The financial package agreed between the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and Puma, kit sponsor for the country’s teams, has been reviewed downwards.
Joy Sports reports that the agreement has been cut by about 30%.
People with knowledge of the development say the German kit manufacturer’s decision to review the agreement was made necessary by the negativity surrounding Ghana after the première of Number 12 – Anas Aremeyaw Anas’s investigative documentary on corruption and match-fixing – in June 2018.
Partnership with benefits
Under the terms of the deal agreed between the GFA and Puma, there were three benefits of the contract:
- To supply or provide kit worth up to €500,000 per year and a financial contribution of €800,000 a year under the last contract.
- There were other benefits at major competitions such as the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) where, at every stage, there was a benefit of €100,000 to €200,000 or more, depending on the stage the team reached.
- If Puma spent €500,000 to produce kits, when they were sold, the GFA earned about 8% from the sales.
Sources said this agreement expired in August 2018 because Puma’s contracts with the GFA were scheduled to end in August of every World Cup year.
Same terms?
It will be recalled that the Normalisation Committee (NC) renewed the contract, but reporters understand that Puma was not convinced to keep to the terms.
Speaking to the Accra-based Joy Sports, a member of the GFA’s Executive Council, Nana Oduro Sarfo, would not confirm the percentage reduction, but corroborated the change in figures.
“We have renewed our partnership with Puma. During the era of the [Normalisation Committee], it was renewed with the same duration of four years as it was [previously],” Oduro Sarfo said.
“The figures have changed a little because of the exposé, because of sales, because of popularity, but we [the new FA administration] have been there to speak to them and we will see how we can come back to that level [we used to be].”
A GFA delegation, led by the association’s president, Kurt Okraku, met the kit sponsors in January and made proposals for assistance with youth and infrastructural development.
Atsu Boye
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