TNR Files
Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) vice-president George Afriyie has strongly dismissed claims that the proposed GH¢1 million payment to each Ghana Premier League (GPL) club is the largest financial injection in the league’s history.
The GFA recently announced a new incentive package for the 2026/27 season, which will see each of the 18 top-flight clubs receive GH¢1 million before the campaign kicks off on September 5.
However, describing this figure as a record-high payout does not sit well with Afriyie.
Speaking on Sporty FM, Afriyie labeled the narrative a “blatant lie,” pointing to the league’s previous sponsorship deal with telecommunications giant, Glo.
He argued that when basic sponsorship and television rights were combined during Glo’s initial years, clubs earned significantly more.
“Glo was $120,000 per club. It was 60-60 in Glo’s first year, and we had TV rights of $40,000, so the total amount for each club at that time was $160,000,” he explained.
Afriyie noted that this robust commercial package only dipped in the third year of the partnership after Glo faced operational difficulties in Ghana and successfully negotiated a lower financial commitment.
Comparing the two eras, Afriyie estimated the current GH¢1 million to be roughly equivalent to $90,000—far less than the $160,000 clubs previously received.
“So, for anybody to say that having received the GH¢1 million, equivalent to, let’s say, $90,000, is the highest ever paid is not factually correct,” he stressed.
Furthermore, Afriyie highlighted a fundamental difference between the two financial arrangements. While the new GH¢1 million allocation appears to stem from public funds, the Glo deal was generated entirely from private, commercial revenue.
“That was only sponsorship money and not state money,” he concluded.