Ghanaian government have announced plans to support the domestic league players with special allowances following the suspension of all football activities in the country since June this year in the wake of scandals involving football administrators and referees.
The Ghana Premier League was abandoned midway through the season, with most of the players now idle and without salaries.
A Normalisation Committee, which replaced the scrapped Ghana FA, has been handling football matters in the country, mostly related to the senior and junior national teams.
However, pressure from local clubs has forced government to look into the players’ welfare.
“Ghana government is in talks with several bodies. There are plans to support many of our players in the premiership. Plans like supporting them with some allowances when eventually the game returns in January,” said Sammy Awuku, National Youth Employment Agency board chairman.
“Because one of the biggest problems we face in this country is how to motivate these players. We have had discussions with the youth and sports minister and we are fine tuning it so that every player who plays in the premier league will be supported with some basic allowances in addition to what their clubs will pay them,” he added.
A special 16-team championship will kick off in Ghana in January 2019, from which representatives for the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup would emerge.
Asante Kotoko are the only Ghanaian club currently involved in a CAF inter club competition, after obtaining clearance to participate by virtue of last season’s qualification.