The Referees Committee of the Ghana Football Association in consultation with the Assessors and Classification Panel have approved a list of Thirty Referees for next month’s FIFA/MA ELITE Online Course.

The FIFA course will run from 30th September to 2nd October 2020.

The list includes Twenty FIFA Referees and Ten-Class One Referees. GFA Physical Instructors, Anthony Tetteh-Opae, Augustine Fugah and Vivian Aggor who are responsible for the Training Theory and the fitness of referees and their training will be in charge of the physical and endurance test of these referees.

The referees will undergo an individual confinement test on Core & Static and YOYO Test before the main course in September. The physical test that normally takes place at one location will now take a new turn, as referees will go through the session on their own through a central monitoring system due to the COVID-19 pandemic.



Attached is the full list of referees selected for the course.

Referees

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After several pleas from Ghanaian clubs to government and other relevant stakeholders of the game through the Ghana Football Association, help finally came to the relief of many.

This week the football association in a statement disclosed how the $1.8m received from FIFA and CAF will be disbursed to the clubs.

But that has been met with some serious backlash, with some coming out in full force to register their displeasure about the turn of events.

Division One League campaigner’s New Edubiase’s owner Abdul Salam Yakubu, has emphatically stated that his club will not accept the Covid-19 relief package that is yet to be shared.



“If the FA fails to show Division One clubs the needed respect, this is how things will be. I have rejected my money and I expect the various clubs to take the FA on. I hate cheating and it is clear that the FA wants to cheat the clubs and we club owners must stand up,” he told Asempa FM.

Others have also jumped on the bandwagon to register their distaste on how the FA is handling the Covid-19 fund.

Nana Kwasi Darlington of Bechem United has called on FA to equitably share the fund amongst the 18-Premier League teams amid rumors Hearts and Kotoko will receive more.

“It is unfair to suggest Kotoko and Hearts should be given a bigger portion of FIFA COVID-19 relief fund. It is childish to say that Kotoko and Hearts should receive a bigger amount than the rest of the clubs. Which clubs do they play against in the league?” he asked

President of Berekum Chelsea Nana Kwame Nketiah, together with others are seeking clarity on the disbursement when they meet the FA in the coming days.

Ghana Premier League teams are set to receive US$15,000 whiles Division One sides take a paltry USD$7,500.

Since the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus, lots of clubs have had to initiate ad-hoc measures to stay afloat, halved the salaries of the playing staff, technical staff, auxiliary staff, and relieving others in wake of the Covid-19.

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National U20(female) Head Coach, Yusif Basigi, and Assistant Coach of the Black Satellites, Evans Augustine Adotey will participate in a FIFA Coach Educators’ Individual Mentoring programme.

The two coaches participated in the FIFA Coach Educators’ Course (CEC) programme in 2018 and 2019 in collaboration with CAF.

As part of internal capacity building for Member Association’s and the continuous professional development for the coach educators globally, FIFA is implementing the 2020 edition of the programme.

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the current global situation where football activities are restricted, an online individual mentoring programme is being organized for the coaches.

The course forms part of FIFA’s commitment to increase the opportunities that exist within football for coaches.

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The Ghana Football Association is set to receive $1 million in grants from  FIFA after the world football governing body approved a $1.5 billion relief fund to help member associations impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The GFA will receive an extra $500,000 to support women’s football.

The GFA has already benefitedd $500,000 from FIFA’s early release of FIFA Forward Funds.

Gianni Infantino, the Fifa president, said the relief fund had been “unanimously approved” by the members of its council and insisted there would be “strict controls” on how the money is spent.

All 211 member associations will be entitled to a “basic solidarity grant” of $1m each as well as $500,000 which must be invested in women’s football.

In addition, member associations can also apply for a COVID-19 relief loan worth 35% of their revenue up to a maximum of $5 million each. Continental governing bodies will get $2 million as a relief grant, and can also apply for an extra $4 million relief loan.

Infantino promised “strict controls on the use of the funds, with audits”, and said there would be “very clear conditions” for how loans are repaid.

Fifa is financing the enormous relief fund by dipping into its reserves, with $328 million covering grants and $556 million to finance loans, Infantino said.

“Clubs and federations are in real danger. In some parts of the world, football has not restarted. We need to help them,” he said.

