Sports
One-day training workshop for Match Commissioners concluded
A one-day workshop for Premier League Match Commissioners was held on Monday September 2, 2024, ahead of the start of the 2024-25 season.
President of the Ghana Football Association(GFA), Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, welcomed the Commissioners to the GFA Headquarters at Ridge, Accra, and expressed his gratitude for their sacrifices and commitment to the growth of football in the country.
He underlined the crucial role played by the officers tasked to supervise the organisation of Premier League matches and for ensuring that GFA Rules and Regulations are comprehensively observed.
“I want all of you to remember that our collective vision should be driven through hard work. Whatever it takes, whatever you have to do to deliver football to the best of your ability, you must not depart from it. We sit at home and we watch football on TV being delivered by some people and we enjoy it. We are excited tuning into the TV to watch what they are doing on the screens. We can also do same. I say that some of my classmates in the university are responsible for the things that you see in the La Liga, in the Bundesliga, in Serie A so why can we not do it. It is all about mindset, attitude and our determination to do what is right.” he charged the Match Commissioners.
The one-day workshop touched on a number of areas such as amendments to the Laws of the game, Integrity, the Competition Management System (CMS), Report Writing, the Role of the modern Match Commissioner and how to conduct successful Technical Meetings.
Head of the Information Technology department, Francis Essah Adu, took participants through the effective use of the Competition Management System in filing reports on matches.
Deputy General Secretary in charge of National Teams and CAF Match Commissioner, Alex Asante, also lectured participants on accepted standards of overseeing Matches and the core duties of match commissioning, including countdown on match days.
Retired referee Julian Nunoo took participants through a number of rules, regulations, clarifications and amendments to the current Laws of the game.
Other pertinent aspects of the game, including misconduct, compliance and protection of the game’s integrity were discussed.
Already relegated Eleven Wonders FC return to action on Friday with a determined quest to salvage pride as they host Bechem United FC at the Swedru Sports Stadium in the Premier League.
Despite their confirmed drop, Eleven Wonders remain committed to finishing the season on a competitive note. However, their campaign has been a difficult one, reflected in their poor run of form.
They are winless in their last five league matches, managing just a single draw against FC Samartex 1996 while suffering four defeats.
The numbers further highlight their struggles this season. With only 10 points from 28 matches, Eleven Wonders sit at the bottom of the table, having scored the fewest goals (17) and conceded the most (53) in the league.
Their home performances have offered little relief, with just one win, one draw, and three consecutive defeats in their last five matches on home soil—making them the weakest home side in the competition.
In contrast, Bechem United travel to Swedru with renewed confidence.
The Hunters have shown encouraging improvement, picking up points in four of their last five matches, including back-to-back 2-1 victories, two draws, and just one defeat. They currently sit 13th on the table with 37 points from 28 games, albeit with a game in hand over some of their rivals.
Having scored 25 goals and conceded 31 this season, Bechem United remain locked in a tense battle to avoid relegation, sitting just two points above the drop zone. While their recent form is promising, their away record remains a concern.
They have managed just one win, two draws, and ten defeats in 13 away matches this season.
That solitary away victory came in a crucial 2-1 triumph over FC Samartex 1996 at the Nsenkyire Sports Arena on matchday 27—a result they will look to build upon as they aim to secure valuable points on the road.
The Black Queens will on Wednesday, April 29, learn their opponents for the African qualifying phase of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games Women’s Football Tournament.
The draw, organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), will take place at CAF headquarters in Cairo and will be streamed live on CAF TV from 15:00 local time (12:00 GMT).
Ghana is among 35 national teams participating in the qualification campaign, which will determine the two African representatives for the women’s football tournament at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, scheduled for July 11 to 29, 2028.
The qualification series will be played over five rounds, with each nation aiming to secure one of the two available slots for Africa at the global event in Los Angeles.
Having recently climbed to 59th in the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings and currently ranked third in Africa, the draw marks the beginning of another major international mission, the quest to seek a return to Olympic football.
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