One for Elmina Sharks’ management

I was totally appalled by the news this week that, the match day eight Ghana Premier League fixture between Elmina Sharks and Medeama at the Nduom Stadium on Wednesday ended abruptly.

Referee Nuhu Liman sustained a head injury which didn’t allow him to continue the game. An eyewitness account given by Assistant Referee, Joseph Sey on Nhyira FM and the story told by the Chairman of the Referees Association of Ghana (RAG), Joe Debrah on Okokroko FM, indicate that, Referee Nuhu was hit by a stone apparently thrown by an incensed Elmina Sharks fan.

Elmina Sharks have denied that claim. In what has been termed as a ridiculously weak explanation of what happened to the referee, Elmina Sharks, in a statement signed by their Assistant Team Manager, Kelvin Aboagye Yeboah, said the referee “tripped and fell” on a policeman’s baton.

A colleague has described me as a puritan – holier than thou – for attempting to expose the irrationality imbedded in Elmina Sharks’ statement. I can always ignore insults. They are inherently unproductive. Let me also state my admiration of Elmina Sharks, who are a well-structured, generally professional club.

And far from being judgmental (I have no power to do so), it has to be said unequivocally that, Elmina Sharks insulted the intelligence of Ghana Premier League fans with their narrative on the incident. I’m sorry but they ridiculed us while being insensitive to Referee Nuhu.

Granted that Elmina Sharks’ management didn’t to want accept guilt; because they did nothing wrong and that, there has been no investigation into what happened to irrefutably prove their culpability; all they needed to do, in my view, was to either sympathise with Referee Nuhu, at least following his head injury (even if he tripped and fell as they claim) or better still remain mute until the GFA’s Disciplinary Committee establishes their guilt or innocence.

Groupe Nduom and Elmina Sharks have stood for something nice, something decent; something positive, something productive – in practically everything they have been associated with including football. It’s the reason we must point to Elmina Sharks that, they didn’t help their image and Ghana football with that statement.

I won’t go into the incident. The GFA’s Disciplinary Committee will competently do that. The committee is however advised not to delay with its judgement on whoever is guilty or innocent; in order to inspire more confidence in the system. Delays as seen in the past in matters like this aren’t helpful.

It’s appropriate now to wish Referee Nuhu speedy recovery and further admonish the GFA, clubs, the Police and all stakeholders to work to protect referees while ensuring the safety of lives and properties at match venues. It’s important we do that as we seek to develop the game.

In the maze of Dreams FC's victory

Love or hate it, Dreams Football Club is an emerging football brand that’s leaving very good impressions on the minds of those who care to take good notice of all that the club has been up to since its return to the Ghanaian Premier League and even before.

From the off-season to the season proper, the conduct of Dreams FC in the Ghana Premier League, continuous to earn it more admirers and that, isn’t wouldn’t change now as managers of the club are in no mood to lower the standards that have given us the respect we have in the eyes of right-thinking football fans in the country. But as it’s in real life, good brands often and needlessly become the envy of those who aren’t ready to accept it, either because of their own inadequacies or that, they just don’t like you. Dreams FC can deal with both scenarios. Yes, it can.

In the past few weeks, watching the conduct of both Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko in matches involving Dreams FC, I’m almost coming to the conclusion that, the two clubs, who undoubtedly command the biggest following in Ghana football, are becoming very intolerant of Dreams FC. Why?

The reasons are not difficult to find. Without fear of contradiction, Hearts and Kotoko have had distressful managerial issues in recent years thus contributing painfully to their slumber on and off the field. While Hearts of Oak appear to be gearing up to wash their ‘dark’ managerial cloak, there seems to be little or no hope for Kotoko, whose skeletal management has offered scanty hope for their fans so far.

This feeling of hopelessness within the ranks of some Hearts and Kotoko fans, is making them see Dreams FC, who are charting a brilliant managerial path, as an easy target for cheap, meaningless mudslinging. They won’t succeed.

When Hearts hosted Dreams FC in Cape Coast on match day four, Dreams FC players were subjected to senseless acts of maltreatment including denying them access to their changing room upon arrival at the venue. Hearts of Oak won 1-0 after the stern competition Dreams FC gave them.

Some of their fans strangely reported that, Dreams FC rather intimidated their team. Perhaps it was tactical intimidation on the turf or that Dreams FC’s corporate image intimidated them, otherwise, the most reasonable conclusion to draw is that, something is fundamentally wrong with Hearts of Oak of today, so much that they get upset at the sight of Dreams FC.

Enter Kotoko on match day seven. Unlike Hearts, they were beaten 1-0 by Dreams FC. Their officials have been running to the media also complaining of intimidation. You can dismiss that report because Kotoko was evidently overpowered at Dawu.

It’s unfortunate that, Kotoko Chairman, Dr. Kwame Kyei suffered the embarrassment of having to be delayed at the main gate to the venue because Kotoko operatives who had his ticket and car pass were not immediately available when he arrived.

Dreams FC’s Administrative Manager, Ameenu Shardow, coming in to ensure that, the Kotoko leader, eventually had unhindered access to the venue vindicates the position that, we aren’t interested in doing things that tarnish our reputation and surely the image of Ghana football.

Why Kotoko’s twitter handle hastily reported that, Dr. Kyei was denied access and my friend; photojournalist, Gideon Boakye Botwe, also prevented from his doing his work, confirmed their eagerness to make Dreams FC look bad but they failed.

In case the handlers of Kotoko’s twitter account don’t know, let them be reminded that, their over-enthusiastic, outrageously eccentric conduct on Sunday, did no good service to Kotoko’s reputation. Dreams FC, being who we are, will not resort to violence to win matches because the price we will pay for that will be too costly.

