Ghanaian referees urged to strive for international recognition

Cape Coast, Aug.28, GNA - Mr Mathew Doe, Chairman of the Central Regional Football Association (CRFA) on Saturday urged Ghanaian referees to improve on their performance to gain recognition by the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA).

He said that, "Wearing the FIFA badge would enable you handle matches outside the country to raised the image of the country, respect for themselves and be financially rewarded".

Mr Doe said this at the opening of a three-day refresher course for 52 members of the Central Regional Referees Association of Ghana at the Cape Coast sports stadium.

The workshop was organised to upgrade the skills of the referees as well as expose them to some amendments of FIFA laws governing football. Mr Doe described refereeing as a noble hobby that must be handled with honesty and fairness and pointed out that when referees are bribed to influence the result of a game, "the effect is that you never have a true champion and this can affect the level of the game in region and the country at large".

He said football-loving people often accuse referees of taking bribes from clubs but that it is rather club officials who chase referees with money to influence the results of the matches and therefore urged referees to be bold and expose such people who collude with club officials and attempt to bribe them.

Mr Michael Arthur Dadzie, a legal practitioner and Regional Chairman of the association in a welcoming address implored his colleagues to endeavour to live above reproach. 28 Aug. 04