Thirst for domestic football action

Referee Seidu Bomison in action at a league venue. 

The uncertainty and near state of hopelessness that have clouded the domestic football landscape seems to be a perfect climax to a year that saw not only Kumasi Asante Kotoko but also our arch rivals Hearts of Oak struggling for Premier League survival. Events for the two most popular clubs took a downward spiral, causing massive disappointments for Kotoko and Hearts fans.

Although the two teams eventually survived the turmoil especially with relegation, the dust appears not to have settled properly on that loathsome Kotoko-Hearts-Obed Owusu protest. As a journalist with Kotoko, I probably don’t have to be concerned if the review of the judgement by the Appeals Committee, sought by Hearts hasn’t seen any illumination by the GFA.

I perhaps don’t have to be interested in how that case finally ends because after all, Kotoko got the vexatious Disciplinary Committee ruling that docked the club six points overturned. Indeed, I would have cared less if I didn’t have interest in the domestic league. I would have of course spent no energy on my sickbed revisiting this matter.

I don’t expect Hearts to secure what they are looking for concerning this case. I don’t even believe they would get judgement turned in their favour. As I said in a radio interview sometime back, although Hearts’ apologists didn’t admit, the ultimate aim of that exasperating ruling by the Disciplinary Committee, was to offer Hearts, then caught neck deep in the relegation battle, some respite if not the impetus to confront their last two decisive matches.

Thankfully, that objective was achieved so why are they so bent on having the very lucid judgment of the Appeals Committee reviewed? Whatever the outcome of that case will be, its handling adds to the confusing and almost inept management of the domestic league this year.

As someone with a passion for our local game, the present situation, where we don’t know when the 2015/16 season will start, isn’t only boring. It also raises questions about how and when we will see an end to this type of deadlock, not seen in any well-administered football league. I wouldn’t have been writing this way if this was the first time such a thing was happening.

Prior to the start of the 2014/15 season, we were subjected to this painful ordeal of having to wait so long to pursue what brings us joy when it comes to domestic football. Whatever has brought us to this point, and I hate to interrogate it, may have its own merits but the fact that, we are back at experiencing what caused so much disaffection between the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and local football fans in 2014, tells me we have learnt nothing.

As I have written in previous articles, I don’t want to be seen as constantly criticizing the GFA because my conviction is that, the FA, regardless of the often harsh criticism and habitually unfair bashing it receives, isn’t a hopeless, visionless establishment as some want us to see it. They have been up to some good and constructiveness except that, their management of the domestic league has recently left so much to be desired.

An example of the useful things the GFA has been up to is the media and marketing seminar they are organizing this week for club administrators. As an advocate of good management and administrative practices in our football, it’s only fair that, I pat the GFA on their back for that initiative.

Irrespective of how dull the domestic football scene has looked lately as a result of the boring inactivity, the congregation of administrators, media and venue officers at a two-day seminar on the much talked about club licensing programme, marketing and sponsorship – to essentially build capacity – in fact, access knowledge on what they may not know, isn’t a bad scheme.

Whether it’s coming as an after-thought or a planned programme, the importance of the event taking place at the Alisa Hotel in Accra can’t be downplayed. It’s good, but GFA, please, get the season back, for those with a thirst for domestic football action are suffering. 

Orientation for Kotoko players – my take

The choice to look at things from a positive angle or from a negative perspective always lies with us as a people. I have however observed that, the energy some of us spend focusing on negativity often outweighs everything else in our blood. That’s serious. Some people can be so caustic with their criticism that, they forget they lose sight of everything good.

I’m saying this relative to last Thursday’s orientation for Kotoko players at the conference room of the Baba Yara Sports Stadium. I had the chance of reading quotes from the various speakers. I was impressed with how proceedings went. Afterwards, as I perused social media commentary on the orientation, I noticed overt attempts by some people to reduce it to nothingness because the players didn’t wear uniformed attire.

To them, it was a notable downside. The team should have worn jerseys or shirts that identify them well as Kotoko players. I agree. I won’t begrudge anyone. But considering the significance of the orientation, I, by my disposition won’t put too much premium on what outfit the players wore to the programme.

Where possible, it’s always necessary to dwell on the positives of an event no matter the negatives. It’s not right to exert our energies – condemning and rubbishing things because one thing didn’t go right particularly when this thing didn’t do any damage to the ultimate goal.

Given that, Kotoko have many uniformed attires, something must have acted against the club at the last minute, thereby causing the players inability to come in uniformed attire. Now, let me focus on what transpired at the event. First, I was glad to read that, the programme was behind closed doors. I commend management for that.

