To help Ghanaian football regain its competitiveness and confidence, President John Dramani Mahama has called for refereeing changes.
Speaking at a meeting with Ghanaian club representatives on Tuesday at Jubilee House, Mahama said officiating issues are harming the domestic league’s reputation and driving away spectators.
Unfortunately, one of the things ruining our game is refereeing. According to Mahama, “the matches are played before they are played.”
According to the President, fans believe that some games are essentially determined before kickoff, which reduces the league’s level of competition.
Everyone is aware that there is a ways-and-means budget for each game. Because the game has already been played, it reduces the league’s competitiveness,” he continued.
“A winner has emerged. What good is it to play the game anyhow?
Mahama called on the Ghana Football Association and the Ghana Referees Association to raise refereeing standards.
Therefore, he stated, “Both the Ghana Referees Association and the [Ghana] FA should look to see how we can improve refereeing.” Additionally, he linked concerns about match officiating to a drop in league game attendance, saying some fans have stopped attending stadiums because they believe the outcome is predetermined.
Because they believe the games are predetermined before they even start, many fans have stopped attending. Thus, the number of spectators is decreasing,” Mahama stated.
His remarks were made at the Jubilee House during a courtesy meeting with Medeama, Nations FC, and Ampem Darkoa Ladies.
The President also took the opportunity to discuss the broader issues Ghanaian club football faces, as well as the need to revive the sport’s popularity and strength.
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