Sports
Use COVID-19 break to address league challenges – Former GFA presidential aspirant
President of Division One League (DOL) club, Phar Rangers, Nana Yaw Amponsah, has asked the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and other stakeholders to take advantage of the break occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic to solve some of the challenges encountered in the football league.
Nana Amponsah stated in an interview that, “there are bad pitches across the country which is affecting our football and we cannot resume without doing anything about it. We need to take advantage of the current situation to improve upon conditions at our league centres,” he stated.
The former FA presidential candidate said the FA had not been proactive enough in its approach in ensuring the resumption of football in Ghana.
“Currently, pitches are in bad shapes due to the lack of football and cannot be ready for use in the next one or two months; making it impossible to start the league in the coming days,” he stressed.
According to Nana Amponsah, the earliest time the league can resume is September to allow the authorities to work on the pitches and other essentials.
“With that, a new league must be started with the old one cancelled. There should be no promotion and demotion.
“The earlier we take a decision on the league, the better it would be for us, but we must ensure we put things in the right place before we resume,” he cautioned.
Nana Amponsah said the importance of football in the country cannot be quantified with its power to prevent crime and offers of a job for players.
He said it was important to make Ghana’s football attractive on the international scene but before that, the FA must first make it attractive on the home front, adding that, “this is what will make the transfer market attractive as players move from one team to the other, leading to improved cash flow and subsequently, boost the football economy”.
The Phar Rangers boss urged clubs to position themselves well to benefit from government’s US$600 million stimulus package for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) affected by COVID-19.
“My club and others have been registered as limited liability companies at the Registrar General’s Department and not by the FA so we can access such funds on our own without having to pass through the FA,” he explained.
In Nana Amponsah’s view, the GFA has been insensitive to its members during the COVID-19 period as they spent the available money on office renovation instead of thinking about the well-being of the players.
He asked the GFA to reconsider its position on the $500,000 package from FIFA to support revenue losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic and make it available to clubs to support their teams.
BY MICHAEL D. ABAYATEYE
Sports
Kotoko withdraws from Ghana Premier League
Kumasi Asante Kotoko has withdrawn from the Ghana Premier League until further notice.
This follows an incident of hooliganism which occurred during their match with Nsoatreman FC leading to the death of a fan, Nana Yaw Frimpong, better known as Pooley.
In a statement issued by the management, the added that “Finally, Asante Kotoko wishes to state that all footballing activities of the senior team are on hold until further notice. Our stance remains unchanged, we will not resume footballing duties until justice is served, and concrete steps are taken to prevent such barbaric acts from ever happening again.”
They added “In the meantime, management has decided to suspend all activities relating to football on the pitch until further
investigations into the matter.”
Against this backdrop, they called on their archrivals saying, “It is time to end the cycle of violence hooliganism, and lawlessness that threatens the integrity of our game. We call on all clubs to support this cause, especially our greatest rivals on the pitch, Accra Hearts of Oak, because this is bigger than competition–it is about securing the future of our domestic league once and for all.”
“Asante Kotoko remains deeply heartbroken by the tragic events that unfolded at the Nana Koramansah Park, leading to the senseless murder of our cherished supporter, Francis Yaw Frimpong,”they added.
“The pain of his loss still lingers, but in these trying
times, we stand united as a club, a family, and a force for positive change in Ghanaian football. While our grief is immeasurable, we take solace in the fact that justice is beginning to take its course,” he said.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Read full statement below
Sports
FIFA Financial Governance Workshop: Share insights with local clubs- Abedi Pele
Former three-time African footballer of the year Abedi Ayew ‘Pele’ has called on the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to share lessons from the three-day high-level FIFA financial governance workshop.
The workshop held recently was focused on the latest insights and tools for enhancing financial governance and accountability in football administration.
This, according to Abedi Pele, must be shared with local clubs to help them understand the importance and value of the best financial practices to save Ghana football from its present downward spiral.
He made this known at the closing ceremony of the workshop last Friday in Accra, which was organised for representatives from 10 African countries.
The Ghanaian legend, while applauding FIFA for selecting Ghana to host the high-level intensive workshop, noted that workshops like the just-ended one were what the continent, and especially clubs in Ghana, were crying for to help and position them well for sponsorship and support from institutions of great repute to raise the level of the game higher.
“Issues of financial mismanagement, lack of accountability, transparency, and efficient resource use within football organisations have always been our bane here in Ghana, and with a workshop like this providing participants with valuable insights and tools to fortify their organisations’ financial foundations, ensuring long-term sustainability, accountability, and effective resource management, Ghanaian clubs will begin a reset to proper football management,” he said.
According to him “It’s a feather in the cup of the GFA to have FIFA selecting Ghana for this leg of the workshop. Now I call on you, General Secretary Prosper Harrison Addo, to make sure information from this workshop is spread across to all clubs in Ghana because these are the things they need to strengthen their governance framework and ensure the long-term growth and sustainability of the clubs.”
Mr Harrison Addo noted that it was a call in the right direction, and although his outfit has long started reforms in terms of the club licensing regulations, a lot more would be done to help clubs gain a firm foundation for the future success of the game.
“The workshop has been extremely helpful and equipped us with the tools and knowledge to uphold the highest standards, fostering trust and integrity within our football community,” the Maestro added.
Head of the Financial Governance Programme at FIFA, Christoph Suppiger, said the three-day session emphasised the importance of accountability, transparency, and responsible financial management within the context of the FIFA Forward programme and also helped Member Associations to know how to prevent conflict of interest, planning and budgeting, and the procurement process, as well as the importance of having adequate supporting documentation.
The workshop held under the banner of the newly established FIFA Campus, which serves as the central football learning hub for all FIFA capacity development and education initiatives, had Abedi Ayew decorating all the facilitators and participants with customized sashes as well as presenting signed Black Stars jerseys.
By Raymond Ackumey
