A major focus of the meeting was the national team’s preparations for the upcoming AFCON qualifying assignment, with the Committee approving the technical team’s plans aimed at ensuring that the Black Sharks are fully prepared and battle-ready for the task ahead.

The meeting forms part of the Football Association’s continued efforts to strengthen the development of beach soccer while providing the necessary support and structures to ensure Ghana’s national beach soccer team is adequately prepared for continental competition.

The meeting, which was attended by GFA General Secretary Prosper Harrison Addo (Esq.) and Acting Director of Competitions Maxwell Caesar Kemeh, also confirmed the date and venue for the 2026 Beach Soccer Premier League final.

The championship-deciding fixture will be played on Sunday, September 27, 2026, in Ada, bringing the curtain down on another exciting season of beach soccer competition.

The participating clubs and other key stakeholders will be officially informed of the confirmed date, venue and further arrangements ahead of the final.

The GFA Beach Soccer Management Committee is chaired by Yaw Kusi Gyamfi Awere, with Solomon Torson serving as Vice Chairman. The Committee’s members are Nana Poku Amankwaah, Ruben Adjahoe and Abdul Hayye Yartey.

Credit: Ghana FA

A high-level delegation from SWAG, led by President Kwabena Yeboah, met with the Minister to discuss strategies for boosting Ghana’s sports development.

The delegation included Vice President Evelyn Nsiah Asare, General Secretary Charles Osei Asibey, Deputy General Secretary Kenneth Odeng Adade, Treasurer Owuraku Nsiah, and Women’s Commissioner Mavis Amanor.

SWAG, established in 1968, boasts over 1,000 members, including sports journalists, photojournalists, content creators, and presenters, and is an active member of the International Sports Press Federation (AIPS).

During the meeting, Yeboah commended Adams for his open-door policy, which has enabled stakeholders to contribute to the sector. He highlighted the Minister’s support for Ghana’s participation at the AIPS congress in Gambia, which garnered international recognition and underscored sports’ economic potential for Africa.

The discussion focused on the historic sports fund initiated by Adams, with Yeboah urging increased publicity and support for its growth, emphasizing grassroots development and the need to nurture sports beyond football.

Mr Adams appreciated SWAG’s role in shaping the sector’s future and committed to collaborating on training modules for sports journalists, recognizing the media’s pivotal role in promoting sports.

The Minister called for a unified effort to develop Ghana’s sports infrastructure and harness sports as a tool for national development, highlighting opportunities in the media space to attract investors and foster local talent.

This engagement marks a significant step forward in elevating Ghana’s sports industry, with SWAG and the Ministry working together to propel Ghanaian sports globally.

Credit: Elizabeth Alhassan 

Located in the Ada East District of Greater Accra, the team was scheduled to compete against Keta Sunset Sports at Keta Emancipation Beach in the Volta Region last Sunday, September 14, 2025 for the fourth week fixture.

In an interview with the club’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Maxwell Kpeglo, he revealed that each club is supposed to receive GH¢10,000 in sponsorship; however, the GFA has only provided GH¢5,000 before the season’s start.

“I incured GH¢2,000 in expenses for each game every weekend, with GH¢1,200 spent on transportation to bring players to the match venue, including those who travel from other regions, along with logistics. GH¢5,000 is insufficient for three matches,” he lamented.

Mr. Kpeglo also criticised the GFA for its neglect of beach soccer, pointing out that Ghana’s national beach soccer team, Black Sharks, have proven a mettle by contesting in the CAF African Beach Soccer Nations Cup, which he believes requires the FA to invest more in the sport.

Regarding the FA’s dedication, he noted that the FA fails to consistently apply its regulations to both football and beach soccer players, resulting in less funding for beach soccer.

“The GFA views beach soccer players over 30 years old as amateurs, while football players of the same age receive preferential treatment in terms of sponsorship,” he explained.

He further compared the prize money, stating, “The prize money for the Ghana Premier League is two million Ghana Cedis (GH¢2,000,000) while the prize money for beach soccer is only GH¢15,000.”

Mr. Maxwell highlighted that the Ada Assurance Beach Soccer Club was the inaugural winner of the Ghana Beach Soccer Premier League organised by the Ghana Football Association in 2023, receiving a prize of GH¢15,000, which is significantly lower than that of the football league.

He has consequently encouraged the Ghana Football Association to provide sufficient support to the clubs participating in the league, aiming to make the sport attractive as it is still in its developmental stages.

Credit: Nicholas Tetteh Amedor (tettehn499@gmail.com)

The aggrieved referees point out that they were stunned when the GFA announced an increase in the allowances of football referees at its 31st Ordinary Congress on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram.

“FIFA-accredited referees in the Ghana Premier League (GPL) will earn GH₵2,500 per match, non-FIFA GPL referees GH₵2,000, and referees in the Division One League (DoL) and Women’s Premier League (WPL) GH₵1,000 per match,” the FA’s statement detailed.

