Where’s the money for the pitch maintenance given by FIFA? – Ben Malor quizzes GFA

Renowned broadcaster and former presidential spokesperson under the erstwhile Mahama regime, Ben Dotse Malor, has expressed serious concerns regarding the allocation and utilization of funds given by FIFA to the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for pitch maintenance.

In the midst of media reports over the poor maintenance of pitches in Ghana, startling news emerged that the GFA, had successfully sourced a whopping $260,000, from FIFA, to maintain pitches for club football.

With the nation’s major stadia in Tamale, Kumasi, Accra and Cape Coast being major league venues for a number of clubs in both the Premier League, Division One League and Women’s League, Ghanaians have expressed both surprise and outrage over how the GFA utilised the money and where.

Posting on his Facebook page, Ben Dotse Malor raised an important query about the whereabouts of over $260,000 FIFA allocated for the upkeep of football pitches across the country.

His concerns came in light of reports that the Black Stars, Ghana’s national football team, might be forced to play their home matches at neutral venues. This follows the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision to ban the Baba Yara Sports Stadium from hosting international matches due to the poor condition of the pitch.

“FIFA had given the Ghana Football Association more than a quarter of a million dollars for pitch maintenance. Where is this money? So, how did we fail so badly?” he wrote on his page.

In 2020, FIFA granted more than $260,000 to the GFA under the FIFA Forward program, intended to improve 80 grass pitches across the country. The goal was to ensure year-round maintenance, even during the dry season. These funds were also meant to benefit regional and youth teams, especially women’s football clubs​. However, despite this investment, many of the pitches remain in poor condition, sparking questions about how the money was spent.

Malor’s public query adds to growing public outcry, as Ghanaian football fans and stakeholders demand accountability from the GFA. This call for transparency comes at a time when the state of the country’s football infrastructure is under scrutiny, and the GFA has yet to fully address concerns over the ineffective utilization of FIFA’s financial support​.

On Saturday, the GFA issued a statement on its website explaining that the money was not necessarily meant for fixing pitches, adding that it has used the money to build bore holes to maintain some pitches.