At a meeting held last Tuesday at the GFA Secretariat at Ridge in Accra, the women’s clubs accepted the format of the competition, the prize monies, as well as the kick-off date.

In separate interviews with the Daily Graphic yesterday, the owner and bankroller of Ampem Darkoa Ladies, Nana Ofosu Gyeabuor; Team Manager of Prisons Ladies, ACOP Fainusatu Naomi Abdulai, and the CEO of Soccer Intellectuals, Mr Robert Duncan, noted that they were more excited about the resumption of football activities, especially for women, than the financial rewards or other benefits which had been earmarked for participants and the eventual winners.

For them, the competition would help address challenges such as teenage pregnancy, which had plagued their players due to inactivity in recent months.

“We had a fruitful discussion with the Normalisation Committee and we have all accepted to play in the Special Competition which will start from March 9.

They have promised to support us at the initial stages which is the first round of the competition and they will also give us some money during the quarter-finals, semis and the final,” said Nana Ofosu Gyeabuor.

 

For her part, ACOP Fainusatu Naomi Abdulai said: “I am happy that there is this special competition that will come in place for these young women because it will keep them active.

The financial rewards are not as much as we would expect but we are just happy that, at least, they have been able to arrange a competition for the players.”

Per the format, the 16 women’s league clubs will be divided into four groups after which the group winners will battle it out in the quarter-finals.

Each club is due to receive GH¢7,500 as participation fee, while quarter-finalists will get GH?3,000 and GH¢5,000 for semi-finalists.

The prize for the overall champion will be announced later.