Real Tamale United (RTU) head coach, Abdul Mumin Abdulai, has revealed that his players boycotted Wednesday’s training session over five months unpaid salaries.
Abdul Mumin also disclosed that he has not been paid for nearly a year now and called for urgent help to salvage the situation of the club.
RTU are currently bottom of the Ghana Premier League after 19 matches into the season, winning just one of their last seven matches.
“The players boycotted yesterday’s training because they haven’t received their salaries in nearly five months, plus some unpaid,” he told Kumasi-based Akoma FM.
“Me, as the coach, I have not been paid in nearly a year. Our situation is dire, and we require immediate help.”
The Northern Blues will next take on Heart of Lions on Sunday in match week 20 of the Ghana Premier League at the Kpando Sports Stadium.
It is unclear at the moment whether the players will honour the match if their salaries are not paid.
It’s time to take a long-term approach to correct the wrongs in our football – Akufo-Addo
President Nana Akufo-Addo says it’s high time Ghana deployed a long-term strategy to help solve the country’s football problems.
According to him, the recent performances of the Black Stars have raised questions about the future of the sport in Ghana as the search for success still continues.
Ghana suffered yet another group-stage exit at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire after picking just two points from a possible six. The Black Stars, then under the tutelage of Chris Hughton, failed to progress from Group B which also had Cape Verde, Egypt and Mozambique.
Akufo-Addo talked about the disappointment of the team’s performance in Abidjan which he believes was contrary to what the players expected.
“The recent AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire was probably the nadir of the performance of the Black Stars, and has left the nation saddened. However, I am quite certain that the young men and the technical handlers would, themselves, have wanted to make our nation proud, and I believe that the captain, Andre Dede Ayew, meant every word when he rendered heartfelt apologies on behalf of his team-mates to all Ghanaians for the team’s early exit,” he said in his penultimate State of the Nation Address delivered in Parliament on Tuesday, February 27.
In the wake of the retrogression of Ghana’s football, the President intends to unveil a ‘Presidential Policy on Football’ which will address the challenges of these problems.
“I believe it is time for us to take a long-term, far-sighted approach to correct what has gone wrong. It is time to return to scouting, grooming and developing talent at the district grassroots level under a Presidential Policy on Football that I intend to unveil,” he continued.
“The school sports department of the Ministry of Education will work hand in hand with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, in collaboration and synergy with the Ghana Football Association (GFA), to build district, regional and national juvenile teams for both boys and girls.
“The more than one hundred and fifty (150) astro turf pitches constructed throughout the country, under this administration, provide the foundational facilities to make a start, as we strive to provide more of them. We should see a steady progression of talent up the ladder from the junior juvenile teams to the senior sides based on merit, and nothing else.”
Head coach of Accra Hearts of Oak, Aboubakar Ouattara has stated his opposition to mediocrity that has threatened the club’s status as the biggest club in Ghana.
The Ivorian trainer won his first match in charge of the club when he superintended over a a 3-0 win over Real Tamale United (RTU) on Sunday.
A brace of goals from Hamza Issa and a third by Enoch Asubonteng wrapped up a comprehensive win.
During the pitch side interview, the interviewer described Hearts as one of the biggest club in Ghana. Ouattara promptly interrupted him to correct what he thought was wrong.
Interviewer: ”Hearts of Oak is one of the biggest clubs in Ghana…”
Coach Aboubakar Ouattara (interrupts): ”Not in Ghana. One of the biggest clubs in Africa but the people are bringing this team to a lower level.”
Ouattara stated his abhorrence for any such performance or behavior that does not meet the club’s high standards.
”I can never accept that. We are going to try to bring Hearts of Oak to their past (successful) era.
”But only hard work will make that possible. Nothing else.”
Hearts are ninth on the league table with 24 points and are five points from fourth place.
The Phobians are also eight points from league leaders, Samartex 96 – who face Aduana Stars on Monday.
Heart of Lions coach Bashir Hayford has taken a thinly veiled dig at Asante Kotoko after securing a 1-0 win over the Porcupine Warriors.
Godfred Kwadwo Asamoah’s second half finish was enough to secure maximum points at the Kpando Stadium.
The former Medeama midfielder found space in the penalty area to finish just after the interval.
Known for his colourful post-match comments, Bashir Hayford was not going to pass up the opportunity to remind Kotoko of their day of shame against Lions, twenty years ago.
“This is the second history I’ve made for Lions against Kotoko. The first one was when we won the GHALCA Top 4 tournament.”
“We played the same Kotoko, we beat them, and they took their ball and walked off the pitch before the match ended,” he said.
On his latest conquest, Bashir Hayford disclosed what the trick was.
“As for Kotoko, I’ve been coaching other teams to meet them, and I don’t think they’ve ever been a problem for me.”
“So I told them (the Lions players) not to fear. The name is big, but they should not fear them.”
