Accra Lions football club stoked a bit of fire this week when they released a statement calling the integrity of the Ghana Premier League (GPL) into question and casting doubts over the direction of our football.
Accra Lions, who are in their fourth season in the top division of our league football, are convinced that Ghana’s performance on the international scene reflects the cracks in the foundation of the game back home. To them, conditions are steadily deteriorating and something urgent needed to be done to halt the decay.
From questionable refereeing, lack of sponsorship of the league to the absence of decent and properly negotiated television broadcast deal, the GPL is not anything attractive and that breaks the confidence fans have in the game.
“Ghana football is at a crossroads. If we want to get back to our old strength, it requires [an injection] of integrity, professionalism, transparency and sportsmanship” said Accra Lions in their release, which also wondered if the GPL is a “healthy environment for highly talented young players [to develop] proper sporting spirit and winning mentality to make them internationally competitive”.
Accra Lions chose to stand by the “principle of fair play and speak truth to power” which is good. After their statement, Dreams FC, even though to not directly named by Accra Lions, responded arguing that granted the GPL was rotten, Accra Lions cannot play sainthood because they have benefited from the rot.
Dreams’ reply is curious because it sought to defend the GFA and everyone knows Dreams’ link with the GFA President, Kurt Okraku. Dreams agree that the GPL is not in decent shape, but they are not enthused with Accra Lions’ open approach of criticising a system they are part of. So, if it is about Lions’ approach, then the substantive issue of fairness, integrity and trust in the GPL must be addressed without failure.
My worry as alluded to by Accra Lions is that Kurt’s administration has not taken some of these concerns often expressed by the media seriously. Will anything change now that the same concerns are being openly voiced out their own member?