GFA: We’re only obeying FIFA on disbursement of COVID-19 Funds

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) says it is only obeying modalities set by FIFA on the usage of the FIFA COVID-19 Relief Funds  

The association is set to receive $1.5m grant from FIFA to help ease the financial challenges that have bedeviled the sport as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Ahead of this, the football association last week released the formula for the disbursement of the Relief Funds, allocating USD$500,000 to be shared to only the women’s game and the women clubs as per the stipulations of FIFA.

The release had allocations for the various national teams for camping and some overhead costs related to the GFA Technical Centre at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence, Prampram.

Also, there were allocations for Referees, Match Commissioners, Venue Media Officers, Media, coaches among other stakeholders

This communication by the FA, sparked some division among football administrators with some calling on clubs to boycott collection of the monies allocated to them, describing it as paltry sum, while others have poured invectives on the association for their decision.

However, reacting to the uproar that greeted the communication from the football association, GFA General Secretary Prosper Harrison Addo, said those complaining have gotten it all wrong, insisting that his outfit was only obeying the orders and guidelines of FIFA in the disbursement of the funds.

“The document that establishes the release of the money to the association states that we should not spend the money on only elite football, but do so on the national teams, other members and stakeholders that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Explaining portions of the disbursement at the weekend, Mr Addo said the monies allocated to the national teams are for camping and other overheads at Prampram, not a tournament or to pay coaches as being bundled around in sections of the media.

He noted as not entirely true the notion that the government reimburses the FA for all monies spent on the various national teams, stating that the Sports Ministry does not entirely fund the national teams.

“In the past when the GFA prepares the budget and sends it to the Sports Ministry, some are paid – others are not. When the teams are camping in Prampram, the government takes only feeding; all other overheads like electricity and water among others at the facility are all taken care of by the GFA.”

On the allocation to juvenile football, he disclosed that the administration was determined to revive the juvenile game and that the regional juvenile leagues were about starting when the pandemic broke out.

“The plan is for all the regional champions to come together to play a national festival tournament to pick the best of the best, where players would also be selected into the national U-15 team.”

Also, as part of the festival, the development coaches of all regional football association are expected to gather their coaches and select their regional teams to play the national juvenile festival. This, the FA believes, in the past was a good source of getting players into the U-17 and U-20 national teams hence the decision to bring it back.

“Aside from the clubs and national teams, there are other stakeholders of the game who the pandemic affected and allocating monies to cover them is the number one principle of FIFA and that is what the GFA stands for,” Mr Addo added.

BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY