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Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku has announced plans to introduce Video Assistant Referees (VAR) into the country’s football leagues. Speaking at a media event in Sunyani, Okraku emphasized the GFA’s commitment to improving refereeing standards in Ghana, with the introduction of VAR being a key part of this strategy.
Okraku stated that the implementation of VAR would likely begin in the Ghana Premier League (GPL) as part of the broader effort to enhance the quality of officiating. “We are going to introduce VAR into our football. Whatever we will do to introduce VAR into football, we will, as part of our overall strategy for improving refereeing starting from our GPL, we will. It’s coming,” Okraku affirmed.
The use of VAR in Ghanaian football has been limited, with the technology making its debut during the 2022 FIFA World Cup playoff match between the Black Stars and Nigeria in Kumasi. Despite this, the Ghana Premier League has yet to fully integrate VAR, though plans have been in motion for several years.
In 2021, the GFA announced that FIFA had approved the Project Team for VAR implementation in Ghana. However, financial constraints have delayed its rollout, as highlighted by GFA General Secretary Prosper Harrison Addo, who noted that the current FIFA-approved VAR system was too costly. FIFA President Gianni Infantino had previously pledged to provide a more affordable version of VAR for countries like Ghana.
While Okraku’s recent statements reaffirm the GFA’s commitment to bringing VAR to Ghanaian football, no specific timeline has been provided for when the technology will be fully implemented.
