Kurt Okraku is the president of the GFA
The President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Okraku, has blamed former broadcast partner StarTimes and Ghana Premier League clubs for the ongoing referee payment crisis.
He revealed that the GFA has been forced to cover a staggering GH¢7.5 million in unpaid officiating costs.
This revelation comes amid growing frustration from referees, who recently issued a statement announcing their boycott of all remaining league games.
With 21 weeks of unpaid allowances, the referees have made it clear that they will not resume their duties until all arrears are settled.
They expressed concerns over the integrity of the game if the situation persists.
Addressing the issue during an interview with Asempa FM, Okraku explained that the GFA is unfairly carrying the financial burden of referees’ payments due to StarTimes and the clubs not fulfilling their obligations.
“We have had challenges with the payment of our referees because of non-payment by StarTimes. Every year, the Ghana Football Association absorbs a cost of 7.5 million Ghana Cedis on referees, an amount that should have been paid by the clubs,” he said.
On Saturday, April 26, 2025, Okraku was appointed as 2nd Vice President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
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