Sports
To start or not to start…
The re-start of the German football league –Bundesliga – has inspired hope among countries whose leagues were grinded to a halt due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
After back-and-forth engagement with German authorities over an appropriate date to recommence, having suffered from the brutal effect of the virus as a country, the competition continued under special guidelines to ensure the disease was not spread.
But for the failure of Hertha Berlin players to adhere to celebration protocols in their 3-0 win over Hoffeinham on Monday, there was no hitch.
It has sent clear signals to other league around the world including Ghana that the ‘Project restart’ was possible.
In England and other places, teams have assembled for training to commence.
However, their activities will be closely monitored by the authorities to ensure that guidelines like the regular testing, social distancing and other protocols were observed.
In Ghana, however, the discussion is ongoing with no date in sight to resume as there appears to be a sharp division among stakeholders over when it was safe to do so.
With the restrictions on public/social gathering still in force despite easing the restrictions, the FA’s hands are tied over when the restrictions will be eased entirely to restart the games.
The situation becomes even gloomier with the upsurge of confirmed positive cases, leaving stakeholders in a state of despair and hopelessness.
Interestingly, apart from King Faisal’s bankroller, Alhaji Grusah who openly and fiercely oppose talk about a restart, clubs appear to have been very meticulous in their pronouncements on the matter; preferring the FA to lead the process to return.
This is the more reason why the FA must be proactive in the covid-19 era and work closely with the authorities to find ways to bring the game back.
Obviously the signs on the wall do not suggest covid-19 is leaving now as Ghana’s case keep soaring despite assurance of reaching its peak.
Instead of waiting for government to ease the restrictions fully, the FA could come out with reasonable ideas that can convince all and sundry that football could return.
It could mean undertaking mandatory tests for all players and officials at the elite level to know the number of cases just as was done in England, Spain and Italy. It should include match officials and other workers on a match day.
The outcome will put the FA in a position to know the rate of infection among the main actors.
If the rate is very low, it could progress with the next phase of getting clubs ready to start training but under the same guidance with positive cases getting isolated.
Obviously, the matches will be played without the fans; suggesting that media for the games must also undergo compulsory test to run commentaries and provide match reports.
Based on its progress at this stage, the FA could also adopt some of the practices in some countries that want to accept fans but should do so under strict social distancing rule.
Organisers of the games must also ensure water, soap, alcohol based sanitizers were provided at the venues for nose-mask wearing fans or any other match day worker.
These would surely come at some cost which will not be left on the shoulders of the FA alone; the clubs must support.
However, the readiness of the clubs to ensure all of the above will help answer the myth to start the league or not.
BY ANDREW NORTEY
Sports
Medeama dare Chelsea in Golden City Park …Hearts, Kotoko locked up in tough battles away
A blockbuster clash is expected at the Golden City Park at Berekum tomorrow, when former league champions, Medeama SC and Berekum Chelsea, cross swords in a top match day 17 Ghana Premier League fixture.
Games between the two sides have left fans at the edges of their seats, and tomorrow’s clash is expected to follow the status quo.
More so, Medeama will be coming up against their former technical head, Samuel Boadu, who, since leaving the club, has been a thorn in their flesh anytime he comes up against them.
With seven points separating them, Medeama SC lie seventh on the log, three places above their host, and will need to dig deep into their rich reservoir of form and experience to be able to come out of the ‘Golden City’ unscathed.
Premier League leaders, Kpando Heart of Lions, will also lock horns with third place, Nations FC, at the Kpando Sports Stadium.
A point separates both teams on the log, and that has drawn a lot of talking points, going into the game tomorrow.
Nations FC go into the game as one of the two best teams, with four away wins. This record is likely to influence play as leading goal scorer of the campaign, Faisal Charwetey, leads the line for the visitors.
Bottom club, Legon Cities, will stay put at the Legon Stadium to host 14th-placed, Dreams FC, at the University of Ghana Stadium in Legon.
That game is one for strugglers but has what it takes to generate the fireworks as they bid to snatch the points at stake to boost their survival quest.
