Black Stars to give up 10% bonuses - Report

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) Normalisation Committee is considering a proposal that will ensure that bonuses paid to players of the national teams will trickle down to support the very foundations of their development, as well as a welfare fund for footballers.

In a 53-page proposal by the National Team’s Ad-Hoc Committee formed to produce a roadmap for the development of the national teams, it was suggested, among many other recommendations, that a 10 per cent of bonuses paid to the Black Stars players be deducted to support their past educational institutions, junior teams or football academy and the Professional Football Association of Ghana (PFAG), the registered welfare body for retired and active players.

The radical reforms on remuneration for national teams players covers female sides, with the Black Queens also expected to contribute 10 per cent of their bonuses to similar grassroots support.

This proposal to the Normalisation Committee is also advocating that as much as 30 per cent of bonuses paid to players in the junior national teams be spread equally among players’ past academic institutions, clubs and the PFAG.

“Senior national team players’ bonuses are proposed to be allocated as 90 per cent to the player with 5 per cent each to be given to the player’s immediate school or academy played in Ghana,” the report stated.

The eight-member committee, chaired by Dr Patrick Kwaku Ofori, and included Ghana football legend Samuel Osei Kuffour and Graphic Sports’ Samuel Ebo Kwaitoo, proposed also that players’ bonuses should be negotiated by a new National Teams Board (which is to replace the existing national teams management committees) and the PFAG.

The report recommended that the position of the technical team and their backroom staff of all the national teams, except the coach of the Black Stars, must be terminated for interested and qualified persons to apply.

“Except for the Black Stars head coach, who has a major assignment with the Black Stars currently, the appointment of the all management/technical teams of the all national teams should be terminated with immediate effect,” the report suggested.

It also recommended a re-negotiation of the kit sponsors to include the female national teams or search for new sponsors to kit the female national teams.