Ghanaian Beach Soccer officials have expressed their dissatisfaction with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) regarding inadequate match-day allowances. They argue that the current amount of Gh₵700.00 allocated for three games is meagre and have warned of a potential boycott without prior notice.
The aggrieved referees point out that they were stunned when the GFA announced an increase in the allowances of football referees at its 31st Ordinary Congress on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram.
“FIFA-accredited referees in the Ghana Premier League (GPL) will earn GH₵2,500 per match, non-FIFA GPL referees GH₵2,000, and referees in the Division One League (DoL) and Women’s Premier League (WPL) GH₵1,000 per match,” the FA’s statement detailed.
Match officials are mostly based in Greater Accra, Western, Central Volta and Eastern Regions, however, they officiate games outside their regions of residence, exposing them to financial and travel risks.
“During the day, three games take place at a venue, with a single referee overseeing all of them for a fee of GH₵700.00. This includes transportation and accommodation where we are assigned to officiate,” the referees noted.
“Each game consists of three periods, each lasting 12 minutes, totalling 36 minutes. Depending on the breaks that occur, a game can extend to an hour.”
The aggrieved beach soccer referees also expressed dismay about an irregular payment system, stating that allowances are accumulated after officiating several games, as a result of which most referees are unable to track the number of games they officiated.
“The authorities pay us through mobile money, not before or immediately after the game, but after officiating several games. Some of our members cannot track their payments because of improper documentation,” the referees complained.
The office to receive the referees’ grievances remains a mystery, as they stated that there is no identified leadership to address their concerns, including media publicity and season briefing.
“The 2025/2026 Beach Soccer league started with week one on 24 August, yet authorities didn’t organise a briefing session for the referees. No sponsorship to even telecast any of our games on TV, unlike football. The team owners themselves do Facebook livestream during the games,” the referees complained.
The referees fear the sports will fall into a ditch for lack of media publicity, a role that the GFA is reluctant to play.
Credit: Nicholas Tetteh Amedor
