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Soccer News of Friday, 22 August 2003

Source: GNA

GFA, Crystal TV and Kinapermah in talks

Accra, Aug 22, GNA - Mr. Ben Koufie, Chairman of the Ghana Football Association, (GFA) on Friday said his outfit is talking to Kinaphermah and Crystal Television to amicably settle the impasses between the three parties.

The chairman told the GNA Sports that the association had taken steps to settle the current misunderstanding that has developed on the sponsorship for this year's premier league.

"We have taken every step to solve this problem amicably since we are clearly aware of the implications should the current situation is allowed to go on," he added.

Mr. Koufie said so far, all the parties have come to appreciate the need to save the league in national interest and expressed the hope that the FA will receive a positive response from the other parties by next week.

He said the association will also have discussion with the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) who has vehemently registered its dissatisfaction about the terms of the contract signed by the three parties.

Mr. Koufie conceded that the deal with Crystal TV, though not the best, was signed on the basis of the situation in which the FA find itself in at the time and stressed that the association has learned from the situation.

He told the GNA that Crystal failed to deliver within the first three months when the association had signed the contract with them on November 5 last year and it was based on this that his outfit entered into another agreement with Kinapherma in their frustration to secure the best for the league.

The chairman said Crystal TV only came back with a promise to serve the contract and hence the current impasse.

There has been a misunderstanding surrounding the contract signed between the FA and Kinapherma in connection with the sponsorship of this year's premier league.

In the heat of it, the Ghalca and a number of media houses who are co-sponsors of the Kinapherma deal have on several occasions threatened to boycott the league.