With the 2025/26 Ghana Premier League season set to kick off on Friday, headline sponsors BetPawa have begun a two-day training session for clubs on the updated Locker Room Bonus system.
The initiative, which was launched three years ago, rewards players and selected technical staff with GH₵400 each whenever their team wins a Premier League match.
For the upcoming campaign, BetPawa is extending the scheme to cover both the GPL and the Malta Guinness Women’s Premier League.
At a workshop held at the Best Western Premier Hotel in Accra, club officials and players were taken through the revamped digital platform, which will now allow team managers to verify player details directly via mobile phones or laptops before matches.
Borah Ndanyunga, BetPawa’s Head of Local Marketing and CSR, explained the new system:
The whole process of verifying players is going to be streamlined now. Team managers can complete the verifications on their phones or laptops, so we don’t want to see situations where players are left out because they haven’t been verified. Everything can be done in real time before a match.
The training also introduced participants to BetPawa’s international operations team, including senior software engineers who were from Brazil and Estonia, who demonstrated how to use the platform.
Speaking on the sidelines , BetPawa’s Regional Manager for CSR & Sports Development (West & Southern Africa), Nii Armah Ashong-Katai, underlined the importance of the Locker Room Bonus for player motivation:
We want players to focus on playing football. This initiative is a form of loyalty and welfare — it puts money directly in their pockets every week. It also builds competition, because players know that winning brings both pride and reward.
He added that the bonus system discourages complacency and strengthens professionalism in the local game:
Previously, players could fake injuries to avoid games. But now, they know that winning adds something extra for them and their teammates. We went into this partnership with the GFA because we are committed to the welfare of players, both in Ghana and across Africa.
The training sessions have been split across two days ; Tuesday was dedicated to Ghana Premier League clubs, while Wednesday will focus on the Malta Guinness Women’s Premier League teams.
As the new GPL season begins this Friday with Accra Hearts of Oak taking on debutants Hohoe United, the Locker Room Bonus is expected to serve as an added motivation for players to give their best on the pitch.
