Story by Michael Okuley
Online betting company BetPawa has pulled out as the official headline sponsor of the Ghana Premier League (GPL).
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) signed a three-year deal worth six million dollars ($6m) ahead of the 2022/2023 season with betting company betPawa to become the official headline sponsor of the Ghana Premier League.
The reason leading to the termination of the deal is unknown, but a deep-throat source within the country’s football governing body says Betpawa Ghana has cited several reasons, including low visibility, poor branding, and the absence of Betpawa-branded pitch panels at some centres.
However, the Ghana FA held a meeting on November 28, 2023, with all 18 premier league clubs to officially inform them of the unfortunate turn of events before public announcement was made.
This is a major loss, especially for the teams that will now only be able to rely on Startimes’ earnings from TV rights.
Prior to Betpawa’s involvement, the league had gone several seasons without a headline sponsor; thus, the first agreement was a reason for joy, even though it hasn’t lasted as long as anticipated.
Ghana FA has struggled to keep headline sponsors to finish their contracts since 2013, when they signed Globacom.
