ACCRA, Ghana, 8th September: President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the standard of refereeing in Ghanaian football, warning that perceived poor officiating is undermining confidence in the domestic league.
According to President Mahama, some spectators have become convinced that the outcomes of football matches are predetermined, a situation he said is damaging the competitiveness and commercial prospects of the league.
He made the remarks when Medeama SC, Nations FC and Ampem Darkoa Ladies Football Club paid a courtesy call on him at the Presidency.
President Mahama identified refereeing as one of the major challenges confronting Ghanaian football.
“Unfortunately, refereeing is one of the things destroying our football,” he said, noting that concerns about officiating were discouraging some supporters from attending matches.
He said the decline in stadium attendance was also affecting gate proceeds, which are an important source of revenue for football clubs.
President Mahama therefore called on the Ghana Referees Association and the Ghana Football Association to work together to improve refereeing standards.
He stressed that every match must be fairly officiated to ensure that the team that wins does so on merit.
“It is in our interest to make the league competitive,” the President said, arguing that restoring confidence in officiating was critical to reviving interest in domestic football.
He said improved refereeing would encourage supporters to return to the stadiums and help rebuild trust in the Ghanaian league.
President Mahama further urged football authorities to ensure that officiating is transparent, fair and credible as part of broader efforts to restore the fortunes of Ghanaian football.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/ Presidential Affairs Correspondent | Ghana 🇬🇭