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GFA General Secretary closes CAF Regional Club Licensing Workshop in Accra
The General Secretary of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Prosper Harrison Addo, has closed a three-day CAF Regional Club Licensing Workshop in Accra, urging knowledge sharing and exchange of ideas as part of efforts to improve the game in Africa.
In his closing remarks to the 15 Member Associations (MA’s) of CAF who participated in the Workshop at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel in Accra on Wednesday May 22, 2024, the Chief Executive of the GFA, admonished the participants to draw from the experiences of the Club Licensing Managers across the continent to enhance their work.
The three-day workshop delved into the Club Licensing Online Platform (CLOP), which is set to become operational in the 2024/2025 Season.
“Club Licensing is the single most important tool that can change the game. Here in Ghana, we’ve been on a journey and I’m glad that we’re now at the stage where we can do this online. It’s a tedious work, but when you go through it successfully, you will appreciate that it can, and will change the game,” Prosper Harrison Addo said in his closing remarks.
“However, it is not an event! It is a process so I will urge that we pursue its implementation on a continuing basis; continuous improvement year in and year out, and together we’ll build the professional game in Africa,” he said.
The workshop in Ghana is the final lap of the CAF Regional Club Licensing Workshops, following successful events in Mauritania, Algeria, and Ethiopia.
The general objectives of the workshop are to train users for the Club Licensing Online Platform (CLOP), present the CAF Club Licensing regulatory framework (2022 edition) for men and women as well as to discuss the mandatory criteria for domestic and continental competitions.
The 15 Member Associations that attended the workshop included host, Ghana, Egypt, Nigeria, Liberia, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, South Africa, Eswatini, Botswana, Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, São Tomé e Príncipe.
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
