The Ghana Football Association (GFA) is planning to implement the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system as early as January 2025, according to Alex Kortey, the Referees’ Manager.
Speaking to Citi Sports, he mentioned that Kurt Okraku, president of the GFA, is keen on rolling out VAR in the Ghana Premier League, with hopes to begin its use in the season’s second round.
“Our president [Kurt Okraku] is pushing very hard, and he even wants it to start, you know, in the middle. He thinks that by the second round of the league, we should even start with the VAR,” Kortey said.
“It is a lot of work, but we are committed to doing it. We’ll try and put our hands together and see how best it can be done,” he added.
Kortey also highlighted the importance of training media professionals to ensure accurate and appropriate language when discussing VAR decisions on broadcasts.
“We don’t expect any media person to go on radio while it’s being used and employ language or words that are not in conformity with the VAR guidelines,” he explained.
“So, we need to take the media, the broadcasters, and everyone through some training just to understand the language they need to use when broadcasting or commentating.”
Kortey further mentioned that although the GFA’s action plan targets the 2025/26 season, they plan to conduct trials before full implementation.
However, during an interview on Asempa FM’s Ultimate Sports Show last week, Kortey confirmed that VAR would not be implemented at all league venues due to logistical challenges. Instead, it will be available only for games broadcast live on television.
“We agree that we can’t use VAR at all the league venues. It will be used for league matches that are broadcast live on television,” he stated.
Last week, the GFA leadership met with FIFA representatives, including VAR experts Inokuchi Takaaki and Michael Bailey, to discuss the roadmap for implementing VAR. Key attendees included Kortey, VAR instructor Emmanuel Aglago, and the GFA’s Head of Legal Affairs, Marian Mensah.
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