By Rihana Adam, GNA
Accra, Jan. 29, GNA – Mr. Christoph Suppiger, Head of Finance Governance of FIFA has said integrity and good financial management are key principles to the development of football.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the three-day FIFA Finance Governance seminar in Ghana, he said, “FIFA is here to help, support, train and to ensure members are confident in their financial strategy”.
The three-day program is designed for General Secretaries and Chief Financial Officers of each Member Association (MA) in Africa.
Participating countries were Cape Verde, Liberia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Gambia, Kenya, Sierra Leone and host nation Ghana.
Mr. Mark Addo, Vice President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) highlighted the importance of responsible financial governance in ensuring long-term viability of football.
He said FIFA was achieving its goal through the inclusiveness of community engagement in grassroot football.
“As we all know, football is more than just a sport. It is a global force that unites people, communities and nations.”
“But for the game to thrive, especially off the pitch, sound financial management is non-negotiable.”
He said the workshop would also reflect FIFA’s commitment to safeguard the resources channeled to member nations to sustain the growth of football.
He said, “on behalf of President Kurt Okraku we welcome you to Accra, we thank FIFA for choosing Ghana to host this workshop”.
“The workshop would deepen our understanding and financial governance, which is a cornerstone of football.”
“In Ghana, we have made strides in strengthening governance through modern auditing practices, robust financial systems and fostering trust among stakeholders.”
Andrea Portabella, Senior Capacity Development and Education Manager, said the FIFA campus would serve as a new platform to centralize football development and education.
He said the platform was to bring member association closer to each other to share ideas and knowledge in football.
Mr. Prosper Harrison (Esq) General Secretary of GFA said, “we are here to learn and share knowledge with other member associations, it is going to give us the experience that we need to be able to go back to our association to implement it”.
GNA