Accra Hearts of Oak will travel to Samreboi to face Samartex 1996 in another game expected to produce a lot of thrills.
The Phobians have been on a good patch of form in recent times, chalking very important feat to claim a place at the upper part of the league table.
Playing away, they have shown resilience and courage and have not been intimidated at all, a situation that has made it difficult to brush them aside.
The story would not be different this time but the strength of the opposition would make it a more difficult encounter.
Samartex, after an impressive display in African club competition, appear to have taken the foot off the pedal and gradually dropping to the middle and lower ranks of the table.
This dip in performance is what they seek to bib in the bud as they welcome the Phobians in what can be described a do-or-die battle.
Porcupine Warriors Kumasi Asante Kotoko would welcome new boys, Vision FC, to the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.
The Reds are obvious favourites in this encounter but they have been very inconsistent. That obviously presents a chance in the game as they aim to cause the biggest upset of the event.
In other games, struggling Accra Lions will welcome second-placed, Bibiani Gold Stars FC, at the WAFA Park in Sogakope; Nsoatreman FC will host Karela United at the Nana Konamansah Park in Nsoatre; Basake Holy Stars will return to the Crosby Awuah Memorial (CAM) Park to engage Aduana Stars, while Young Apostles and Bechem United battle each other in a Bono derby at the Wenchi Sports Stadium.
By Raymond Ackumey
Sports
Give us a Sports Minister of substance
It is that time of the political season where ‘Fellow’ Ghanaians will have to show their lobbying skills to catch the attention of a freshly elected and sworn-in president and his vice.
Like it is done in the legislature where ‘Honourables’ must work hard to get the attention of the Speaker, so must fellow Ghanaians scramble for space, swerve every obstacle to submit a Curriculum Vitae (CV).
Usually, one must be well connected to more powerful people closer to those on the corridors of power for a CV to land at the appropriate place.
The scramble at the end of the day is to be favoured and selected for a ministerial role. When one is successful and even cleared by the house of Honourables, the victor is likely to serve as a Minister of the state for a period only God knows.
For some, it is after this that they can beat the chest proudly and state “Yes, I have arrived.”
But it is mesmerising how the efforts of the ambitious ones can be thwarted by comments or suggestions from another set of fellow Ghanaians.
These kind of fellow Ghanaians are the ones that lacks the prerequisite to desire the aspirations of the ambitious group.
At least through various media platforms, they make their voices heard on who should be selected for which ministry and give reasons why.
This happens very often but as to whether it is heard at the corridors of power, it will be difficult to tell.
Happenings in the current political ‘cocoa’ season has been no exception. Certain offices have been inundated with a lot of these CVs that an announcement had to be made for it to stop.
It may have stopped but what will be difficult to stop, may be the lobbying and those offering words of advice on who should be selected and who should be ignored.
Ahead of the announcement of a Minister of Sports and recreation (MoSR), there have been a lot of conversation over who to consider for the post and what the person brings to the table.
Some have called for an abrasive leader, expecting him to be tough and have either a thick skin or develop a dead goat syndrome to deal with perceived ills in the sector.
Some have gone to the extent of choosing such people to specifically deal with some actions or persons at the Ghana Football Association (GFA); as if that is where all the problems of Ghana sports emanates from.
Some have come up with many other suggestions; all in a bid to get someone cut for the role of the Sports Minister.
This is gradually making the role of the Minister of sports and recreation as the most difficult one; and perhaps no longer education, finance and labour etc.
But whatever happens, the selectors must carefully consider the true needs of Ghana sports and have a good knowledge of it as well as it current administration globally.
If we say sports has become a business, the sports minister nominee must fathom what it means and what is required to make it so.
The nominee must know and accept that sports is not just football. Apart from football, Ghana has over 50 sports federations, all depending on the national cake for survival.
The decoupling of the youth from its functions and replaced by recreation should also aid the nominee in categorising these sports disciplines.
By the rule of competitive advantage, the nominee must decipher those with realistic chances of doing well to be pushed. What we need is a Minister of substance and be firm to all but fair.
By Andrew Nortey