In an institution like Kotoko, it’s imperative to protect, control, if not deliberately tailoring information to suit purposes we desire. This can be done well only when events such as orientation for players are held without the media’s presence. I have often contended that, no club is under any obligation to let the media in on everything it does.  

Certain things must be kept out of media coverage because as an institution, we must at times tell our story the way we want it. For example, I’m imagining how Dr. Boateng’s advice on avoiding multiple sexual partners would have been carried by our typically sensational media.  

In fact, even after copying quotes from Asantekotokosc.com without giving credit, a few online news reports attempted to skew the doctor’s advice to make the players appear as though they are licentious louts parading in Kotoko jerseys. So, it was necessary that, the media was to a large extent, kept out of the orientation where sensitive Kotoko issues were frankly discussed.

Everything said at the orientation was vital. My prayer is that, the players will reflect deeply on the issues presented to them. They should let the advices sink well into their lives. They shouldn’t assume that, they were placed in one room to be lectured for hours simply because we want them to win matches. It goes way beyond that. Some of the issues that came up at the orientation are relevant life issues they ought to know.

For example, Operations Manager, George Kennedy’s take on the players’ choice of a girlfriend or wife was instructive. “When taking a girlfriend or looking for a life-long partner, take the one who will wake you up [for] training on time, not the one who will drain all your funds” he said.

General Manager, Opoku Nti’s word on supporters’ criticism was also instructive. “Let your performance show on the pitch. When fans criticize you, don't respond with your mouth; respond on the pitch for the very fans who sing ‘crucify him’ will later sing "hallelujah" he stated.

If our players will take time off to ponder about all this, they will not only be good footballers; they will also be responsible individuals who will contribute meaningfully to their families and society at large. I frankly wish them the best in their endeavours in the new season and beyond. 

Come again, Ibrahim Sannie Daara!

GFA Spokesman, Ibrahim Sannie Daara. 

In the past few weeks at my temporary home outside our beloved country, I have been listening to my favourite radio (FM) stations via the internet. I mostly like English radio but that’s not to suggest, I don’t listen to FM stations that broadcast in Twi. I do and I enjoy it.

There are now hundreds of FM stations in Ghana and most of them can be listened to on the internet. The language in which these radio stations broadcast is often determined by their geographical location and other essential factors like reasons behind establishing the station, their target audience and many more.

Because Twi is widely spoken in Ghana, many of the FM stations in southern parts of the country broadcast in that language. The fact that they broadcast in Twi doesn’t make their programmes less relevant than the FM stations which broadcast in English.

Many of the FM stations that broadcast in Twi have informative, educative and entertaining programmes just like the English FM stations. They have sports and political programmes that keep their listeners updated on current happenings in and outside the country. They also have health, business and entertainment programmes that are worth listening to.

Having been in media practice for a little over a decade and with the little I know about radio broadcasting, I don’t believe the type of language (for instance English or Twi) a radio station uses for broadcast can be the measuring rod to ascertain if that radio station is professional.

Interestingly in Ghana, there’s the perception that, local language radio stations, Twi-speaking broadcasters in this particular case, are unprofessional. Those with this erroneous opinion contend that, Twi broadcasters are the worst culprits when it comes to media ethical breaches. I have, in fact, met people in our media space who truly look down on Twi-speaking stations.

In short, they don’t respect Twi radio broadcasters or presenters. Now, Twi-speaking FM stations, some of them, are being blamed for the destruction of our Premier League. Last week, the spokesman for the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Ibrahim Sannie Daara, speaking on Starr FM accused “some Twi-speaking radio stations for destroying the image of our league.

He was quoted as saying that, “the local league has become unattractive to sponsors because of the incessant criticism of the local FM stations”. He said, “If the Ghana Premier League gets better sponsors on board [it would be] to the benefit of radio stations. But some particular Twi-speaking radio stations tag the league as stupid and nasty.

“Yet when they run commentaries they have numerous spiritualists, Akpeteshie companies all running adverts on the same product which they have condemned. If the league gets better [it’s] for all of us, but when you destroy it then most of you will lose your jobs” he stated.

His remarks predictably incurred the wrath of sections of the media. Sannie’s critics didn’t spare him. They lambasted him for daring to assign the sunken image of our league to actions of some Twi-speaking radio stations. Were Sannie’s views legitimate? I don’t think so. No single entity can entirely be blamed for the unattractiveness of our league.

While it’s irrefutable that, there have been excesses with some of the commentaries on our domestic game, it is not right for the GFA’s spokesman to attribute the lack of appeal our league has to actions of Twi-speaking FM stations. That was below the belt. I haven’t liked some media reports on our league but circumspection in one’s language is necessary here.