Match officials are mostly based in Greater Accra, Western, Central  Volta and Eastern Regions, however, they officiate games outside their regions of residence, exposing them to financial and travel risks.

“During the day, three games take place at a venue, with a single referee overseeing all of them for a fee of GH₵700.00. This includes transportation and accommodation where we are assigned to officiate,” the referees noted.

“Each game consists of three periods, each lasting 12 minutes, totalling 36 minutes. Depending on the breaks that occur, a game can extend to an hour.”

The aggrieved beach soccer referees also expressed dismay about an irregular payment system, stating that allowances are accumulated after officiating several games, as a result of which most referees are unable to track the number of games they officiated.

“The authorities pay us through mobile money, not before or immediately after the game, but after officiating several games. Some of our members cannot track their payments because of improper documentation,” the referees complained.

The office to receive the referees’ grievances remains a mystery, as they stated that there is no identified leadership to address their concerns, including media publicity and season briefing.

“The 2025/2026 Beach Soccer league started with week one on 24 August, yet authorities didn’t organise a briefing session for the referees. No sponsorship to even telecast any of our games on TV, unlike football. The team owners themselves do Facebook livestream during the games,” the referees complained.

The referees fear the sports will fall into a ditch for lack of media publicity, a role that the GFA is reluctant to play.

Credit: Nicholas Tetteh Amedor

The event, scheduled for Sunday, January 26, at the Ada Beach Arena, highlights Layoca’s incredible progress and potential in the sport.

In a statement from PBC management, they shared their commitment to supporting local talent and the La community. “Layoca plays and trains at La Beach, which we also call home. It is only natural for us to back them as they aim for success. Their journey to the finals shows great potential, and we are proud to stand with them as they work to bring glory to our community,” the statement said.

The management also emphasized their long-term plans to support both Layoca and the community.

“This is just the beginning. We are committed to helping Layoca grow and achieve even greater success, including the possibility of representing La and Ghana in international beach soccer competitions. Supporting Layoca is part of our vision to invest in the growth of our local community,” PBC management added.

The Chief Executive of Layoca Beach Soccer Club, Mr. Davis Nii Amaa Ollennu, expressed his deep appreciation for the support.

“PBC’s backing has come at just the right time. It has given us the strength and motivation to push even harder. We are determined to make history and bring the trophy home to La,” he said.

Mr. Ollennu also called on other organizations in La to step up and support the team.

“Beach soccer is more than a game. It helps keep our youth active, off the streets, and focused on positive activities, while also keeping our beaches vibrant and clean. With more support, we can grow the sport, inspire discipline, and nurture talent among the youth,” he noted.

Layoca’s journey to the -finals has been remarkable, including a thrilling win over last year’s champions, Cheetah FC, during the zonal championship. They will now face Havedzi BSC in a highly anticipated match.

PBC has provided Layoca with new jerseys and financial support as part of their sponsorship. This partnership highlights PBC’s belief in Layoca’s potential and their dedication to growing beach soccer in Ghana.

PBC management also shared their vision for the future of the sport. “We believe this is just the start of something much bigger. One day, we hope to see Layoca compete internationally, showcasing the talent and hard work that La Beach has to offer,” they s aid.

As the competition approaches, PBC calls on the La community and beyond to rally behind Layoca Beach Soccer Club. Together, they aim to inspire excellence and create opportunities for young people through this partnership.

Credit: Mamedia Ventures 

The Black Sharks wrapped up their pre-tournament camping in Keta on Tuesday evening and embarked on the journey to Egypt for the tournament on Wednesday afternoon.

The Black Sharks are set to leave Accra on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, to Hurghada, where they will continue preparations for their opening game against Egypt on Saturday, October 19, 2024.

Under the guidance of head coach Daniel Neequaye Kotey, the squad focused on fine-tuning their strategies and building team cohesion during their pre-tournament camping in Keta.

The Black Sharks will face hosts Egypt in the opening match on Saturday, October 19, before they line up against Morocco and Tanzania in subsequent Group A matches.

In Group B, title holders Senegal will face Mozambique, Malawi, and Mauritania in the group phase of the competition.

With excitement building, Ghana’s side is poised to put up a stellar performance and secure a ticket to participate in the 2025 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, which will be staged in the Seychelles.

Here are the players who made the Black Sharks final squad for the tournament:

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The 18 year old Spain based student, has since left the games village and returned to her base in Malaga with coach Nicole Kerr.

Overall, the games have been seen as highly successful with top ranked athletes performing at impressive international standards.

However, the bizarre jellyfish incident was one of the most dramatic developments at the 15 disciplines sports festival.

