By Godsway Glah

About two weeks ago, twenty-one Ghanaian referees-both male and female-were presented with their FIFA badges to enable them to handle international matches. This is an annual ritual which serves as a form of licensing. All such referees must satisfy certain criteria, pass FIFA prescribed fitness and medical tests and generally have to satisfy the selectors with good performance and ability.

As part of the presentation, the GFA General Secretary and two members of the Executive Committee regretted the absence of our FIFA referees at international tournaments especially at the World level and sometimes at the African continental level. They did not speak from any prepared notes or speeches but all the three were one with their displeasure and anxiety.

The feelings of the GFA can only be described as justifiable. And it should be a burden of our referee managers, especially the Referees Committee and the Referees Association in general.

It is a historic fact that the only time that a Ghanaian referee was in the middle of a World Cup match at the senior level was more than thirty years ago. And that was the late FIFA referee, B. K. Dwomoh.

What is true is true as there is only one truth. Since the days of the late B. K. Dwomoh, World Cup matches have grown from the senior one to junior World Cups both for male and female national teams.

It should also be noted that the number of FIFA referees are fairly-distributed among the federations that form the Federation of the International Football Association (FIFA). And Ghana has consistently had seven middle and seven assistant FIFA referees. And so, what is our problem.

To my mind, the problem cannot be disassociated from the national problem of NOT ALLOWING OUR LAID DOWN SYSTEM TO WORK. Over the years, we have established workable systems to assist in running our various national organs and services but individual and group interferences and manipulations conspire to disturb and turn over workable systems. Like President Obama once reminded us, we need strong systems and not strong men.

The Referees Association and the GFA’s Committee that is in charge of referees training and appointments do suffer from the Ghanaian culture of individual human and group manipulations.

We know that FIFA wants to have acceptable referees and apart from experience and professional performance, there is the question of fitness and age.

All these conspire to throw up referees who could be invited to handle matches. We all know these but our individual bad human nature has contributed to the position that we find ourselves.

For so many years, the classification and promotion of referees to elite positions have been controlled and managed by a few individuals whose criteria have mostly been ‘friends and family’.

Before I am misunderstood I wish to state clearly that the recent problem we had with FIFA referee Joseph Lamptey was entirely due to fate and a mishap. He has established himself as a clean and professionally competent referee.

He only suffered from a purely human error and he should have the courage to pick up the pieces and fulfil his destiny. When a competent referee makes a mistake, it is clear to all objective observers.

Did we not have legendry Maradona’s handball goal unseen and accepted? Apart from referee Lamptey who is still among the African elite FIFA referees, there are very young and very experienced referees like Daniel Laryea, Prosper Adi and the latest new addition, Abdul Latif Adaan from Wa.

The Referees Association of Ghana is as old as the nation Ghana. We have come a long way in the recruitment and development of referees. We are well acquainted with the problems associated with refereeing in and out of the country.

Currently, Referee Issaka Afful is reported to be aggrieved and complaining bitterly for having been sidelined when one vacancy occurred on the FIFA list. But perhaps he is not a member of ‘friends and family’ cult. The position has been given to apparently a younger referee.

It is very clear that there is going to be another vacancy by December this year. Referee Issaka is already in the good books of FIFA and he has attended FIFA-run courses for potential young FIFA referees. He is waiting to add one more year to his age by next year. And he may never wear a FIFA badge, which he deserves.

Refereeing at any level including at the FIFA stage is a step-by-step approach. Currently, in addition to referee Joseph Lamptey, there are three very young and physically fit ones.

Whatever we could do through training and lobbying for them should be done so that our conspicuous absence from FIFA World Cup matches would be a thing of the past. Our players compete during World Cup matches at all levels.

Our President, Kwesi Nyantakyi has a seat at FIFA Executive Committee level. What are we waiting for – referees. The best product that we have aside from our cocoa is perhaps our football. We should handle it better.

Football consists of players, referees, coaches and administrators. We have the referees. We need to manage them efficiently without discrimination. And we shall be there – World Cup tournaments included. More anon.