THE FALL OF THE GHANAIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE

I probably was too young to follow football in Ghana in the late 80's and early 90's but not the 2000's. In as much as I was just a boy in the early 90's, I have been very fortunate to have my dad and other elderly of society who tells me stories of Ghana football of the early 90's.

The Ghanaian League was so attractive in the 90's that not even the flair and panache of the

 then Italian soccer and German football could sway Ghanaian football fans from watching the local league.

There were exciting players who graced the Ghanaian football turf in the 90's and the early 2000's. Players such as the current Black Stars coach Kwesi Appiah, Mohammed Gago, Frank Amankwah and Samuel Johnson. to mention a few were scintillating and joyous to watch.

                                                                                  Frank Amankwah

Coming into the 2000's, then came to light players like Emmanuel Osei, Charles Asampong Taylor, Jacob Nartey, Joe Hendricks and Godwin Ablordy.

                                                                             Charles Taylor in Hearts of Oak colours.

Ghana football ,in fact the local league to be precise was like a movie which always keeps its viewers in suspense. One could not predict the results of the league matches in those days not even that of GHAPOHA versus Okwahu United or that of bitter rivals Sekondi Eleven Wise nicknamed "the Western show boys" versus Sekondi Hasaacas who go by "HASMAL....we go do".

The local league was watched with both excitement and anxiety since one cannot tell whether his team would win even with the team ahead until the final whistle is blown.

Just a little over a decade and the local league is a pale shadow of its former self hence finding it difficult to compete with even some of the leagues on the continent talk of that of the world.

What has changed?

 Many believe football is a science and if so then it must be abreast with its technological advancements. 

To start with, whilst we are in the 21st century, our football pitches look like that of the 19th century.
The famous Accra Sports Stadium which is nicknamed "the nations Wembley" appears to as be though it has been their cattle to overgrazed the pitch. The pitch looks like that of a division one league training pitch.

Players struggle to control balls and passes laid to them, talk of showing of their dazzling skills and flair. 

                                                                                        The famous Accra Sports Stadium

As the pitch has been an issue, officiating is worst. To err they say is human but Ghanaian officials keep erring week in week out. Something that has raise many eyebrows of Ghanaian football fans. 

Teams, players and supporters alike keep complaining and lodging complaining about the officiating of referees. Even players and fans shout and show gestures of dismays on the field of play whiles clubs keep lodging their complaints to the Appeals Committee of the Football Association.

This and other factors have contributed to the fall of the Ghanaian football league with either little or no patronage from our supporter.

What can be done?

For every problem there is a solution. The Football Association must ensure our football pitches are up to the standard of the best leagues in the world which would do for the start.

Referees must be punished when found guilty of poor officiating either by demotion to lower leagues or receiving ban for some months if possible years.

Doing the above would not only start to attract despondent fans to watch our matches but will also woo sponsors to our local league.