The General Secretary of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Prosper Harrison Addo, has shed light on why the Ghana Premier League (GPL) has yet to adopt the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.
Calls for VAR have grown over the years, with concerns over inconsistent officiating becoming a major talking point.
Some football stakeholders argue that poor refereeing decisions contribute to violence at match venues.
Addo in an interview with 3sports, however, assured that the GFA is actively working to introduce VAR to improve officiating standards.
“We are on the journey to acquiring VAR, but some countries have more financial resources than others, allowing them to progress faster. VAR is not something you can simply purchase; there are several steps involved, including training for referees and VAR technicians. We have been working with FIFA on this process,” Addo explained.
He further revealed that FIFA initially engaged member associations but found the cost of implementing VAR too expensive. To address this, FIFA is now collaborating with another company to develop a more affordable “VAR Light” system, which will take time. “Since the full VAR system is costly, we are opting for the second option, but our referees have already undergone some level of VAR training,” he told 3sports.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Premier League, which was suspended following the tragic stabbing of a fan at Nsoatre, is set to resume on March 7.
The GFA has introduced enhanced safety protocols to curb hooliganism and ensure a secure match environment.
