General Secretary Prosper Harrison Addo engages RFA chairmen on Delinked Clubs and Connect System Compliance

The General Secretary of the Football Association, Prosper Harrison Addo, has held a high-level meeting with Chairmen of the ten Regional Football Associations (RFAs) to deliberate on key issues, particularly those delinked from the Connect system for non-compliance with league participation and player registration requirements.

He was supported by the Deputy General Secretary and Director of Information Technology, Francis Adu Essah.

The meeting successfully addressed the reasons behind the delinking of club Connect links during this season, particularly for clubs that failed to participate in their respective leagues or did not meet the minimum player registration requirement of eleven (11) players. This is in line with the Association’s policy to strengthen the base of Ghana football and make it more competitive and valuable.

The RFA Chairmen made a case on behalf of the affected clubs and appealed to the GFA to grant them a final opportunity to rectify their shortcomings.

The meeting resolved that clubs delinked during the current season but that participated in league competitions will have their Connect links restored. These clubs will be issued a final warning and granted a last opportunity to register their full squad during the ongoing Main Player Registration Window. The reinstatement process will be guided by the official grassroots league tables from the 2024/25 season.

Each club is expected to register a minimum of twenty (20) players, in line with GFA Regulations, which require teams to field eleven (11) players for a match, with up to nine (9) substitutes on the bench.

At the closure of the current Main Player Registration Window, clubs that do not take advantage of the last opportunity to meet the requirements shall be delinked.

The meeting also discussed the start date for all Regional Football Association leagues – 2nd Division Leagues, Regional Women’s Division One League, 3rd Division Leagues, Boys Colts Leagues U13, U15 and U17 and the Girls U15, U17 Colts Leagues.

The leadership reviewed the GFA’s Competition Management System (CMS) implementation strategy, aiming for full integration of all leagues by the 2027/28 season.

The progressive implementation plan outlines that all 2nd Division Leagues will operate fully on the Competition Management System (CMS) by the 2024/25 season, followed by full CMS adoption for the Regional Women’s Division One League in the 2025/26 season.

Additionally, the 3rd Division Leagues will undergo a pilot phase in 2025/26, with full implementation set for 2026/27. The Boys Colts Leagues (U13, U15, U17) and Girls Colts Leagues (U15, U17) will also pilot the CMS in 2025/26, with full integration targeted for the 2027/28 season.

The GFA will hold regional meetings with each RFA and its clubs in the coming days to engage further and urge for strict adherence to the FIFA and GFA IT requirements.

GFA Communications