By Iddi Yire
Accra, Sept 08, GNA – President John Dramani Mahama has called for the rebranding of Ghanaian football to make it more competitive.
He urged the Ghana Football Association, the Referees Association of Ghana and owners of football clubs to ensure that the bar was raised to international standards to make local football highly competitive.
The President made the appeal during a courtesy call on him at the Presidency in Accra by Medeama Sporting Club (SC), the reigning champion of the Ghana Premier League and 2026 Champion of Champions, Nations Football Club (FC) and Ampem Darkoa Ladies Football Club.
President Mahama presented a cheque GH¢342,000 (USD 30,000) to Medeama SC in support of their African Continental League Championship matches.
He also presented GH¢228,000 (USD 20,000) to Nations FC and GH¢114,000 (USD 10,000) to Ampem Darkoa Ladies FC.
At the event, Medeama SC and Nations FC presented their trophies. to the President
President Mahama said unfair refereeing was one of the things that was destroying our soccer.
“I mean, the matches are played before they are played. And everybody, we know, for every match, there’s a ways and means budget,” he said.
He added: “It makes the league not competitive because the match has been played already; somebody has won, so what’s the use going to play the match anyway?”
The President urged both the Ghana Referees Association and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to see how they could improve refereeing.
He said a lot of the spectators had abandoned going to watch matches because they believe that the matches were pre-sets before they even go to play the match.
“And so, spectator numbers are dwindling. Gate fee proceeds are going down. It is in our interest to make the league competitive,” he said.
President Mahama added: “The matches must be tough. Everybody must leave feeling that there’s a neutral referee and that whoever won won.”
President Mahama noted Football was a very good branding instrument for any country and that soccer was followed by millions of people across the world.
He said Football was something that could sell a country’s brand very well.
Recounting Ghana’s past glory in the African Continental Clubs League matches, the President urged Medeama SC and other Ghanaian clubs to put spirited performances at the continental level in order to regain Ghana’s past glory.
“And in those days, Ghana was one of the titans of African soccer, especially at the club level. Yeah, not anymore. Our fortunes at the club level have dwindled. And we need to find out why club level soccer is not as strong as it used to be,” he said.
“We should be able to build more giants and winners on the continent. I want to commend those who, out of their own pockets of funding these teams. I know it’s a very heavy obligation. And so I want to commend you for the enthusiasm and the interest that you are taking in supporting these teams.”
He said the Government had set up the Sports Development Fund to facilitate that and that the government would commit some money to it but was however also looking to the private sector to put in additional money.
President Mahama commended the teams that had won the championships in their league and were going on to the Continental level.
He said: “Last year, two teams came to me. Unfortunately, with all the enthusiasm, they didn’t go far. But I hope that this year will be different,” he said, adding, that “and that even though your opponents are formidable, I think that when the going gets tough, the tough gets going.
“TPMazimbi is a very well-known team in Africa. And it is my hope that you’ll be able to overcome them.”
President Mahama said the nation had done much better in women’s soccer than in men’s soccer.
“Our women have won more trophies for us than men. And yet we put all the money into men’s soccer. And so, in the spirit of affirmative action, we must look at the women’s soccer teams and also help to bring them up,” he said
President Mahama said the Government had allocated an amount in this year’s budget for the construction of ten sports stadia in North Western, Ahafo, Bono, Bono East, Savannah, Upper West, Upper East, North East, Oti and Volta Regions.
GNA.