The welfare of Ghanaian players got a massive shot in the arm when all the players in the senior national team signed to join the professional Footballers Association of Ghana (PFAG) on Friday.
PFAG, the Ghana branch of the world players’ union Fifpro, which protects of the interest of Ghanaian players both at home and abroad co-opted the Black Stars to add weight to the organisation.
PFAG country representative and ex-Ghana international Tony Baffoe made a presentation over the benefits of joining the group to the players in Kumasi before they all signed up.
All the Black Stars players including captain John Mensah, Richard Kingson, John Pantsil, Asamoah Gyan and Dede Ayew all appended their signatures in a bid to have their interests protected.
The next step is to get the all the local players at all levels of Ghanaian football to join up in the bid to improve their well being.
Fifpro fights for players across the globe in disputes over their contracts, agents and other disputes that affect their life and it is a Fifa and CAF affiliate.
PFAG will also kick against the culture of Ghanaian players being put on transfer list without compensation even though they still have running contracts with clubs.
The worldwide players union has defended several Ghanaian players in the past with Fifpro providing the needed support for Stephen Appiah in his fight against Turkish club Fenerbahce.
The Association founded in May 2009 by Baffoe and intends to provide benefits such as general insurance packages including pensions, investment opportunities, educational training like coaching, mentorship programmes, health packages among other things.
Appiah is the PFAG vice president and other board members include Kwame Ayew, Augustine Arhinful, Sammy Kuffour and Tony Baffoe while other members like Abedi Pele opted to take advisory roles.
Several players from the present and past generation were at the launch at the Accra Mall in May including striker Prince Tagoe and hot-shot Kwadwo Asamoah.
Tagoe also received glowing support from PFAG members in his fight against Hoffenheim when they wrongfully cancelled his contract because of a fake medical report.