Referees Manager of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Alex Quartey, has announced that for the first time, the GFA will publish the list of eligible referees set to participate in the upcoming fitness and written tests ahead of the 2025/26 football season.
This initiative aims to enhance transparency and ensure that only the most qualified officials are selected to officiate in the new campaign.
The Referees Department on July 1 released its official calendar for the 2025/26 season, which begins with the FIFA Member Association Instructors Course scheduled for July 10. The national written and fitness examinations for referees in both the Northern and Southern sectors will follow from August 8 to 15, 2025.
Speaking exclusively to Citi Sports, Alex Quartey explained that beginning with the instructors’ course sets the tone for a thorough evaluation process.
it is always good that we start with the instructors course . It’s for both the fitness and the technical ,that’s what we are going to do .
For this year , the only new thing that we have added is to do a publication of the eligible referees .
Over the years we allow everybody to come and run before we do the selections but this year we are going to do a publication of the list of referees who will have to come and take part in the written test and the fitness test .
Before the written and fitness test ,they will go through their medicals, just like the players will go through their medicals . We will also make sure that our referees are medically fit before they come and take part in the technical and the fitness test.
✍🏽 Mark your calendars! 🗓️
The 2025/26 #GPL season will kick off on September 12, 2025, and end on May 23/24, 2026.
Another thrilling campaign awaits! 🏆🔥 pic.twitter.com/bKNbCxmCbh
— 🇬🇭 Ghana Premier League (@GhanaLeague) June 17, 2025
The 2024/2025 Ghana football season was marked by a string of controversial refereeing decisions that drew widespread criticism from fans, coaches, and club officials alike.
Several key matches across the Ghana Premier League, Division One, and FA Cup saw questionable calls ranging from disallowed goals to dubious penalties and offside rulings that significantly influenced outcomes.
Clubs like Accra Lions, Dreams FC, and Nations FC publicly voiced their concerns, with many stakeholders calling on the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to take urgent steps to improve officiating standards.