Our league, admittedly maybe unappealing in the eyes of the corporate world due to certain actions stakeholders of which the GFA is one but to say a specific group of broadcasters have contributed to its soiled image is to ignore the critical factors that have brought us to this point.

I won’t condone wrongdoing on the part of the media but most of the things the media have said about our league have emanated not from the vacuum. The negative commentary on our game, which Sannie finds problematic, I agree, are at times too vitriolic but they have been triggered by how our competition has recently been ill-planned and badly organized.

I’m not sure Sannie will deny that. Or that he has been happy and comfortable with the state of affairs regarding our league. In any case, was last season's late start and has this season’s delay been caused by the Twi-speaking radio stations? Please, Sannie, come again. 

Otumfuo’s wise counsel on discipline

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II

There’s never a dull moment with the Asantehene, the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II regarding his statements on Kotoko – either at the Manhyia Palace or anywhere it becomes necessary for him to speak on the club. He’s the Owner and Life Patron of Asante Kotoko and whenever he speaks on the club, he leaves no one in doubt over the kind of authority vested in him concerning who has power to say what or determine the direction of this great club.

Last Friday was a typical example. Nana paid what was a surprise visit to the team at Adako Jachie. His address to them – players, coaches and management members as usual was filled with wisdom. He touched on practically every subject the ordinary Kotoko supporter would want to hear him speak on. The sheer display of knowledge of his team was mesmerizing.

Nana is current. He knows all that happens in Kotoko. I don’t know how long he spoke but the audio recording I received via WhatsApp from Communications Director, Kwaku Ahenkorah was nine minutes and 53 seconds. It took the editorial team nearly two hours to transcribe. We spent that amount of time writing what the Great King said verbatim.

It was difficult at some point. Strenuous efforts needed to be made to get exactly what Nana said from Twi to English – without misrepresenting him or of course missing any point he made. We loved the transcribing exercise but what was lovelier was his counsel on discipline.

The frank, straightforward way Nana spoke to everyone present vindicates how well he wants to see Kotoko succeeding. His message, in my opinion was characteristic of a good father bent on seeing the success of his children in all spheres of life. He warned the players on their usual impatience to leave the domestic scene after a short time, saying that attitude wasn’t only destroying their career but it was additionally hampering the development of the local game.

When an elder speaks, there is absolutely nothing more to add, so days an Akan adage. This is not just an elder but also a King – the revered Asantehene – so what more is there to be said? I end my commentary on Nana’s all-important address to the team here. I however reproduce portions of his statements on discipline which touches my heart.

“Coach, select your players based on training; don’t favour any player. The kind of training a player does for the week, which makes you think he can play, must determine your selection” Nana said to Coach Duncan on player selection. His take on favouritism (and that isn’t to say Coach David Duncan favours players) was vital.

“You don’t have to favour anyone. Kotoko is more important than any preferences you have. If you aren’t convinced about any player’s training, don’t field him” he stated. Nana’s position on good values and discipline as footballers was most significant. The players and the coach had their share of the admonition. “Punish any player who will be complacent” he advised.

“Discipline must be the first thing” he warned. “This is my policy. If anyone feels indispensable and feels that, without him Kotoko won’t survive, leave him out! Field those who are disciplined. It’s as simple as that. So that they will know it is a contractual obligation between them and Kotoko” he added.

“Your obligation is also to ensure that Kotoko is lifted. The coach will train you; if there’s anything, coach, give them the chance to share with you… You should also give respect to the coach because he’s your head. If you don’t accord respect, he has the right to discipline you”.

The club owner also had a word on management interference regarding the technical team’s discipline of players and it was succinct. “Coach, even if management intervenes to leave a player who becomes difficult to handle; don’t leave him. Discipline him” he added.

“If you know you can’t play; if you know you’re serving someone’s loyalty more than that of Kotoko, don’t come here; leave! Players who won’t be discipline, leave them out” he pointed out. This certainly is a powerful, wise admonition to every member of the team.

Musicians, nice ladies not the answer

Dancehall artist, Shatta Wale

They can only be additives. Something to complement or in fact garnish the main thing when we have eventually managed to significantly fill the stadium. That’s basically my take because it will be nothing but self-delusion to assume that, merely encouraging nice-looking, gorgeous ladies or paying popular musicians to perform at the stadiums will increase attendance.

When I heard repeated playbacks of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Kwesi Nyantakyi’s remarks to that effect, I shook my head in disbelief. Not that the FA President couldn’t say that; he could since he’s human and therefore susceptible to mistakes.

But seriously speaking, the honourable Nyantakyi hit quite below expectation. I wouldn’t stretch the argument to the point that he virtually endorsed fornication with that remark.

