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The Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) has urged the Ghana Football Association (GFA), to abstain from the practice of monetization information concerning the Black Stars ahead of the 2022 World Cup play-off tie against Nigeria.
The Black Stars technical handlers addressed the nation on March 21, 2022, on the Ghana Football App prior to the announcement of the team squad which cost users at least GH₵5 to access.
However, SWAG has condemned the decision since it denied media practitioners and the general public from accessing the information on the national team.
“Our worry is that by continuing to limit access to the handlers of the Black Stars, players, the GFA is not only denying journalists the free room to operate, but it is also denying the Ghanaian public access to their own national team and in the process hurting the efforts of everyone; fans and journalists alike to rally support for the team,” it said in a release.
They thus called on the Football Association going forward, to desist from monetizing information related to the national teams.
Describing the GFA’s initiative as an effort to create a “calm environment” around the national team, the body of sports writers in the country noted that, the issue of monetizing Black Stars information is an “unhealthy practice.”
“At SWAG, we respect the need to provide a balance between access to the team and the space to prepare for major internationals in a calm environment but feel the emerging practice where the GFA effectively wants to be the middle and sole player in communication issues around the Black Stars is an unhealthy practice that needs reviewing as soon as possible.
“While SWAG understands the GFA’s need to use the Black Stars to boost its digital communication channels, we are concerned that the practice of routing important information about the national football team exclusively through an app at a fee is unduly monetizing information that should be freely available to journalists and in the process hampering their work,” the statement indicated.
It added: “The basics such as squad information, comments of national team technical handlers amongst others should be the last bit of information the GFA looks to monetize,” it noted.
