Sports
Let’s allow the fans!
Before the commencement of the 2020/21 Ghana Premier League (GPL) season, the government made an assurance to the Ghana Football Association (GFA) that only 25 per cent of fans to a stadium’s capacity will be allowed to see the game.
It may not have gone down well with the fans, but in the midst of the raging COVID-19 pandemic, many agreed that it was the most sagacious and level-headed action to take. Indeed, lives must be saved!
Sadly, a communique from the sector Ministry popped up later to inverse its own decision, directing the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to ensure that the games were played at empty stadia. It was a disappointing development and it came hitting the fan like a hypodermic bullet.
What is gratifying is that the GFA and the National Sports Authority (NSA) have put in place the necessary COVID-19 safety measures at the stadia and even journalists who come to cover the games are made to go through the protocols.
For instance, there is adequate spacing at the press box with journalists putting on their nose masks and observing all other protocols including washing and sanitising of hands.
If the authorities are not ready to permit only 25 per cent capacity of fans in a stadium (who will be made to go through the safety protocols anyway), and yet would freely allow tens of thousands of fanatics (with utter disregard for the protocols), to follow them at their political rallies, then what kind of people are we?
Do we have any justification for the political rallies? If yes, what prevents the football populace from gathering to watch a game which has all the COVID-19 safety protocols in place? What kind of double standards is this?
Evidently, we are not serious in the fight against the spread of the pandemic. And, it is amazing how our authorities would seize the slightest opportunity to try and educate the youth to be wary against the virus when they themselves are helping in its spread!
Sheer hypocrisy, not so? Indeed, we should be ashamed of ourselves with what is happening now!
Even in the western countries where the pandemic has claimed thousands of lives, their football authorities are permitting a sizable number of fans to the stadium. Let us be real and honest to ourselves and get the fans back.
Football is nothing without fans.
PlainTalk with JOHN VIGAH
Sports
We look forward to working closely with you for sports development …NSA staff tells Kofi Adams

The Staff of the National Sports Authority (NSA) says they are ready to work closely with Mr Kofi Iddie Adams, Minister for Sports and Recreation.
The staff, in a statement, congratulated Mr Adams for a successful vetting process following his appointment by President John Dramani Mahama.
“Your leadership comes at a crucial time when the image and leadership of the NSA is at its lowest ebb in the eyes of the general public, and we are confident that your vision and commitment will bring remarkable progress to the NSA in particular and the sports sector in general.
As key stakeholders in the administration and development of sports, we look forward to working closely with you to advance policies and initiatives that will uplift sports and recreation in our nation.
We trust that under your stewardship, the NSA, which is the technical wing of the Ministry and thus clothed with the responsibility and mandate to implement sports policies and programmes of the Ministry, will enjoy empowerment through impartial resource allocation, capacity building, human and infrastructure capacity development, as well as constant engagement and consultations regarding sports and all related matters,” the statement said.
The NSA staff also assured the Sports and Recreation Minister of their full support and commitment as they strive to achieve sports excellence. –GNA
Sports
GFA, police must bite harder

If there is a particular group of sports fans expected to learn bitter lessons from hooliganism associated with football, then that must certainly be Ghanaian football fans.
On May 9, 2001, Ghana was hit hardest by what has come to be known as the May 9 football disaster where a total of 126 football fans lost their lives on a chilling evening.
These fans had gone to the Accra Sports Stadium to watch Ghana’s version of the ‘el clasico’ involving Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko.
However, a referee’s decision that didn’t go well with a section of the fans sparked trouble at the Osu Cemetery end of the stands, resulting in police intervention which went in excess.
Eventually, that huge number of football fans with families and several responsibilities perished, leave that dent on the nation’s sports calendar which is observed every year with a wreath-laying ceremony.
Twenty-four years down the line, events on the football scene suggests that a section of football fans have learnt no lesson from the incident despite the many calls each year to nib that practice in the bud.
Fans continue to misbehave at match venues and take the law into their own hands by causing damage to properties.
Tomorrow is exactly a week when another infamous incident occurred at the Nsoatreman Stadium where the home team, Nsoatreman FC defeated Asante Kotoko by 1-0.
It did not come anywhere near the 2001 incident though, but happenings on the field that led to the death of a Kotoko fan was bad enough to plunge the football fraternity into a sombre mood.
Guided by that history, one would have expected the fans to exercise restraint irrespective of the provocation since there are sanctions to deal with offenders.
Eventually, a husband, father, uncle and many others was murdered in cold blood.
It brings to the fore the challenging circumstances under which football is played in Ghana with security being one of the major headaches.
Reports from some sections have revealed close to 150 police personnel were expected for the match but on the match day, the security presence was nothing to write home about.
And, apart from the Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, Cape Coast and Essipun Stadia in the Western region, there are no other facilities good enough to ensure a proper security arrangement.
Most of these venues are fenced with wire mesh which can cave in when fans go on a rampage or under the least pressure.
As if that is not enough, some of these security personnel watch unconcerned when some of these violent acts go on.
As a result, every life in the stadium is endangered when pandemonium breaks out. With such danger looming, football becomes unattractive to many.
Sadly, the FA’s Club Licensing Board have gone ahead to approve some of these venues to host matches.
And with some particular venues gaining notoriety for such incidents, perhaps, this should force the FA to crack the whip.
But since no sanction can be equated to the life lost, it was time the FA employ new mechanisms to make the league very safe for fans.
In Ethiopia and other countries, the leagues are played in a little over three safe and secured venues which practically served as home or away venues for the clubs; even if they are not the original venues.
What this requires is that on match days, games would be divided into two or three groups and shared to the number of venues available.
As is done in Ghana already, match day games can start on Fridays and end on Mondays. In this situation, there would be maximum security to forestall any fans trouble, seeing the numbers of personnel around.
It is surely one of the ways to curb hooliganism which is gradually making the game in Ghana very unattractive and unpopular.
Moreover, it is sad the FA has been hanged and crucified in this manner for a decision of a few football fans to misbehave to put the image of the game in opprobrium.
Being the organisers of the game, the FA cannot escape blame because some concerns about lack of adequate security at venues have not been attended to wholly, apart from the closure for a few days.
Football may be on an indefinite break for now but when it returns, the focus should be on the clubs without secured venues because there are always the trouble grounds.
For those to be identified in the entire brawl, this must be the time for the FA to prove that it has the teeth to bite.
By Andrew Nortey