All footballers will take COVID-19 tests before the 2020-21 season resumes, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has announced.
The GFA said the mandatory testing is necessary to ensure that an enabling environment is created before football eventually returns.
The Ghana Premier League, FA Cup and Women’s Premier League have all been suspended since March 2020. The GFA has since moved to annul the 2019/20 football season despite the government’s easing of restrictions on gatherings.
However, at a recent meeting of the Football Association’s executive council, it was proposed that the football season should resume in October 2020.
Consultations
Henry Asante Twum, the GFA’s head of communications, said the Association is in talks with the government’s COVID-19 response team to decide how soon to start the 2020/21 season.
He told GTV Sports Plus that the “medical team of the football association is looking at a few possibilities or options”.
According to him, the mandatory COVID-19 tests will also be conducted on all male and female footballers before the season begins.
“A number of scenarios have been considered. Obviously, we cannot play without testing the players,” Asante Twum said.
“The CAF medical team issued a statement, sent to all member associations, that before football begins, testing has become mandatory.”
“So, testing the players is going to happen for both men and women,” the FA’s head of communications said.
New league format
Meanwhile, the return of football will bring a new league format, introduced by the Ghana Football Association.
The 18 clubs will be divided into two zones – Northern and Southern – to reduce travel costs for the teams.
Last week, the FA announced that the next football transfer window will open from 15 August and end on 31 October 2020.
The GFA has also signed a three-year deal with the football and kit manufacturer Macron as its official match ball sponsor.
Under the deal, which is worth GHC1.6 million, Macron will supply 5,000 footballs and 1,500 bibs to the Ghana Football Association.
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