“Bad Pitches All Over, Where Do You Spend Your Money”: Haruna Iddrisu Jabs GFA

• Hon. Haruna Iddrisu criticizes the deteriorating condition of Ghana's football stadia including the Tamale Sports Stadium
• The popular MP also questions the transparency and accountability of the Ghana Football Association
• In addition, Iddrisu raises concerns about the quality of refereeing in the Ghana Premier League

In a recent outburst on the floor of the Ghanaian parliament, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale South and Minister for Education, expressed his growing frustration with the management of football in the country.

As a prominent figure in Ghana’s footballing landscape, being the owner of Ghana Premier League club Karela United, Iddrisu has a unique perspective on the challenges facing the sport in the West African nation. His comments shed light on the deteriorating quality of football infrastructure, the inefficiency of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), and the concerning state of officiating in the Ghana Premier League.

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State of football infrastructure in Ghana

One of the key issues raised by Hon. Haruna Iddrisu was the poor condition of football pitches across the country, including the Accra Sports Stadium which will host the Ghana vs Chad World Cup qualifier on Friday. According to the MP, the state of most stadia in Ghana is below standard, which is detrimental to the development of football in the country.

The top politician pointed out that many of these pitches are in bad condition, including the Tamale Sports Stadium where his team, Karela United, plays, making it difficult for players to perform at their best and, in some cases, putting them at risk of injury.

As a country with a rich footballing history, winning four AFCON titles and reaching the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Ghana's sports infrastructure should be a source of pride. However, the current state of the country's stadia has raised questions about the government’s priorities and the lack of accountability in football management. The influential Iddrisu is calling for greater attention to be paid to the modernization and maintenance of these essential facilities.

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Financial transparency of the Ghana Football Association

Another crucial issue that Iddrisu raised was the financial transparency of the GFA. The MP expressed concerns over where the GFA spends its money, given that the country has produced some of the most talented footballers in Africa suc as Abedi Ayew, Tony Yeboah, Ibrahim Sunday, Karim Abdul Razak, Michael Essien, Asamoah Gyan, and co.

The NDC bigwig, who also owns a football club in the Ghana Premier League, Karela United, called on the GFA to provide a clearer picture of how its funds are allocated and utilized.

''At the local level Mr. Speaker, officiating is poor, not the best at all. And the pitches, Mr. Speaker let me share this with the minister. Currently I used Tamale Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium as the venue for Karela. Even the filed it is not the state, not the National Sports Authority, we have to fix it for our purposes in order to meet the minimum requirements of the GFA in order to use the pitches for our competitive football. The GFA, where are they spending their money on, we have to ask these questions for every tournament.'' Haruna Iddrisu said.

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Over the years, there has been growing skepticism over how the GFA manages its financial resources including FIFA support. While the Association receives substantial funding from various sources, including sponsorship deals, gate receipts from Ghana Premier League games, there are concerns that this money is not being used effectively to develop football infrastructure or improve the quality of the game.

Iddrisu's call for accountability is a reflection of the broader dissatisfaction among football stakeholders, including club owners, players, and fans, who feel that their hard-earned money is not being put to good use.

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YEN.com.gh earlier reported Luv FM's Delali Atiase's explosive rant over the decision of the Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams not to make public the Black Stars budget for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers contrary to what President John Dramani Mahama had directed.

Source: YEN.com.gh