FIFA to hold meeting with GFA on implementation of VAR in Ghana’s leagues

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) is set to welcome a delegation from FIFA regarding the implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology in the country’s domestic leagues.

A statement from the GFA on Tuesday said the meeting will take place on October 31 and November 1 in Accra.

The Ghana FA noted that FIFA's full VAR project team will be present in the country, while the FA’s head of referees Alex Kotey will also be in attendance.

“The Federation Internationale de Football Associations (FIFA) will hold an important meeting with representatives of the Ghana Football Association and relevant operatives regarding the implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology in Ghana’s domestic leagues,” the statement reads.

“The two-day meeting, scheduled for October 31 and November 1, 2024, will take place in Accra, with the full VAR project team from FIFA in attendance.”

It adds: “This initial meeting, labelled the VAR kick-off meeting, is a critical first step in FIFA’s Implementation Assessment Approval Program (IAAP), an essential process for any Member Association (MA) aiming to adopt VAR technology.

“During the session, FIFA and GFA representatives will review comprehensive aspects of the VAR project and evaluate all necessary dependencies for its successful execution. Following the meeting, FIFA’s approval will mark the official go-ahead for VAR implementation in Ghana’s domestic leagues.”

Ghana's readiness for VAR suspect

VAR was used in Ghana for the first time during the 2022 FIFA World Cup playoff first-leg game between the Black Stars and Nigeria in Kumasi.

However, the Ghana Premier League has yet to have a taste of the technology despite the GFA’s insistence that the technology will soon be used in the domestic league.

In 2021, the Ghana FA announced that FIFA had approved the Project Team for the implementation of VAR in Ghana.

Last year, the General Secretary of the GFA, Prosper Harrison Addo, also admitted that the current VAR technology approved by FIFA was too expensive.

The upcoming meeting between FIFA and the GFA on the implementation of VAR, however, comes as a huge boost.

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