Former three-time African footballer of the year Abedi Ayew ‘Pele’ has called on the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to share lessons from the three-day high-level FIFA financial governance workshop.

The workshop held recently was focused on the latest insights and tools for enhancing financial governance and accountability in football administration.

This, according to Abedi Pele, must be shared with local clubs to help them understand the importance and value of the best financial practices to save Ghana football from its present downward spiral.

He made this known at the closing ceremony of the workshop last Friday in Accra, which was organised for representatives from 10 African countries.

The Ghanaian legend, while applauding FIFA for selecting Ghana to host the high-level intensive workshop, noted that workshops like the just-ended one were what the continent, and especially clubs in Ghana, were crying for to help and position them well for sponsorship and support from institutions of great repute to raise the level of the game higher.

“Issues of financial mismanagement, lack of accountability, transparency, and efficient resource use within football organisations have always been our bane here in Ghana, and with a workshop like this providing participants with valuable insights and tools to fortify their organisations’ financial foundations, ensuring long-term sustainability, accountability, and effective resource management, Ghanaian clubs will begin a reset to proper football management,” he said.

According to him “It’s a feather in the cup of the GFA to have FIFA selecting Ghana for this leg of the workshop. Now I call on you, General Secretary Prosper Harrison Addo, to make sure information from this workshop is spread across to all clubs in Ghana because these are the things they need to strengthen their governance framework and ensure the long-term growth and sustainability of the clubs.”

Mr Harrison Addo noted that it was a call in the right direction, and although his outfit has long started reforms in terms of the club licensing regulations, a lot more would be done to help clubs gain a firm foundation for the future success of the game.

“The workshop has been extremely helpful and equipped us with the tools and knowledge to uphold the highest standards, fostering trust and integrity within our football community,” the Maestro added.

Head of the Financial Governance Programme at FIFA, Christoph Suppiger, said the three-day session emphasised the importance of accountability, transparency, and responsible financial management within the context of the FIFA Forward programme and also helped Member Associations to know how to prevent conflict of interest, planning and budgeting, and the procurement process, as well as the importance of having adequate supporting documentation.

The workshop held under the banner of the newly established FIFA Campus, which serves as the central football learning hub for all FIFA capacity development and education initiatives, had Abedi Ayew decorating all the facilitators and participants with customized sashes as well as presenting signed Black Stars jerseys.

 By Raymond Ackumey