One scene captured by Africa Media Channel (AMC) had Rwandan swimmer Claude Dusabe in pain after being stung multiple times by jellyfish as he battled to complete the course. The swimmer had never in his life encountered jellyfish in the sea whilst competing and was clueless about what was happening as he was bitten and stung mercilessly.

The 24 year old had to be rescued from the water just after the mid way point in order to receive treatment.

He was among several male athletes who could not complete the course and at least 12 female swimmers who also had to be pulled out of the water.

Out of a possible 17 female competitors, only five swimmers eventually completed the course with Amica De Jaegar of South Africa clinching gold in a time of 1 hour and 4 minutes.

The silver also went to South Africa’s Kate Beavon whilst Melek Wadar from Morocco took the bronze.

Meanwhile the coach of Zaira Forson expressed her satisfaction at the rapid response and calm attention of paramedics to the stricken swimmers but also relayed her disappointment that the 5 kilometre race was not called off entirely with so many swimmers unable to complete the course.

Coach Nicole Kerr confirmed that it was the very first time the Ghanaian swimmer had not completed a race in her entire career.

“It was an unusual experience for Zaira because she was battling with jellyfish right from the start and this obviously went a long way to hinder her progress. Apart from the initial shock and pain from the stings, she has recovered quickly. She will definitely come back stronger,” Coach Kerr said.

In the men’s race Phillip Sedler of Namibia took the gold in a time of 58 minutes and 54 seconds.

He was followed by swimmers from South Africa and Tunisia in silver and bronze positions respectively.

Credit: Yaw Ampofo Ankrah / GOC Communications

Qualification has so far taken place in Open Water Swimming, Beach Handball and Karate in line with the Qualification Systems which have been developed in partnership with the respective International Federations and can be found here. All current Qualification Places are provisional and must still be confirmed by the International Federations.

The Qualification Systems aim to ensure the participation of the world’s best athletes at the ANOC World Beach Games while also placing an emphasis on universality with the Games open to all NOCs across all Continents. The inaugural edition of the Games saw 1,200 athletes from nearly 100 NOCs from all five Continents take part.

Acting ANOC President Robin Mitchell said:

“It is fantastic to already see 36 NOCs qualify places for the ANOC World Beach Games Bali 2023.

“The ANOC World Beach Games is unique in how it combines elite sport and beach culture on a global scale. The Qualification Systems are vital in ensuring as many NOCs as possible are represented at the Games while still maintaining the highest sporting standards. Qualification across all the sports at the ANOC World Beach Games will continue over the next 12 months and we are very excited to see how many NOCs qualify to compete in Bali next year.”

In Open Water Swimming, athletes have earnt NOC qualification places via the FINA World Championships which is currently taking place in Budapest. In Monday’s 5km Open Water Swim, 31 NOCs earned at least one of the 54 Qualification Places available (27 places for men and 27 places for women) for the ANOC World Beach Games Bali 2023. In the men’s event it was the NOCs of Germany, Italy, Ukraine, France, Hungary, Australia, United States of America, Greece, Colombia, Japan, People’s Republic of China, Turkey, Brazil, Austria, Chinese Taipei, South Africa, Ecuador, Kazakhstan, Angola, Czech Republic and Serbia. While the women’s event saw qualification places secured for the NOCs of Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Australia, Netherlands, Japan, United States of America, Hungary, Hong Kong, China, Israel, South Africa, Czech Republic, Turkey, People’s Republic of China, Canada, Republic of Korea, Peru, New Zealand, Seychelles and Slovenia.

In Beach Handball the top five teams per gender in the IHF Beach Handball Championships 2022 which took place in Crete, Greece on 21-26 June qualified places for their NOCs. In the men’s competition this was Croatia, Denmark, Brazil, Greece and Qatar. In the women’s the NOCs of Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Greece and Denmark earned their places. The remaining six NOC places per gender will be assigned based the Continental Championships, with one additional place per gender going to the host NOC.

In Karate, the qualification was based on last November’s 2021 World Senior Championships in Dubai. In the men’s category this meant qualification places to athletes from Japan, Spain, Italy, Turkey, USA and Switzerland while in the women’s category athletes from the NOCs of Spain, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Italy, Egypt and USA have secured quotas. A further 10 places per gender will be awarded based on the Continental Championships and another 10 per gender based on WKF rankings as of 12 June 2023.

Upcoming qualifier events this month for the ANOC World Beach Games Bali 2023 include the 3rd Beach Wrestling Series Stop 2022: Cousteau and 4th Beach Wrestling Series Stop 2022: Katerini on 2 and 10 July respectively where significant ranking points will be up for grabs. In August, on the 21st the 2022 World Triathlon Multisport Championships Samorin will provide ranking points in aquathlon and on the 28th the Sand Series Saarlouis Classic will provide ranking points in beach tennis. While at the start of September, the European Beach Soccer qualifier will take place where NOCs can earn direct qualification places.

Credit: AIPS