Sports
GFA makes appointments
Ghana Football Association (GFA) Executive Council member, Frederick Acheampong, leads a list of officials who have been appointed to serve on various panels in the new refereeing structure of the association.
The CAF Match Coordinator has been appointed to chair the newly-created Referees Assessors and Classification Panel.
He is joined by retired FIFA referee Justice Yeboah and Emmanuella Aglago as members.
The trio will be responsible for evaluating and assessing the performance of referees by giving advice and constructive comments to help the development of the referees while also using a marking system. They will also analyse the performance of referees in the matches in their various categories under the auspices of the Ghana Football Association. They are also responsible for grading and classification of referees.
In a related development, Deputy Chairman of the Central Regional Football Association, Dr Francis Eyiah Bediako, will chair the Referees Match Review Panel, while experienced but retired referee R.K Atifu is part of a three-man Instructors team announced by the FA.
Other members of the Match Review Panel are Innocentia Agbavitor – Retired FIFA referee and Paul Ayamba – Chairman, Match Commissioners.
This panel will review incidents picked up by official League footage and make a decision to refer the incident to the tribunal based on the rules of the game as outlined on a report sheet. They shall operate independently of Referees Committee.
Members of the Instructors panel (Technical) are Christine Zigah, R.K Atiffu and Seidu Bomisson.
Their responsibilities include refereeing strategies, training referees on League specific rules, training referees on player misconduct handling, ethics in refereeing, training referees on refereeing positioning and training referees on psychology.
According to an FA statement, this list will be reviewed and improved continuously.
There shall also be a minimum of three technical Instructors in every region.
The Physical Instructors Panel includes Augustine Fugah, Tetteh Opae and Vivian Agor. They are expected to come up with a training theory for referees. They are also responsible for the fitness of referees and their training. This list will be reviewed and improved continuously.
There shall also be a minimum of three Physical Instructors in every region.
Ghana will face Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia and Somalia in Group C of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The draw was held on Tuesday in Cairo, where African nations learned their routes to the continental tournament.
Two teams will qualify from each of the 12 groups of four for the finals. The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda — the first East African co-hosting arrangement in the competition’s history.
Ghana head into the qualifiers targeting one of the two slots from Group C after missing out on the previous edition in Morocco.
Qualifying schedule:
Matchdays 1 & 2: September 21 – October 6, 2026
Matchdays 3 & 4: November 9 – 17, 2026
Matchdays 5 & 6: March 22 – 30, 2027
Black Stars assistant coach Roger De Sá says joining Carlos Queiroz’s technical team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was a no-brainer.
Speaking on Beyond The Whistle, the South African revealed Queiroz’s call was no surprise given their long-standing relationship and shared ambition.
“The call from Carlos did not surprise me. We have similar dreams and I always want to see him succeed,” De Sá said.
For the experienced coach, Ghana’s pedigree made the decision easy.
“Being called to assist Carlos was not difficult. This is Ghana and it’s the World Cup we are talking about,” he stated.
De Sá recalled the moment Queiroz rang: “It was an exciting 3am call. I told my wife first and, as custom, she said, ‘We are leaving.’ I replied, ‘Let’s go!’”
He praised Queiroz’s collaborative style: “Carlos listens. He doesn’t have to take every opinion, but he welcomes different views.”
Back in Africa, De Sá said the feeling was special. “It’s great to be back. Africa is not a place, it’s a feeling.”
The former Bafana Bafana assistant was full of praise for Ghana’s talent pool.
“There is so much natural talent in Ghana despite limited resources. As an African football lover, the talent here is unbelievable. You guys don’t know what you have with limited facilities and infrastructure,” he said.
Comparing both nations, De Sá noted: “We in South Africa have talent too, but a different kind with all the facilities. Yet we don’t go forward with our talent.”
Ahead of the World Cup, he believes the Black Stars only need unity.
“We are not going to teach them how to play. We have the players. We only have to put them in the right position, with the right frame of mind, and when they put on the jersey, they should perform.”
De Sá assured Ghanaians of the technical team’s commitment.
“We are here to do our best and make Ghanaians happy. If Carlos does his job, there is none better than him,” he said.
“We will pick our targets as they come. If our players play to their abilities, we have a realistic chance to progress,” he concluded.
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