He didn’t. Attempts to make it look like Nyantakyi did that are disrespectful to say the least.

Indeed, the domestic league is faced with a myriad of problems – one of which undeniably relates to spectating. People don’t watch domestic league matches. In my view, this is attributable to a number of factors and these factors will not be eliminated or erased by musicians and the presence of sultry ladies.

The Answer

First, let’s tackle the weak structures with which clubs in Ghana operate. It’s a fact that, majority of our clubs are not administratively organised. Most of them lack the financial wherewithal to do things. They as well don’t have qualified personnel to execute the basic development tasks at the bases.

The GFA’s Technical Director, Oti Akenteng recently in an interview with Asempa Sports stressed the essence of the club licensing and how it would help give our domestic football positive outlook. The crux of Coach Oti Akenteng’s argument was that, until our clubs were properly administered on all levels, the public’s confidence in them will still be low.

The world is changing so fast. Many enchanting things are vigorously competing and seeking the attention of people including football fans. Emotional love or affinity to clubs isn’t enough to establish whether or not people will joyfully run to league venues to watch their teams.

Today, it takes more than radio appeals to fill the stadium. People want to see if their clubs have policies that guide them. They want to know if their clubs have short, medium or long plans that can ensure success on and off the field while bringing them direct or indirect gains.

For instance, how clubs in Ghana have defined policy direction or development plans well-explained to their supporters? How many adhere to that policy direction? Make no mistake, people want to see more than what they have been used to before they commit themselves to properly supporting clubs or going to the stadium. 

Thus where people aren’t sure of what the true state of affairs at their clubs and what lies ahead, no group of lovely ladies or popular musicians can lure them to the stadium. Let’s just get the management of our clubs right by trying to do basic things like setting up identifiable secretariats; employing qualified personnel to man these secretariats, coming out with development plans, building standard training pitches, gymnasium, etc.

Let’s simply give our clubs professional outlook in all our dealings and see if the spectators’ apathy won’t change. That aside, the FA and its affiliate bodies that manage the league ought to get things straightened. In the absence of a reliable league calendar – where fans have no set definitive idea when the league is to start and end for example, won’t that affect enthusiasm in the league?  

I concede that, negative media commentary on our league has contributed to the public’s declining confidence in the league. People have wrong notions; forceful misconceptions and preconceived thoughts that, everything in the domestic league is substandard and this, often fueled by misguided reports makes things worse.

My conclusion is that, there are crucial roles to be played by clubs to get fans to follow them from their training grounds to the stadium, the same way as the GFA and the media have got their duties, which they must not renege on. On the part of GFA, Mr. President, it doesn’t include inviting musicians or sweet ladies to lure men. It’s about packaging the league well. Let’s get to that and the waning interest will rise again. 

Pre-season and our league calendar

You are likely to wonder if we have a league calendar. We have one, except that, it isn’t as we want it. At best, our calendar is often a disorganized if not an ill-planned one. And it isn’t too difficult to explain why. Overtime, there has been talk about a synchronization of our calendar with that of Europe. I recall we tried it a few seasons back. It worked only to be disrupted later on and since then, we’ve either deliberately or through some innocent actions abandoned it.

There was unanimity about the benefits of the synchronization. How it was going to help us deal with transfers abroad because until the synchronization, our local players, those fortunate enough to land so-called lucrative contracts in Europe, always left at the time our domestic league was in session and this was the same time the European transfer window was opened.

Football is a global sport. As we frequently tinkered with our calendar, we were usually left behind – making it difficult, if not impossible for us to plan appropriately with the Europeans and even other African leagues, who moved flawlessly with the European calendar.

Given that, most football leagues across the globe starts and ends almost at the same period, we were and are still hurting ourselves with the synchronization failure. I can’t exactly remember when we attempted the synchronization but I know that, we were somewhat successful with it until we stumbled again.

We’ve since found it difficult to come back on track. As I write, most of the major European leagues are getting close to drawing the curtains on the first half of their 2015/16 season. We are yet to officially end the 2014/15 season. Inconsequence, if the 2014/15 season hasn’t been closed, how do you open the 2015/16 season?

What has stopped the Ghana Football Association (GFA) from officially closing the 2014/15 season isn’t too different from what caused last season’s delay. So there are cases; cases bordering on the promotion or otherwise of certain clubs. The GFA’s inability to amicably resolve these cases has stalled the start of the 2015/16 season.

Elsewhere, this doesn’t happen. Laws are applied strictly and whoever the long arm of the law catches isn’t spared. That isn’t always the case in our situation and that partly explains the avoidable delays which in the long term hamper the growth of the domestic league.

