put up on the African continent, especially. We will continue to push and to ask for more opportunities for you. And I hope that when such opportunities come, you will not disappoint us.”
The duo were right in their statements but what they failed to add were the roles expected of them to play in order to ensure that the performances of these referees are improved and make those investment in themselves.
Referees themselves have complained about treatment meted out to them on several platforms. They go for months without being paid their allowances.
In a funny and jovial manner, some shared how they take loans from their wives/partners to enable them travel to match destinations and return on that same money source.
If such a debt hangs around the neck of the referee, how can he get the concentration to interpret the laws of the game on the field of play?
The only way out for such a referee would be to officiate to the gallery of the home team who as host would make every pleasantry available to the referee – accommodation, feeding, money and others.
This is the reason why the FA must put in place the needed measures to ensure that the referees gets the needed support to improve their standards.
In cases when they are found culpable of some of the incidents that mars a game, they must be quickly sanctioned to serve as a deterrent to others.
By Andrew Nortey
Sports
President Kurt E.S Okraku closes FIFA Club Professionalisation and Management workshop
The President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, has urged Premier League Club representatives to apply the knowledge gained from the FIFA Club Professionalisation and Management workshop, which concluded on Wednesday March 5, 2025.
The President made the remarks when he closed the two-day workshop, organised for top Ghana Premier League Executives and supported by the world governing body, FIFA, at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence (GSCE) in Prampram.
President Simeon-Okraku also expressed his gratitude to FIFA for supporting the Football Association’s efforts to enhance football development, while urging the club representatives to apply the knowledge gained from the workshop to foster sustainable growth within their teams.
‘I remember when all of you here offered me the chance to lead in 2019, I paid a visit to Zurich and I met President Gianni (Infantino). One of the foremost topics I picked up with him was ways of empowering Africa by way of knowledge and education-sharing. Because I truly, truly thought, and I still think, that it is a key need area for us in Africa,” President Okraku said
“Some of us are blessed to have had a chance to go and study football. But we need more people to have the right level of skill sets to be able to deliver football the way it has to be delivered. So bringing this training to our doorstep, in my opinion, is a blessing. And I will not only say thank you again to FIFA, but I will definitely ask for more.
“Because knowledge exchange should always be timeless. Seeking knowledge should be a key part of our journey in this industry. And I believe that every club right here would want not only to exchange, but also to learn. Therefore, I would always say, FIFA, bring us more. Bring us more of such opportunities so that we can close the gap. Because in the time past, many years ago, we never had so many niche areas in the management of football.”
The workshop aimed to improve the overall management and professional standards of the clubs by equipping them with the necessary knowledge and skills required for effective football administration.
The sessions focused on the latest trends in relation to club operations, stadium management, finance, marketing and communications, sporting strategy, governance, leadership and negotiation skills.
The GFA and FIFA hope to strengthen the administrative capabilities of Ghanaian football clubs, ultimately contributing to the long-term success and development of the sport in the country.
“This is what we need. Continuous exchange, continuous learning, continuous giving, continuous taking. And gradually, our football industry will be the industry that all of us have been yearning for. Without such spaces, such platforms, we will not get to the promised land. And I’m sure that between yesterday and today, you may have picked one of two new things.
“When we leave here, that should not be the end of our engagements. Let’s reach out to each others. Let’s cross-check what we have picked up here and add on. And by doing that, our clubs would improve. On behalf of the Executive Council, I thank you so much for accepting to be here. I pray that the almighty God will keep all of us together and together we would effect the changes in not only our clubs, but also the entire football family. Congratulations.” President Okraku applauded in his concluding remarks.
This initiative is part of the ongoing collaboration between the GFA and FIFA to professionalise football in Ghana and ensure that local clubs are equipped to compete at both domestic and international levels.
FIFA’s delegation is headed by Solomon Mudege, the Head of FIFA Development Programmes- Africa, Marcos Picallo Aguilar- FIFA Senior Professional Football Manager, and Development, Silmara Sousa – MA Regional Coordinator, FIFA Development Programmes.
FIFA Experience Instructor and Consultant Pedro Manuel Correia Miranda is the lead instructor for the programme.
From 4-5 March 2025, the workshop brought together two representatives from each of Ghana’s 18 premier division clubs.
Sports
Premier League Returns with Exciting Match Day 23 Fixtures
The Ghana Premier League is set to return with thrilling Match Day 23 fixtures following the unexpected break following the death of Asante Kotoko fan Francis Yaw Frimpong, as the title race and top-four battle continue to heat up.
League leaders Bibiani Goldstars will aim to maintain their position at the top when they welcome Nations FC to the Duns Park. Goldstars, with a narrow one-point lead, cannot afford any slip-ups as they look to extend their advantage.
Second-placed Asante Kotoko will host Legon Cities at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in a crucial match as they seek to keep up the pressure on the leaders. Meanwhile, Hearts of Oak will face Young Apostles at the Legon Sports Stadium in another key encounter.
In what promises to be an intense clash, Heart of Lions, who are just a point behind Bibiani Goldstars, will visit Vision FC at the Nii Adjei Kraku II Sports Complex in Tema New Town. With the title within reach, Lions will be eager to grab all three points.
Elsewhere, 7th-placed Medeama SC will lock horns with 6th-placed Bechem United in a crunch fixture, as both teams look to boost their standing in the league table.
Defending champions FC Samartex will take on Nsoatreeman FC at the Bibiani Duns Park on Monday, hoping to reclaim their dominance in the league.
Berekum Chelsea will square off against Accra Lions at the Nana Agyemang Badu I Park in Dormaa, while Dreams FC will battle Aduana FC at the Tuba AstroTurf in a game that promises fireworks.
Meanwhile, Karela United will play hosts to Basake Holy Stars, rounding off what is set to be an exhilarating weekend of football in the Ghana Premier League.
With the league standings tight at the top, every match will be crucial as teams fight for supremacy, top-four spots, and survival in Ghana’s elite football competition.
