Once upon a time, January 2022 to be precise, a big story broke out that the Ghana Football Association had decided to form a new Super Premier League to be managed by a super professional autonomous body.
Ace writer Maurice Quansah of the Daily Graphic in his popular column gave some broad hints about the nature of the GFA’s new adventure.
The proposed Super Premier League was going to see, for example, three teams from one broad zone like Bechem United, Berekum Chelsea and Aduana Stars merging into one team. League matches could be played at five or six stadiums instead of all clubs enjoying home venues.
A Ghana Premier Limited Company was going to run the league on commercial lines.
My immediate reaction was the GFA shirking their responsibilities? I strongly reminded the GFA that their biggest responsibility is to organise a good league that would produce good players to feed the national team. That’s all. In that case they would need well-structured clubs that run like profitable companies in order to attract sponsors.
My argument was that currently, there was the need for a radical change from what pertains now. Away with certain individuals styling themselves as bankrollers throwing their rather light weights about, and supervising poorly paid players who ply their trade on poor pitches.
It is agreed that the world is moving fast and we need to move with the times. It is however first things first. The clubs must be seen to be operating like proper profitable companies with adequate structures.
It should be possible to have proper stadiums at all the regional capitals as promised by the President to add to the big four in Accra, Kumasi, Tamale and Essipong. But hold it. What do we hear now? The GFA has actually formed a company Ghana Premiership Football Ltd to run the League and this appears to be on the blind side of the football public, Ministry of Sports and the National Sports Authority included.
Did you hear President Mahama telling the nation about government’s token cash of one million cedis to each of the 18 participating clubs in the Premier League? Would you believe the GFA has told the clubs the money was a gift from the Association?
To add more confusion to disbelief the cheques paid to the clubs were from bankers of the Ghana Premiership Football Ltd. No wonder some sports critics say they smell a rat. What’s the GFA up to they ask. I don’t have the answer. It is clear the GFA owes the nation an explanation why cash donated by the government should find its way into the accounts of a privately owned unheard of company.
I keep saying that these days a lot of good money changes hands in the football ecosystem worldwide with its attendant temptation to make some fast bucks. You need to be very circumspect to avoid any suspicious monetary transactions that may put you into unnecessary trouble.
This reminds me of an old flippant classmate of mine who always joked he could resist anything except temptation. On a more serious note the sporting fraternity should be happy to note the government’s determination to put money into the running of football and by extension to all sports.
Apart from the incentive package to the 18 premier league clubs, the two participants in CAF competitions, Bibiani Stars and Asante Kotoko have each been made 50,000 dollars richer to help in their respective away assignments this week.
Good show President Mahama.
I hope the brilliant sprints quartet of Benjamin Azamati and company at the World Athletics showpiece will be equally recognized.
Bibiani Stars, the new entrants on the African scene, have an almost impossible mission to survive up north against Kabylle of Algeria.
The old Algerian campaigners proved too strong for Bibiani at Accra stadium in the first leg winning 2-0. In Algiers it would take a mammoth miracle for the champion club of Ghana to return home unscathed. Veteran campaigners Asante Kotoko, the other Ghanaian club in Africa, also have a tricky assignment in Nigeria against Kwara United.
The first leg in Accra produced a pulsating seven goal affair with Kotoko winning narrowly 4-3. Many Kotoko fans were unhappy that the Fabulous boys failed to stamp their authority on the match with an early lead and allowed the visitors to hit back twice to level at 2-2 at one stage.
The way Kwara managed to get a last minute goal when trailing 2-4, shows they will be tough customers playing at home.
History however is on the side of the twice champion club of Africa Fabulous Kumasi Asante Kotoko.
Since their 1966 debut in Africa, no Nigerian club has eliminated them during the preliminaries covering six matches so far.
Incidentally, it was the very first match Kotoko played against Nigerian side Stationery Stores in the 1970 preliminaries that eventually propelled the Porcupine Warriors to win the ultimate.
Kotoko lost 3-2 to Stationery Stores in Lagos and won the return 1-0 in Kumasi. Indeed, with Kotoko in the lead, the match ended abruptly midway in the second half of extra time when Stores refused to allow a penalty against them to be taken. The CAF subsequently declared Kotoko winners.
The fabulous boys progressed to eliminate Young Africans of Tanzania, then, Ismaili of Egypt and finally Englebert of Congo to win the cup for the first time on January 24, 1971.
In the 2004 qualifiers Kotoko beat Enugu Rangers 3-1 in Kumasi and lost 2-1 in Lagos.
In 2008 Kotoko drew 2-2 with Wikki Tourist in Nigeria and won the return in Kumasi 4-1 in the first round prelims.
In the second round prelims that same 2008 Kotoko lost 2-0 to Port Harcourt Dolphins in Nigeria and won the return 4-1in Kumasi.
In 2020 Kano Pillars beat Kotoko 3-2 in Nigeria and Kotoko won the return 2-0 in Kumasi.
It is therefore all set for a huge battle of equals in this return leg in Nigeria. With this fantastic seven goals tally, both teams have shown amazing scoring skill and conversely what may be considered a porous defence. It’s definitely a battle of equals and the team with a more powerful bench should carry the day. History however, is on the side of Kotoko having been never eliminated in the CAF series by any Nigerian club.
Cheers everybody and keep loving sports as we continue wondering when the GFA will stop playing tricks with football lovers.
