Let the referees’ cash flow

 A PROPOSED amendment to extend the presidential term of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) obviously dominated conversations in the build up to the association’s 31st Ordinary Congress held at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram on Tuesday.

That particular move was very much criticised by people mostly outside the association.

The FA President, Kurt Okraku, was vilified and maligned by people hostile to the proposal, citing reasons including a desire to extend his stay in office although he was yet to make any such decision publicly.

But can the critics be faulted for their stance on the proposal? Obviously, the answer can be either yes or no.

That notwithstanding, football people voted massively at the Congress with about 10 voting against and abstaining. A total of 114 voted for the extension, indicating that the football people loves the idea.

In the next two years left on the current term, the unending conversation would switch to whether Okraku would consider a third term, a decision believed to have fuelled the proposal, or whether he would bow out.

However, Okraku’s response to whether he intends to continue or not must lay to rest the issue for now to digest some goodies announced at the Congress.

At a post Congress presser, Okraku stated that discussion on whether he would continue or not was premature.

That of course should apply the brakes on the discussion of the tenure extension to scrutinise some of the seemingly pleasant packages announced at the Congress.

The reward package announced for Ghana Premier League (GPL) was not just a novelty but very rewarding and mouthwatering.

For the first time in the history of the GPL, every club is set to pocket an amount of GH¢1m before kickoff.

Additionally, a total of GH¢9.5 million would be shared among the best performing teams in the competition, with the winners all the way to the 15th position expected to smile to bank after the season.

According to Mr Okraku, the winner of the 2025-26 Ghana Premier League (GPL) would get GH¢2 million while the runner-up would get GH¢1million.

The new merit award would also have the third place team receive GH¢800,000; fourth-placed team GH¢750,000; fifth placed-team GH¢700,000 and sixth-place team getting GH¢600,000.

Seventh-place team will pocket GH¢650,000; eighth-place team GH¢550,000; ninth placed-team GH¢500,000; 10th -place team GH¢450,000; 11th place team GH¢400,000; 12th place team GH¢350,000; 13th-place team GH¢300,000; 14th-place team GH¢250,000 and 15th-place taking GH¢200,000.

The good news is that the referees – who play an integral role in the success or otherwise of the competition, were not left out of the new FA windfall.

Beginning the 2025/26 football season, all 280 referees across the three major leagues –GPL, Division One League (DOL) and Women Premier League (WPL); will enjoy a huge insurance cover as individuals, as a group, critical illness, against permanent disability, medical expenses, and workmen’s compensation, among others.

What probably might interest the referees the more was the announcement of an enhanced financial incentive.

FIFA referees would be paid GH¢2,500.00 per game, while non-FIFA referees receive GH¢2,000.00 per game for GPL games. DOL and WPL referees will each take home GH¢1, 000.00.

In addition to these, referees will continue to enjoy a 50 per cent discount on travels via the FA’s partnership with STC plus other incentives.

Okraku’s administration deserves a pat on the shoulder for realising the need to bolster the referees who have often gone about their activities under very grim circumstances with many complaining of non-payment of their allowances.

Announcing these incentives must not just be a rhetoric. The FA must ensure that funds are readily available to make sure they are paid on time.

It is the hope of many that the stories about referees depending on their partners or friends as well as club officials before honouring their roles should be something of the past.

That would be the only way to sustain the hype around these incentives and justify the actions of football people that voted for the amendments that sought to suggest that Kurt Okraku is on his way to a third term.

 By Andrew Nortey