Let’s Build Strong Domestic League – President Akufo-Addo Urges Sports Administrators
President Akufo-Addo says all stakeholders in the country’s football fraternity must work hard to develop a strong domestic football league.
Government, President Akufo-Addo says will offer her unrelenting support to any such endeavor by football administrators in the country.
The President made the call when he received a delegation led by the chairman of the Ghana League Club Association (GHLACA) Kodjo Fianu, at the Jubilee House, on Thursday, 3 March 2022, who came to present the trophy of the President’s cup to him ahead of the 4 March 2022 clash between Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak.
“It is a strong vibrant league that will enable us to have a strong vibrant national side. So, all of us have to put our heads together to see the way forward as to how we can strengthen our domestic league” President Akufo-Addo said.
“We are crying, complaining about no longer being a power house in African football and not winning the cup and everything, I think it is a question of organization and organization begins with organizing a very strong domestic league”.
“People in this room plus the government side have to put our heads together to chat a good path for the future of the domestic league in Ghana” Akufo-Addo added.
President’s participation
On the President’s cup game coming off Friday 4 March 2022 at the Accra Sports Stadium, President Akufo-Addo accepted wholeheartedly, the invitation extended to him on behalf of GHLACA by the Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif.
President Akufo-Addo will kick the ball at 6pm to start the game. He will also present the medals to both sides and the trophy to the winning team.
Chairman of GHLACA
In his remarks, chairman of GHLACA, Kodjo Fianu, said the 4 March 2022 game marks 20 years since the competition was first instituted during the President John Kufour era.
In celebration of this milestone, Mr Fianu indicated that it is time to turn attention on the local league.
“We want to a national team of a blend of locals and those who are playing in the foreign leagues and the only way we can do that is to ensure that we get a lot of energy and resources into our local league” Mr Fianu said.
The Delegation
The Minister for Youth and Sports, and Member of Parliament, for Yagaba Kubori in the North East Region, Mustapha Ussif, led the delegation.
Other members of the delegation are the chairman of GHALCA, Kodjo Fianu, Professor Peter Twumasi, Director-General of the National Sports Authority, and board chairman of the National Sports Authority, Seth Panwum.
The rest are the director of Accra Hearts of Oaks, Alhaji Akanbi Brimah, CEO of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Nana Yaw Amponsah, and John Ansah, the vice chairman of GHLACA.
Wilberforce Asare
