Ghana will implement the Club Licensing System (CLS) from next season for top-flight clubs to run themselves more efficiently.
This is in line with FIFA’s directive to implement the CLS at the member association level, the Ghana Football Association has revealed.
The GFA's club licensing manual, which is expected to be approved by Congress in September, contains five key criteria: sporting; infrastructure; personnel and administrative; legal; and financial.
Any club that intends to take part in the Glo 2012/2013 Premier League must obtain the CLS licence before it can participate in the competition.
Clubs will have to fulfill certain requirements as regards personnel: for instance, each should have in place a general manager, club secretariat, technical director, qualified coaches, finance officer and media officer.
There will also be measurable and quantifiable safety criteria for stadiums, while the GFA will also look for clubs to improve their youth and training policies.
The GFA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi says the club licensing system will have widespread benefits for the development of the game in the country.
"A major innovation that we will be introduced from the coming season will be the club licensing system," the GFA president said.
"It was approved at the FIFA Congress in Munich in 2006 and since then FIFA has asked national associations to reform.
"We will do it in phases because we know locally there are difficulties.
"It is important we implement these things so that we can compete internationally and improve the game locally.
"We will organise training courses for the clubs so that they can be abreast with these things to be introduced.
"When CAF introduces this, clubs who don't meet these standards cannot play in the continental competitions.
The CLS requires the compulsory appointment of a Licensing Manager which will ensure good standards as well as minimum wages for players in the country.
Ghana will be the first country in Africa to implement the CLS.
Source: MTNFootball.com