GFA lost $5m-a-year Guinness sponsorship deal over FDA restrictions – Kurt Okraku

Ghana Football Association President Kurt Okraku disclosed on Wednesday that the country's football missed out on a potential investment of more than $5 million annually due to FDA restrictions on alcohol companies sponsoring sporting activities. Guinness Ghana Limited had approached the GFA with plans to significantly fund the Ghana Premier League, but the deal was blocked by the FDA.

Okraku revealed that the GFA had held multiple meetings with Guinness Ghana to secure the deal before the FDA rejected the proposal. The president expressed concern over the restrictions, arguing that they hinder sports organizations from accessing substantial private-sector investment. He urged Parliament to review and remove the provision that grants the FDA authority to approve or reject sponsorship agreements involving alcoholic beverage companies.

Okraku believes that eliminating this restriction would open up more opportunities for corporate sponsorship, attract private investment, and provide additional financial resources for Ghana's football development. The Ghana Premier League has been struggling with funding, commercial viability, and club financial sustainability, with sponsorship revenue seen as a crucial source of support for the competition.