Pre-season

Most of our Premier League clubs, although they haven’t announced it, have started their pre-season work. They have started their preparation for the 2015/16 season without knowing exactly when the league competition starts. The question to ask then, is, how effective will their pre-season work be when in the first place, they are not sure of the league’s start date?

It’s good to note that, registration of players for the season commenced last Friday. The exercise will be on till January 20, 2016. That’s refreshing news for the simple reason that, administratively, the GFA, just like last season, aided the clubs to understand the new registration procedure. 

But aren’t the same GFA hampering the club’s pre-season programme with the delay in announcing the league’s start date? Pre-season, just like the registration of players must be within a certain time frame premised on the knowledge of when the league starts and ends.

Around the world, league calendars determine the amount of preparatory work teams do. Unfortunately, here, it seems there’s no such thing. It’s therefore no surprise that, our league isn’t growing as we want to see it even though virtually everyone in our domestic league’s decision-making body knows the right thing.

We don’t have a serious football calendar. We pay no real attention to timelines and what it adds to planning. It may be innocuous but starting and playing the league anytime has its associated problems. I hate to say this; I think the GFA of which the clubs are the major stakeholders is progressively failing in the efficient planning of the domestic league.

In this day and age, we shouldn’t be that poor in planning and its execution. It’s pathetic to observe that, we so much love European leagues but we aren’t learning anything from it.

Government, GFA must show leadership

Dede Ayew - Black Stars player  

The view that the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into events which characterized Ghana’s presence at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil would amount to nothing was prejudicial before the committee started its work. Many welcomed the idea of establishing the Commission but not everybody believed that the Commission’s report would give birth to significant if not dramatic changes to the problem they were supposed to solve.

The unbelief, which could have seen commentators being slapped with contempt charges depending on how they expressed their lack of confidence in the Commission, stemmed from the fact that, reports of such Commissions of Inquiry in the past, didn’t lead to any departure from the wrong attitudes; mishandling of affairs which called for those investigative bodies.

I don’t know if those who said the Commission’s work wouldn’t cause any real positive change have been vindicated. What I do know is that, nearly a year after the Commission ended its sittings, there is still so much talk about the Black Stars and their money matters. What does that tell us?

Just after the Black Stars returned from Brazil, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Kwesi Nyantakyi, in a Daily Graphic report admitted that, money ruined the team. Nyantakyi’s assertion wasn’t far from the truth but the simple question to ask then was: How and who allowed money to ruin the team? I was convinced beyond all doubts that, the handling of the Black Stars’ appearance fee saga for example was extremely poor.

It seems to me that, the same poor handling of affairs has again reared its ugly face over the Black Stars’ bonus issue. It’s unfortunate that, resources would be spent on investigating a highly disgraceful occurrence at an international competition and months on, we still don’t seem to have found better means of handling Black Stars’ money issues. Has the team’s bonuses been slashed to US$5,000?

Where from the talk of rejection by the players and the nauseating presentations made by captain Asamoah Gyan? I will support a slash of the team’s winning bonuses on any day. However, as I argued in a previous article, any decision to that effect can’t and must not be taken arbitrarily since that would invariably lead to needless, distressing quarrels.

The national team belongs to Ghana – that is why many Ghanaians for instance, feel obligated to wear national team colours to support them anytime they are playing. When and wherever decisions are taken on the Black Stars’ financial incentives, the Ministry of Youth and Sports must thoroughly do so in consultation with the Black Stars management committee, if not the players, and what we pay must always be what the country can afford.

That way, some of the hard talk on the team’s money matters will be curtailed. For me, we continue to talk about the Black Stars and their money issues because of there has been absence of decisive leadership. I fail to understand why as a country we still can’t determine how much to give to our national team footballers – such that in the past one year or so we have been haranguing over a straightforward issue.

If the government, the GFA and the players themselves aren’t aware, they should be told unequivocally that, the image of the Black Stars has been battered too much over money. I don’t believe the Black Stars are that money-conscious; it’s those tasked with their handling or management, either at the FA or government level whose inexplicably poor handing of affairs has created the continuous negative media for our once honourable team.

A few years back, that wasn’t the case. Most Ghanaians didn’t disrespect the Black Stars like some do now – seeing the team and its management officials for example, as a bunch of insensitive, unpatriotic money-loving people whose prime occupation is to milk the Ghana through football. That image, even if erroneous is neither good for the players nor the officials.

It’s time the GFA and the Ministry of Youth and Sports showed leadership in the management of Black Stars’ money issues. Most Ghanaian are getting weary over the everyday Black Stars money debate.