The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has launched a crackdown on poor officiating in the Ghana Premier League, revealing that several referees have been "put on ice" following a string of high-profile errors.

In a candid assessment of the state of refereeing in the country, GFA Referees Manager Alex Kotey confirmed that internal structures are now being used to weed out underperforming officials.

Speaking on the GFA Podcast, Kotey addressed growing concerns from fans and clubs regarding match integrity. However, he firmly rejected accusations of systemic bias or corruption within the ranks.

Despite the mounting pressure on match officials across the country, Kotey argued that mistakes are often the result of human error rather than malicious intent.

"It is very difficult to agree or to generalise that the referees are biased," Kotey said.

"I would want to rather say that they did not have a good day. Just like any club will get a bad day, it is so with our referees. They are humans."

While defending his team's character, the Referees Manager admitted that the department is actively working to "pluck out" those who do not meet the required standards.

The GFA has adopted a strict disciplinary cycle where officials who make critical errors in decision-making are immediately removed from the match rotation.

Once an official is sidelined, they must undergo intensive retraining sessions designed to address their specific technical failings.

Only those who successfully demonstrate a return to form and professional competency are cleared by the Referees Committee to be reinstated to the pitch.

"This year alone, we have put some of the referees on ice due to errors in decision-making," Kotey explained.

"We put you on ice, put you through some training and then if you are okay, the referees committee reinstate you."

The GFA’s commitment to improving the standard of the Ghana Premier League comes at a time when officiating is under intense scrutiny across the African continent.

Kotey emphasised that the FA will continue to invest in capacity building to ensure that the "men in black" can keep pace with the increasing speed and physicality of the domestic game.

While he acknowledged that the process of filtering out underperforming officials has been "slow" due to the need for tactical precision, the message to Ghana's referees is clear: perform or face the sidelines.