As a professional football club, Dreams FC stand firmly by the best practices in the game and that’s what we will employ to contend with any club or any football brand in the Ghana Premier League. This shouldn’t be difficult for Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko to accept. Dreams FC respect them for who they are. They should accord Dreams FC the same respect.

Rogues at the gates of Len Clay Stadium

Match day five fixtures of the 2017/18 Ghana Premier League were honoured as scheduled with very interesting results recorded at venues like Obuasi and Berekum. The 3-0 humbling of Hearts of Oak by Berekum Chelsea rudely reminded the Phobians that, they aren’t out of their difficulties yet.

Ashgold fortified their place on top of the league table with an emphatic 2-0 victory over Kotoko, many of whose supporters, are also yet to come to full grasp of the incompetence of the current Management.

We can shelve that matter for another day. But then, for the umpteen time, an Ashgold-Kotoko game at the Len Clay Stadium, saw journalists accredited by the Ghana Football Association (GFA), being insulted and manhandled without any justification by agents of Ashgold, who can best be described as rogues.

The Obuasi venue has seen primitive, dehumanising behaviour at the gates for years. It leaves me wonder if Ashgold as a club truly care about the lives of journalists who cover their matches at home.

If Ashgold’s leadership aren’t worried about the slur the conduct of those miscreants at their gates casts on the club’s reputation and the overall image of the Ghana Premier League; their human predispositions should tell them that, the risk journalists experience at their gates are totally unjustified. Our lives matter.

While clubs like Dreams FC are building fantastic reputation of giving journalists access to their rightful, designated places at Dawu; providing free internet service, food and drinks; as they undertake their legitimate business; agents of Ashgold prefer to shamelessly throw punches at accredited journalists.

On match day four last season, same Ashgold-Kotoko game, it happened. Journalists with the GFA’s media accreditation were thrown out. Not even police personnel detailed at the venue could stop the mindless thugs they employ. That was the fifth consecutive time, I had seen waywardness at Ashgold’s gates.

Incidents of journalists being maltreated at venues like Obuasi are disgraceful. Colleagues reported that, Sunday’s incident actually happened in the presence of Ashgold’s CEO. The GFA’s repeated condemnation of those acts at Obuasi are all right but not enough. We have had too many of them in recent years.

GFA spokesman, Ibrahim Sannie Daara has apologised to the media for Sunday’s incident, promising to look into the matter but that’s a story we’ve been told every season. Let the GFA note that, the negative reportage we all hate to see about the Ghana Premier League, often starts with their failure to adequately punish the awry, outrageous conduct of clubs and their officials.

It makes no sense for journalists to travel on our dangerous roads for hours and for hundreds of kilometres to venues like Obuasi, only to be senselessly assaulted at rogues at the gates. Let the GFA and club managers watch these acts, for, they all combine to destroy the image of the Ghana Premier League.

It was close contest on GPL match day four

If you didn’t find anything interesting on match day four of the 2017/18 Ghana Premier League, you certainly didn’t follow the matches played across the country from Saturday. It may still be early days but on match day four, I saw an intense competition for points.

At the end of the day, the league table reveals a keen contest so far. Except leaders Ashgold who have 10 points; WAFA, Hearts of Oak, Asante Kotoko, Dreams FC and Medeama – all have seven points. They are only separated by goals and even with that, the numbers are very close. Inter Allies are 7th on the table with six points while debutants Eleven Wonders are 8th with five points.

From the 9th to 14th place, all the teams have 4 points. Match day five surely will be explosive. Here’s my wrap of the weekend’s matches starting on Saturday. Ashgold couldn’t continue their winning streak. Bechem United applied the brakes on them as they drew 1-1 at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.

The draw by Ashgold gave me indications that, their form hasn’t been as sharp as I imagined. If WAFA were brilliant on match days two and three, beating Liberty and Aduana Stars 3-0 and 2-0 at Dansoman and Sogakope respectively; they weren’t impressive on match day four.

WAFA’s shine was missing on Saturday night. Elmina Sharks’ 2-0 win over them reinforced the often-held view that, WAFA are bad travelers. The floodlights going off after 68 minutes in the Sharks-WAFA game was damper to the action that was building up to the end of proceedings.

Nonetheless, electricity restored and Elmina Sharks went on to bad their first three points in the season. Pressure will ease on the back of Elmina Sharks coach, Yaw Acheampong.

Aduana Stars’ 6-0 pummeling of Inter Allies re-established the inherent quality of midfielder, Yahaya Mohammed, who scored a hat trick in 30 minutes. The result also fortified the notion that, Aduana Stars are just good at home.

Hearts of Oak took their chance against Dreams FC winning 1-0 at their new home, Cape Coast. I’m however not convinced that, Hearts have hit good form, and Dreams FC will bounce back on match day five. Liberty Professionals’ difficulty with winning was apparent again at Dansoman.

Their failure to score a penalty made Medeama return to Tarkwa with a point from the 1-1 draw. Liberty would have to dig deep and start winning before relegation beckons. Coach Johnson Smith had his first win with Karela United, who Ebusua Dwarfs 3-0. Dwarfs’ coach, Bashir Hyaford accused his goalkeeper, Frank Andoh of gifting Karela United goals.

Don’t you like Bashir Hayford’s takes on matches? Asante Kotoko returned from Tarkwa on match day three crying foul of cheating. Interestingly, Eleven Wonders left Kumasi with the same accusations of cheating against Kotoko and the referee because Wonders’ late-minute goal was disallowed. With Jordan Opoku’s 83rd minute fortuitous strike, Kotoko won 1-0.

Wa All Stars were victorious in their first game after they sacked coach, Mumuni Sokpari. Was Coach Sokpari the reason for Wa All Stars inability to win previous matches? I can’t answer that now.