Ghana football referees ask their president for financial help after months without full payment. George Saijah leads the Referees Association of Ghana and made the public appeal during a radio interview. The group wants President John Mahama and Chief of Staff Julius Debrah to solve their money problems. Officials worked 34 weeks during the recent season but received payment for only 12 weeks. The Ghana Football Association still owes referees allowances from 22 weeks of matches.
Saijah said his members cannot continue paying game expenses from their personal funds. The referees have served the country faithfully but face serious financial hardship. He criticized the Ghana Football Association for failing to clear outstanding debts to match officials. The situation has created tension between the referees and football authorities. Association members struggle to cover basic costs related to their officiating duties.
The referee leader also accused GFA President Kurt Okraku of excluding his organization from important decisions. Saijah said the association has lost influence over referee appointments for league matches. He met with Okraku to discuss these concerns but received no helpful response. The Ghana Football Association appears to have created a separate system for selecting match officials. This change has weakened the traditional role of the Referees Association of Ghana.
Saijah said his members cannot continue paying game expenses from their personal funds. The referees have served the country faithfully but face serious financial hardship. He criticized the Ghana Football Association for failing to clear outstanding debts to match officials. The situation has created tension between the referees and football authorities. Association members struggle to cover basic costs related to their officiating duties.
The referee leader also accused GFA President Kurt Okraku of excluding his organization from important decisions. Saijah said the association has lost influence over referee appointments for league matches. He met with Okraku to discuss these concerns but received no helpful response. The Ghana Football Association appears to have created a separate system for selecting match officials. This change has weakened the traditional role of the Referees Association of Ghana.