The creation of the relief fund had been announced by Fifa in March, when football across much of the globe was halted as the pandemic spread.

The Zurich-based body had already announced in April that it would free up $150 million in subsidies to member associations to help deal with the consequences of the crisis.






culled from Citisports

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The Refereeing Department of FIFA has taken a decision to organize courses via an online classroom tool to provide support for referees.

This was contained in a letter signed by FIFA Director of Refereeing Massimo Busacca and sent to all Member Associations.

“Due to the major impact of the virus on the organization of events such as in-person courses and seminars, FIFA has been searching for alternative ways to continue our mission of supporting and improving refereeing globally.

“We understand how important it is to provide solutions that allow referees to develop and train as safely and effectively as possible,” the letter read.

“Therefore, we are pleased to inform you that FIFA refereeing will now offer courses via an online classroom tool.

“This solution is designed to provide ongoing support to your referees, assistant referees, video assistant referees, instructors and assessors” it added.

The Ghana Football Association has since informed the Referees Committee about the development, whilst awaiting further information from FIFA to ensure that Ghanaian referees benefit from the initiative.

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The former head coach of the Black Stars James Kwesi Appiah has in full regalia registered his disappointment about the posturing of the Kurt Okraku led administration.

The former coach Kwesi Appiah says he will resort to legal means, when push comes to shove in order to retrieve unpaid wages and bonuses owed him from the Ghana Football Association (GFA).

The 59-year-old’s mandate came to an end in December 2019, after the Kurt Okraku led regime, who took over the reins of football administration from the FIFA/CAF Normalization Committee headed by Kofi Amoah decided against renewing his contract.

In a startling revelation on Accra based Starr FM, the former coach shared some rather bitter experiences he has had to harbor in the last few months.

“I decided to keep quiet on my salary issues all this while but I think if you are working with someone and you are no more, the best way is to give the person whatever he deserves and there will be peace,”

He added that in these difficult times, where the country, as well as the whole world, battles the global pandemic, how do the officials expect him to father his household?



“The question is ‘how do I feed my family? Meanwhile, I quite remember when they [GFA] took over [last October], [Normalisation Committee head] Dr. Kofi Amoah gave them $1,000,000 [€924,573.3] and I even understand there is also some $500,000 [462,286.6] from Fifa or whatever.

“The bottom line is you should look at the essential ones and try and sort it out. But it looks like they don’t care.

The former captain, however, threatened to resort to legal means in an ambition to recover every dime owed him, owing to the fact that, the new side recently captured his unpaid salaries as part of the infamous legacy debts.

“This is money I have worked for and they are not telling me anything which I feel it doesn’t show a sign of respect. So I have told my lawyers to deal with it.”

Appiah first took charge of the senior national team between 2012 and 2014, his tenure ended by a disappointing showing at the World Cup in Brazil.

He, however, left to manage Al Khartoum in Sudan then headed back to his homeland for a second stint in charge of Ghana in a two year period from 2017 – 2019.

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World football governing body, FIFA has closed its file on the issues relating to player, Kwame Bonsu, Asante Kotoko and Esperance.

In a letter dated May 4, 2020 and signed by Head of Players’ Status at FIFA, Erika Montemor Ferreira; FIFA said it would “proceed to the closure of the file” after the amicable agreement between the two clubs.

FIFA’s correspondence came two days after it received a communication from Closemarking Consult, the firm that aided Kotoko in the matter, explaining that the two clubs have successfully resolved the issue.

Esperance had earlier delayed in paying Bonsu’s transfer fee in view of the unresolved issues around the signing of Emmanuel Clottey. Kotoko would subsequently be fined US$240,000 by FIFA with the breakdown as follows – transfer fee US$180,000; accrued interest, US$45,000 and legal charges – US$15,000.

A pact was however reached between Kotoko and Esperance to waive the US$45,000 accrued interest; US$150,000 being Bonsu transfer fee paid as part payment to offset the US$180,000 debt with the remaining US$30,000 rather paid by Kotoko.

With the necessary payments thus made and acknowledged by Esperance and FIFA, Kotoko now have a clean bill of health and would suffer no transfer ban in consequence.



