Ghana can continue to play games during the period of the 2018 World Cup after world football governing body FIFA accepted a request by the GFA.
The GFA requested for the dispensation after a long legal dispute delayed the start of the Ghana Premier League, meaning Ghana cannot comply with a FIFA directive that all national leagues must end before the start of the world cup on 14 June.
“World soccer-governing body, FIFA, has granted Ghana a special dispensation to continue with the Ghana Premier League and the Division One League during the Russia 2018 World Cup, which kicks off in June,” the FIFA statement said.
”FIFA has no issue with the Ghanaian leagues continuing to play as long as players selected on the release lists of Participating Member Associations taking part in the 2018 FIFA World Cup are released to their federations as of 21 May 2018,” stated the FIFA letter, which was signed by Deputy Secretary-General, Zvonimir Boban.
Ghana did not qualify for the World Cup and there is no chance at the moment that any player from the country’s top flight league will be picked by any of the 32 countries set to play in Russia.
FIFA said it is granting the special dispensation for the league to go ahead also because it will allow Ghana to meet the CAF deadline for the submission of representatives for the pan-African club competitions.
“Following the late kick-off of the league, which has left the GFA far behind its calendar, the GFA requested FIFA to grant it a special dispensation to continue with its domestic programme during the world cup in order to be able to meet the Confederation of African Football’s deadline for the registration of clubs and players who will qualify and take part in the 2019 CAF inter-club competitions.”
Source: 3news.com|Ghana