For teams participating in Ghana’s elite league, Christmas might have come a bit early. Getting off the season with no title sponsor was going to stretch their finances as the league headed into match-day-4.
But before heading into the weekend’s round of games, a deal was almost in place to inject cash into a league, which has seen its image continue to grow every season.
The Ghana Football Association had been the biggest affected party after Ghana’s elite competition kicked off on November 23 with no title sponsor following the Premier League Board’s decision to abrogate the existing sponsorship deal with mobile phone service provider, Onetouch.
Various options were exploited as talks continued but despite being four games into the season, the Premier League was about to receive its biggest sponsorship deal ever.
From a deal worth $1.7 million per season previously, the Ghana Football Association has been able to rope in $3 million just for this season. An upward increment is expected for the remaining four years of the agreement depending on the various marketing and economic forces.
The Ghana Football Association yesterday announced a new five-year sponsorship deal with telecommunication company, Glo Mobile Ghana as title sponsor for the premier league.
A colossal cash injection for the clubs who are taking part in the Glo Premier League.
Olabode Opeiseitan, Head of Public Relations of Glo Ghana says the deal was meant to reward Ghanaians for their unflinching love and passion for the sport aside his company’s hopes of using the premier league to roll out their brand beginning January.
But for FA President, Kwesi Nyantakyi, the signing of the new deal gives an insight into the sport body’s plans of transforming the game and also goes to show the worth of Ghana’s premier league which continues to exhibit quality.
"This is just the beginning of our good intention for Ghana. We will be there for football every step along the way." Kwesi Nyantakyi said at the signing event in Accra.
“We have always set out to improve the league system in Ghana. The success of such deals trickles down to the other leagues and it helps clubs develop the sport.
“It has been quite tough, especially the past weeks. But we were always going to do good business. The interest of the league and the sponsor has to be served as always.”
The new sponsors, Ghana’s sixth mobile operator have made initial 50 percent cash payment with the rest to be paid later in the season.
Glo Mobile Ghana, a subsidiary of Globacom International begins its five-year partnership with Ghana football with this season’s league, the beginning of the 2008/09 campaign. The deal will run until the end of the 2013/14 season.