FIFA COVID-19 Relief Fund: Clubs will be made to properly account for money – GFA

Top officials of the Ghana Football Association have told GhanaWeb.com that every club and stakeholder who will benefit from the FIFA COVID-19 Relief Fund will be made to properly account for their portion of the money.

This, the GFA says, will ensure that club owners and administrators do not misappropriate funds brought in to mitigate the devastating impact of the coronavirus on football stakeholders, especially the footballers.

“We will ensure that every club accounts for the money. In fact, it is a requirement from FIFA so it is not like we even have a choice. It is in the best interest of everyone that every beneficiary accounts for the money so that the funds are not used for unnecessary things”, the source said.

Over the weekend, GhanaWeb was informed that the GFA had received part of the FIFA COVID-19 Relief Fund for onward disbursement to members of the association.

The FA has thus received $1m of the expected $1.5m allotted to both men’s and women’s football clubs and other stakeholders.

As a way to empower and grow the women game, $500,000 of the $1 million that has arrived is specifically earmarked for Women’s football.

Also in, is the first trench of the FIFA COVID-19 Relief Solidarity Fund of $500,000 which will benefit Premier league clubs, Division One League clubs and other stakeholders.

This means, the GFA has received $1,000,000 and in the coming days will begin distributing it to clubs who have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

Officials of the FA who confirmed the news to GhanaWeb say until beneficiaries render proper accounts for this $1m, FIFA will not release the remaining $500,000 in January 2021 to the GFA.

It would be recalled that the GFA and other Associations across the world have been engaging FIFA on Covid-19 Relief since the lockdown days in Ghana.

The GFA also had various Zoom meetings with beneficiaries to explain the process as well as the FIFA Regulation on this money, currently posted on the GFA website.

There is no doubt that this money has arrived at a good time and clubs will be smiling as they gather at Congress this Tuesday, September 1, 2020, to make decisions for the development of Ghana football.

The arrival of the money means that the GFA has met all the requirements and application processes put in place by FIFA through the Regulations governing this Covid-19 Relief Fund.