BetPawa, the headline sponsors of the Ghana Premier League, has announced a new sponsorship deal for the male and female senior national teams, the Black Stars and the Black Queens.

Announcing the deal at a ceremony on Friday, Head of Local Marketing and CSR at BetPawa, Borah Ndanyungu, said the company is “investing over GH₵3.5 million into Ghanaian football to support the Black Stars and Black Queens.”

This deal, she said, will aid the Black Stars and the Black Queens in their World Cup Qualification campaign, and the Women’s African Cup of Nations campaign respectively.

Football, Ndanyungu, noted, is one of the greatest unifiers of Ghanaians. She said, “When the Black Stars or Black Queens take to the pitch, they carry the hopes and dreams of millions of Ghanaians.”

This partnership deal she stated, reflects BetPawa’s deep and long partnership with the Ghana Football Association (GFA), with the company supporting the local league and the overall development of the game in Ghana over the last three years.

She also announced that despite the local league coming to an end, the company would renew its existing contract with the GFA.

Ndanyungu also revealed that Betpawa has so far spent over GH₵4 million on the GPL in the form of the locker room bonus, which is money sent directly to players in the local league every time they win a game.

“This is the commitment we’ve been engaged in over the last three years, and we are now extending this to the national teams to continue supporting the GFA in improving sports development.”

The Vice President of the GFA, Mark Addo, who represented the GFA President, Kurt Okraku, described the sponsorship deal as a “affirmation of belief.”

He expressed the gratitude of the FA to BetPawa for demonstrating their commitment to the growth and success of Ghana football.

“The latest support package,” he said, “comes at a critical time, as the national teams prepare to carry the hopes of millions of Ghanaians onto the continental and global stage.”

“Football still remains the most powerful social institution outside our family, our faith and education. It brings together the market women in Makola, the fishermen in Elmina, students in Tamale, and the miners in Obuasi and the entrepreneurs in Accra behind one flag.”

He continued, “When the Black Stars play, Ghana becomes one family. When the Black Queens succeed, young girls across our nation see new opportunities for themselves. That is why partnerships such as this, with BetPawa, matter, because football excellence is never achieved by the footballers alone.”

Mark Addo commended BetPawa for coming up with the “innovative” locker room bonus initiative, which he said “has fundamentally changed how performance is rewarded within the football ecosystem.”

These bonuses, he said, have provided direct financial support, motivation and recognition for the sacrifices they make every day in pursuit of excellence.

This initiative, he indicated, has “reinforced the culture of teamwork and winning, and that culture matters a lot.”

The Vice President reiterated the resolve of the football governing body to raise standards across all levels of the game.