Culled: www.akscgh.com

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In a little over a week, FIFA promised member countries that they were each going to receive a stimulus package to the tune of $500,000, this they say should help soften the financial impact of the virus on member countries.



Prior to this development, clubs had persistently petitioned the government through the FA to provide some financial respite to help them ease the massive financial overload on them in these trying times.

But with the FA in line to receive the stimulus package like other countries, Communications Director of GFA, Henry Asante Twum has dealt a serious blow to the hopes of club owners suggesting that the $500,000 package from FIFA is meant for the Ghana Football Association (GFA)’s operational cost and not for the clubs.

In a recent interview with Accra based Asempa FM’s Ultimate Sports Show, he said.

“The Ghana Football Association is yet to receive the $500,000 from FIFA,”

“The money will be used to cover operational costs at the Football Association and I can state categorically that the money FIFA is bringing is not for clubs.

However, this statement has been met with some backlash as the President and bankroller of Berekum Arsenal, Alhaji Yakubu Moro has called on the FA boss, Kurt Okraku to respect clubs over the $500,000 FIFA stimulus package.

According to the Yakubu Moro, clubs are in crisis and the FA must show respect in distributing the money as soon as possible.

“What he (Henry Asante Twum) said doesn’t make sense if you inform us (club owners) that you are going to solicit funds from the government for us amid the Covid-19 downturn and thankfully FIFA has given you money why don’t you give it to us?”

“There wouldn’t be GFA if there is no club, so I am urging my colleague club owners to rise for us to fight for our rights, they shouldn’t keep quiet over this issue like they did when the GLO money came.

“The GFA should think twice and apportion some of the funds to us, the suffering is unbearable to us.

The Ghana Premier League is not being played as the country battles the virus.

The Ministry of Health reports that it has confirmed 1279 cases, 134 recoveries, 10 deaths.

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The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has been mandated by FIFA to impose a national transfer ban on Asante Kotoko if they fail to make payment to Esperance before May 17, 2020.



The Porcupine Warriors have been slapped with a $240,000 fine by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee for the illegal registration of Emmanuel Clottey in 2015 who was then a player of the Tunisian club.

FIFA in a statement has warned the Ghanaian club to make payment before the deadline or risk being demoted and banned from all football activities.

The statement read, “As a member of FIFA, the Ghana Football Association is reminded of its duty to implement this decision and provide FIFA with proof that the transfer ban has been implemented at a national level.

FIFA added that should the GFA fail to implement the ban will also lead to sanctions: “If the Ghana Football Association does not comply with this decision, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee will decide on appropriate sanctions on the member. This can lead to expulsion from FIFA competitions”.

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The Ghana Football Association is in pole position to receive financial assistance from FIFA, to mitigate the financial burdens of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The virus, as a result, has plunged the suspension of major activities around the world, which football has had its fair share off challenges.

This week in a video conference call with the over 200 associations over the world, FIFA president Gianni Infantino promised member associates funds from the body’s reserve funds.

According to Infantino, FIFA must look for solutions in the face of these prevailing situation it’s currently facing as well as the financial impact of the CoronaVirus effects on football.

He said, “FIFA enjoys a good reputation on the financial markets. This has helped us consolidate a solid foundation with large reserves.

“But our reserves are not FIFA’s money – it is football’s money. So when football is in need, we must think about what we can do to help. It is our responsibility and our duty.”

Infantino said a consultation process has already begun to assess the financial impact across football with a view to creating a fund with an independent governance structure.

The FIFA president said: “You have to know that we will be there and we will find solutions together.

“You will never be alone. The world will know where the money goes and, equally important, why the money goes there.”

This week most Ghanaian Premier League Clubs have endlessly wailed to the Government, GFA, and other stakeholders for some sort of financial aid in order to reduce their financial burden in wake of the global pandemic, COVID-19, which has affected lives and brought everything on the world stage to a grand halt.

Club CEOs, Administrators, Stakeholders, Football people will be keenly monitoring proceedings off how the monies made to GFA from FIFA will be shared to them amongst other rising issues.

The Ghana Premier League is suspended until further notice as the country together with the whole world battles the deadly, COVID-19.

As at today, a total of 408 cases have been confirmed and 8 persons have also been confirmed dead in Ghana.

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