By Rachel Kakraba
Panelists on GTV Sports+ programme “Saving Our Passion”, have raised the need for the Ghana Football Association, GFA which is the body responsible for football administration in the country, to strive at having collaboration with the government for an effective football environment.
They argued football aside being a passion of the nation, is a tool for social cohesion and economic empowerment for which reasons stronger collaboration are required to maintain the enthusiasm to the game.
Although the worlds football governing body FIFA discourages interference of governments in football, a lawyer, Former Sports Journalist, and Former Member of GFA’s Disciplinary Committee Eva Otchere, believes it behoves on the government to discover creative ways engaging the GFA.
“Government on the other hand I think we have said it in more ways than one that there are different creative ways of ensuring that they coexist and cooperate effectively with the Ghana football association.”
This she added will ensure football blossoms in the country.
Lawyer, Member of FIFA/Government of Ghana’s Normalisation Committee, Naa Odofoley Nortey, noted the GFA will be able to wean itself off governmental control, only when it is able to provide its facilities.
“Until such time that Premier League Clubs will have their own venues which meet International standards and they do not have to rely on the facilities provided for by government they really do not have a choice than to tow the line in terms of certain things that are required of them.”
For his part, Lawyer, Sports Pundit and Corporate Legal Practitioner Samuel Bartels, acknowledged that, although the Football Association experiences some level of control from government, it must however, devise appropriate ways in dealing with such controls”.
“If you want to have your way, quote and unquote I think they are softer ways of getting that end results”, he said.