BY NADIA NTIAMAOH
Six Ghana Premier League clubs are facing a race against time to secure their places in the 2026/27 season after the Ghana Football Association (GFA) warned that clubs that fail to complete the mandatory licensing process by Friday, July 31, 2026, could be denied participation in the competition.
Aduana FC, Berekum Chelsea, Bibiani Gold Stars, Heart of Lions, FC AshantiGold and Young Apostles had yet to begin the club licensing process as of 11:00 a.m. on Monday, July 27, according to an update from the GFA’s Club Licensing Department.
With only days remaining before the deadline, the six clubs are under mounting pressure to submit the required documentation through the Club Licensing Online Platform (CLOP).
The GFA has made it clear that the July 31 deadline is final and that clubs should not expect another extension.
According to the Association, compliance with the Club Licensing Regulations is mandatory for every club seeking to compete in Ghana’s top-flight league during the 2026/27 campaign.
“The Department has emphasised that no further extension will be granted. Clubs that fail to complete the licensing process by the stipulated deadline risk sanctions under the Club Licensing Regulations, including, but not limited to, being denied participation in the 2026/27 Ghana Premier League season,” the GFA warned.
While six clubs were yet to start the process, seven had already completed their licensing requirements by Monday morning.
They are Accra Hearts of Oak, Asante Kotoko, Dreams FC, Medeama SC, FC Samartex 1996, All Blacks United and Basake Holy Stars.
Five other clubs — Debibi United, Karela FC, Bechem United, Port City FC and Vision FC — had started their applications but were yet to complete the entire process.
The GFA has consequently urged the outstanding clubs to act immediately rather than wait until the final hours before submitting their documentation.
According to the Club Licensing Department, early submission will provide sufficient time for documents to be verified and give clubs an opportunity to resolve any outstanding issues identified during the assessment process.
Club licensing has become an important part of the GFA’s attempt to strengthen professionalism and governance within domestic football.
Under the licensing framework, clubs must satisfy a series of requirements covering sporting, infrastructure, administrative, legal and financial criteria before receiving approval to participate in the league.
The system is intended to ensure that clubs competing at the highest level of Ghanaian football possess the structures and resources required to operate professionally and sustainably.
Failure to satisfy those requirements could therefore have consequences beyond administrative sanctions, with the GFA warning that a club could ultimately be denied the licence required to participate in the Premier League.
The warning places particular attention on Aduana FC, Berekum Chelsea, Bibiani Gold Stars, Heart of Lions, FC AshantiGold and Young Apostles, which must now begin and complete their applications before Friday’s deadline.
The five clubs whose applications remain in progress must equally complete all outstanding requirements before the window closes.
