Vincent Sowah Odotei is backing the GFA over implementing the CLS

Ex- King Chief Executive Vincent Sowah Odotei has lauded plans by the Ghana Football Association  to implement the Club Licensing System (CLS) from next  season.

World governing body, FIFA has directed all member associations as a mater of urgency to put into practice the CLS starting the next soccer calendar.

The proposal will be tabled before the highest decision body of the Assoociation, Congress, for approval.

The former Hearts of Oak chief, who has been an avid critic of the Kwesi Nyantakyi administration, has welcomed the move.

“On this particular one I would like to congratulate the FA for putting in place measures to ensure we implement the CLS,” Odotei told Accra-based Happy FM

“Look if we want to grow the game we must do things professionally at the club level,”

“If any club is not able to fufil the requirement, then they should pack their bag and baggage and leave the game for others who can do it,”

“Football is serious business and must not be taken lightly. We cannot afford to be doing the same way and expect different results. It doesn’t happen anywhere under this sun,”

“I believe congress will approve it quickly without any objection at all so we can begin to run our clubs in a proficient way.”

The club licensing benchmark 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 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.