By Mark Baber
The president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kwesi Nyantakyi, is in Nigeria for talks with Globacom whose sponsorship of the Ghana Premier League came to an end at the end of the 2012-13 season and who have outstanding debts of $2.2m.
Glo Mobile Ghana, a subsidiary of Globacom, agreed a five-year sponsorship deal with the Premier League in December 2008. According to the footy-ghana website, the Nigerian telecoms firm has indicated a willingness to renew its deal but on reduced terms, whilst holding back on paying the outstanding amount. Nyantakyi is understood to be prepared to agree a compromise.
GFA General Secretary in charge of Communication, Saanie Daara, told a radio magazine show: “The truth of the matter is that we would have taken a hard-line stance against them but let’s consider that the company started sponsoring our national team when it didn’t even have operations in Ghana.”
Despite revealing that “no one wants to sponsor” Ghana’s top division, Saanie denied the state of affairs is an indictment of the policies involved. “That is sad, yes. It is probably as a result of the prevailing market conditions.”