WORTHY CHAMPION NEEDED (NSEMPA, BACK PAGE)

By George Ernest Asare, Kumasi

The first round of the 2007/2008 Premier league was very competitive, and this created much interest among the sporting public.
The FA, Club administrators, match officials and more especially, the players from the various clubs, and spectators in particular, should be commended for contributing in diverse ways to create a healthy competition among the participating clubs.
As we begin the second round, my prayer is that hooliganism which often creates problems in the local league, should become a thing of the past, and the tempo of the league enhanced to ensure that a worthy champion is produced”.

Successful league
“A successful local league offer much experience for club administrators, enhance the market value of the players locally and internationally, enhance the image of the country abroad, and accelerate the pace of development of soccer in a country, so the need for all stakeholders to collaborate to make the second round premier league a success is very important”.
These were the final words of Nana Yaw Owusu, a former Vice President of the Ghana Football Association, (GFA) and the Mpaboahene to the Asantehene when he granted an exclusive interview to Graphic Nsempa.
Nana Owusu, who was a former player of the Porcupine Warriors, Kumasi Asante Kotoko, and a Vice Chairman of the club during the first term in office of Mr Sylvester Asare Owusu, also told Graphic Nsempa that, as a former player, club administrator and a former Vice President of the GFA, he has a lot to offer to the development of soccer in Ghana.

Comparison
He noted that comparing the previous leagues with that of the 2007/08 premier league in terms of organisation, attitude of players on and off the field of play, officiating and spectatoring, among others, the first round of the present league could be described as outstanding.
Explaining, he said, there were less rioting by soccer fans and confrontations by players on the field of play against match officials. He said bickering associated with the game and unnecessary criticisms by club administrators in terms of officiating and other problems, were also not recorded much at the various league centres.
Such negative attitudes, he said, mostly undermine the smooth running of the league and also reduce the interest of companies to sponsor the league .
Explaining why the first round generated keen interest among the participating teams in particular and soccer fans in general, Nana Yaw Owusu noted that “having stayed out of competition for quite a long time due to international commitments and wranglings among some soccer connoisseurs, the club administrators and players were hungry for honours when the league finally bounced back, hence the competitiveness of the league and the comportment of the soccer fans”.

Yearning
“All the clubs were yearning to get into the competition, so that they could generate revenue to finance their activities.
He said it was equally important for club officials to refrain from enticing referees with huge envelopes and other essentials for them to officiate in their favour “because rumour of influencing match officials seems to be one of the primary causes of hooliganism associated with soccer in the country in the past”.
On the GFA, Nana said, the association had to be fair, but firm, in all its dealings with the various clubs, explaining that “justice and fair play also play important roles in sustaining the interest and competitiveness of the game, thereby making the league a huge success”.
He said “It is always important for match officials to stamp their authority on the game, and the FA should also deal decisively with any club or player who brings the game into disrepute. This will ensure that the rules and regulations governing the game are strictly adhered to.
He attributed the absence of intimidation by a section of soccer fans during the first round of the premier league to the construction and refurbishment of the four stadia in the country. He pointed out that the facilities were adequately secured to prevent any fan from jumping onto the field to create any confusion.
He said the same trend was also being extended to the other league centres to enhance healthy competition.
He said another issue worth considering to sustain the tempo and interest of the premier league is “player discipline”.
Explaining, he said, “In Ghana, players confront match officials unnecessarily after the referee had already taken a decision, and this provokes the officials to caution them, or send them off the field”.
He said playing to the rules of the game, and respecting match officials, enabled players to develop their potential effectively, and also market themselves locally, and internationally to raise their value.
“He said it was only when players became more committed to the game and focused on developing their career along professional lines that they would attract local and foreign agents who would entice them with lucrative contracts to play for well endowed foreign clubs.
Nana Yaw Owusu suggested that for players to stay in the country to develop their potential more effectively and sustain the interest of soccer in the country, it was important for the GFA to come out with a policy which will bind all local players to play for a period of time.