Betpawa, a prominent sports betting platform in Africa, has announced a significant expansion in its support for Ghanaian football.
During a press conference on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, Betpawa’s Managing Director for Africa and Chief Commercial Officer, Ntoudi Mouyelo Katoula, revealed the company’s renewed commitment to Ghanaian football.
In discussions with the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Betpawa confirmed that it would not only continue its sponsorship of the men’s Premier League but also extend its backing to the women’s FA Cup.
A core element of Betpawa’s contribution is the “Locker Room Bonus” initiative. This unique program provides players with instant mobile money payments immediately after their matches.
According to Mouyelo, the “Locker Room Bonus” serves three main purposes:
1. To motivate players by providing direct financial rewards for competing and winning.
2. To demonstrate that players in Africa can receive timely payments, with funds transferred via mobile money as soon as they leave the field.
3. To aid in professionalizing Ghana’s football industry by working closely with the GFA on payment conditions.
In the 2022/2023 season, Betpawa disbursed nearly 600,000 Ghana cedis in locker room bonuses, benefiting almost 4,000 players. For the upcoming 2023/2024 season, the company plans to increase this amount to 1.3 million cedis.
For the first time, the locker room bonuses will be extended to the women’s FA Cup, starting from the round of 16 and continuing through the final. This is a major investment in supporting and promoting women’s football in Ghana.
Mouyelo also underscored the role of the “third power” saying
“At the end of the day, this initiative means nothing if we don’t have what I call the third power. And you are the third power.
You can have the best car in the world, you can have the best, whatever you call it, the best husband, the best wife.
If there is no one voicing out what you have, it is meaningless. So you are the third power.”
He encouraged journalists and fans to spread awareness of the program and inspire similar player-focused initiatives in other regions.
With this broadened sponsorship and innovative bonus scheme, Betpawa aims to boost the growth of Ghanaian football and establish a new model for how corporate sponsors can directly invest in and uplift players.
