By: Kwame Bediako
Ghana Football Association President, Kurt Okraku, has acknowledged the delay in paying match officials and assured fans and stakeholders that efforts are being made to resolve the issue. His comments come amidst reports indicating growing unrest among referees over unpaid allowances, which has raised concerns about the integrity of the ongoing Ghana Premier League season.
The situation was brought to light through a statement from CRAMCOG, which revealed that members of the Concerned Referees and Match Commissioners of Ghana (CRAMCOG) have threatened to boycott the remainder of the 2024/25 league due to a 21-week delay in their payments.
CRAMCOG expressed their frustration over the treatment of referees, emphasizing that fairness should extend to officials responsible for enforcing the rules of the game.
In a recent interview on Asempa FM, Kurt Okraku admitted that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) owes referees but assured that the organization is working tirelessly to address the issue. He explained that financial challenges caused by unpaid funds from their broadcast partner, StarTimes, have impacted cash flow, but the GFA remains committed to ensuring referees are paid promptly.
Okraku also dismissed reports of a potential referees’ boycott, emphasizing that the FA remains in good faith with match officials. “Reject the report of a pullout. The FA has not shown bad faith towards referees. If there are challenges, we fix them together,” he stated.
As the league continues this weekend with a highly anticipated match between Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko in Accra, all eyes will be on how the situation with the referees unfolds.
