The Ghana Football Association (GFA) have vehemently denied allegations that it pocketed $1 million from the betPawa sponsorship deal, meant for the advertisement of the Ghana Premier League.
The GFA have been criticised for failing to promote the top-flight league, prompting accusations of financial impropriety.
Speaking to Akoma FM, GFA General Secretary, Prosper Harrison Addo, rejected the accusations as false, and explained that the association even promotes league matches more than the clubs themselves. He stated that promotion is not the responsibility of a particular group only, and clubs must also do their part, as they receive the majority share of the gate proceeds.
“Sometimes it seems FA promotes the games but the clubs do not. Clubs were told to do pre-match conferences on Thursdays and Fridays, they started and stopped later, and should the FA apply the laws journalists will jump to the conclusion that we (the FA) are against them,” Harrison Addo added.
On the whereabouts of the $1 million allocated for the promotion of the league, Harrison Addo explained that attendance is not only about the promotion Betpawa wants to do. He cited a past instance where a sponsor had wanted to do something similar but could not, since all sponsorship money had been given to the clubs. Therefore, in the betPawa deal, the company had decided to keep $1 million for promotion and other related activities, including the locker room bonus.
The GFA have been working towards improving the Ghana Premier League’s image and has recently secured a $10 million sponsorship deal with StarTimes. The association hopes to use this funding to improve the league’s infrastructure and overall quality.