Ghana FA to expand bus distribution

Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku has unveiled plans to further expand the association’s bus acquisition initiative following the presentation of keys to nine Division One League clubs on Wednesday at the Accra Sports Stadium.

During the ceremony, Okraku handed over buses to the top three teams from each of the three zones in the 2023-24 Access Bank Division One League season.

The buses are part of the GFA's merit awards scheme, aimed at addressing the long-standing transportation challenges faced by clubs.

"Sometime back in July 2023, during our Congress in Kumasi, I spoke about an identified need in the football ecosystem.

One of the things I spoke about was the lack of transport for our clubs, leading to the inability of our players to travel in comfort.

So, the FA introduced a new policy called the bus acquisition strategy," Okraku explained, emphasizing that this initiative is a fulfillment of a promise made by the GFA's Executive Council.

The buses were funded through increased revenue from various collective efforts, with plans to extend the initiative to more clubs in the upcoming season.

"We aim to extend this effort to other clubs in the upcoming season, with details to be announced soon," Okraku added.

Additionally, Okraku revealed that the Women’s Premier League will benefit from the bus strategy, with four clubs set to receive buses in the coming days.

“One of the fundamental needs of our clubs is transportation, and we are determined to help address the challenges,” he said.

The clubs that received buses included Basake Holy Stars, Young Apostles, Vision FC, New Edubiase, Okwahu United, Techiman Heroes, Cape Coast Ebusua Dwarfs, Hohoe United, and Victory Club Warriors.

Representatives from the beneficiary clubs expressed their gratitude, with Gideon Bekoe of Techiman Heroes and Nana Kwame Dankwa from Okwahu United voicing their appreciation for the support.