Women’s football has been handed a major boost ahead of the start of the maiden edition of the Women’s FA Cup.
Sanford World Clinics, Ghana, headed by its president, Dr Kojo Benjamin Taylor, is coming on board as the sponsors for the competition, which will see regional league clubs challenge the National Women’s League (NWL) clubs for the title.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA), represented by the Women’s League Board (WLB), clinched the deal with Sanford, primary health care providers in deprived areas in Ghana, with a final meeting between Dr Taylor and the GFA president, Kwesi Nyantakyi.
Details of the sponsorship deal will be unveiled at an official signing on Tuesday, but the deal will be a relief for the women’s game.
This could be a spring in the step of the clubs as they clash this weekend with the Round of 32 matches in both the northern and southern zones.
For the first time in the women’s football, clubs playing in the regional leagues will be given the chance to challenge the National Women’s League (NWL) clubs for the coveted trophy put at stake.
The competition, introduced to add up to the competitions in women’s football, has already seen the first round where clubs in the regions competed for the slots for the second round.
This weekend, the Round of 32 has some interesting match-ups, particularly, in the northern zone where there are several local derbies lined up.
The fixtures: Fabulous Ladies v Northern Ladies, Supreme Ladies (Ashanti) v Ampem Darkoa Ladies, Kumasi Academy Ladies v Ashtown Ladies, Bolga Sharp Arrows v Subayo Ladies, Celebrant Ladies (Brong Ahafo) Beyom Ladies (Tamale) and Kintampo Falls Ladies host Prisons Ladies.
In the Southern Zone, Western Region representatives, Holy Royal Ladies, will host Anlo Ladies from the Volta Region, Sekondi’s Haaasport Ladies will play Accra’s John Michael’s, while Combine Forces also from the Western Region play Value Girls also from Greater Accra in the all-regional clubs matches.
Immigration Ladies versus Bafana Ladies, LadyStrikers versus Police Ladies and Soccer Intellectuals’ game against Halifax are the NWL clashes.
Hasaacas Ladies’ meet Storm Ladies from the Eastern Region and Samaria Ladies’ home game against Blessed Ladies complete the fixtures in the zone.
The winners will progress to the next round where the Round of Eight draw will be conducted for the clubs to know their next opponents.