President John Dramani Mahama has called for measures to prevent talented Ghanaian footballers from leaving the domestic league too early, arguing that the trend is contributing to a decline in the quality of the Ghana Premier League.
Mahama made the remarks on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, when Nations FC and Medeama SC paid a courtesy visit to him at the Jubilee House following their qualification for CAF inter-club competitions.
According to the President, Ghana is losing promising players to foreign clubs as soon as they begin to attract attention from scouts, particularly from Europe.
“We are too quick to sell our players. As soon as a player begins to show promise, scouts take him away, mostly to Europe, and that depletes the quality of our local league,” Mahama said.
He believes talented players should be retained in the domestic league for longer to give them the opportunity to develop, gain national team experience and mature before making the move abroad.
Mahama also raised concerns about the standard of refereeing in Ghana, describing it as one of the major issues affecting the development and competitiveness of the country’s football.
He called on the Ghana Referees Association and the Ghana Football Association to work together to improve officiating standards and restore confidence among supporters.
“Unfortunately, refereeing is one of the things destroying our football,” he said.
The President noted that perceptions of predetermined results have contributed to declining stadium attendance, with some supporters losing confidence in the fairness of matches.
He stressed that every game must be fairly officiated so that the winning team earns victory on merit.
Mahama believes improving refereeing standards and keeping talented players in the domestic league for longer will help make the Ghana Premier League more competitive, attract supporters back to the stadiums and ultimately restore confidence in Ghanaian football.
By Emmanuel Owusu