“Some of them hear the name Kotoko and they start panicking, so I psyched them and told them that, yes, it is one of the biggest clubs in Africa but doesn’t mean we cannot play them,” he said.
Since his appointment, Bashir Hayford has won three of the four league matches, with the only blemish being a 2-2 draw with defending champions, Medeama SC.
Lions are now temporarily out of the drop zone with 18 points.
Saturday’s defeat was Kotoko’s first in eight matches.
Prosper Ogum’s side had previously not lot been beaten in seven consecutive matches but struggled to cope with Lions intensity.
Kotoko remain in third placed with 29 points but could fall further behind if any of Samartex 96, Aduana, Nsoatreman United, and Berekum Chelsea win their matches this weekend.
Saturday’s match was the first Ghana Premier League game at the Kpando Sports Stadium in nine years.
Hearts of Oak will host Real Tamale United (RTU) at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday after securing approval from the National Sports Authority (NSA).
Sunday’s match will be the first Ghana Premier League game at the venue since the NSA closed down the facility to sporting activities.
Since the NSA communicated its decision, Hearts of Oak, Great Olympics and lower tier clubs who use the facility were forced to find alternate venues.
Hearts were forced to host the super clash against Asante Kotoko and the Ga Mashie Derby, in Kumasi’s Baba Yara Stadium.
On Monday, the NSA opened the Accra Sports Stadium to a sporting activity for the first time when the Black Queens used the facility for their training.
The Queens have since been training ahead of the third round Paris 2024 Olympic Qualifier versus Zambia at the same venue.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 4 PM on Friday.
Stephen Appiah Asare, formerly of Tema Youth, has joined Legon Cities FC ahead of the second round of the Ghana Premier League.
The winger was seen sporting the club’s jersey during their friendly match against US Avranches, which they won 2-1.
Asare won a penalty for the Royals during the game.
Legon Cities had a mixed first round, ultimately finishing in ninth place. The team has made several signings, including Asare, to improve their performance and achieve a top-four finish.
Asare had been a consistent performer for Tema Youth in the second division, but this move to the top flight represents a significant step up in his career.
He will need to adapt quickly and make the most of this opportunity if he wants to succeed.
The conveners of ‘SaveGhanaFootball’ demonstration has presented a 15-point petition to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, on Wednesday after the protest in Accra.
The petition was presented after a march that was held earlier in the day starting from the Obra Spot at Kwame Nkrumah Circle and ended at the Black Star Square.
The protesters were among others seeking significant reforms in the governance of Ghana football. They believe Ghana’s football industry is collapsing because of poor leadership and structures.
The Black Stars exiting the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations at the group stage is the final piece that necessitated the demonstration.
Among the demands in the petition, the conveners asked for the disbandment of national team management committees, that many see as not doing any work and taking outrageous per diems.
Read the full fifteen points in the petition below:
DEVELOP A NATIONAL FOOTBALL POLICY:
This policy if properly developed, with proper consultation and inputs will serve as a direct guiding principle or the fulcrum around which our football will revolve.
INSTITUTE A COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY:
A Commission of enquiries and investigations, akin to the Dzamefe Commission, must be established to probe the factors contributing to the poor performances of the National Teams, including administrative, coaching, and player-related issues. Specific terms of reference must be provided, and a Government white paper issued accordingly.
ACCOUNTABILITY:
There is a pressing need for accountability for individuals and entities responsible for the disbursement and utilization of the $10.5m prize money received from our World Cup participation in Qatar 2022, the $8.5 million budget in Ivory Coast. This we believe will guide us in future tournaments and our participation.
DISSOLUTION OF SEARCH COMMITTEE’S REPORT ON THE APPOINTMENT OF A NEW BLACK STAR COACH:
After three successive failed major tournament campaigns in three years, it is evident that Ghana’s football problems go beyond the appointment of coaches. The search committee tasked to look for a new coach for the Black Stars report must be discarded immediately, pending the review of the technical report, investigation into the issues that calumniated the horror show, management of the team, personnel, medical reports and challenges that bedeviled the team.
DISBANDMENT OF MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES:
The National Teams Management Committees have become an avenue for rewarding members of the GFA and their assigns with promises of travel and allowance. Thus, there are no criteria for selection members for these management committees. Besides, the competencies of some of the members are highly questionable. We recommend that, due to the palpable ineffectiveness of the management committees, the practice must be scrubbed. In its place, we propose the establishment of a ‘National Teams Board’ that will be responsible for the management of all national teams. This board must be a three-member board with a National Teams Coordinator as member. This would reduce the number of committees and build a robust system of governance for all the national teams. The National Teams Board would directly work hand in hand with the various back-room staff to uphold the highest standards required of the Ghanaian football.
LACK OF PLAYER DEVELOPMENT:
The development of Juvenile Football is the bedrock of success for all football nations. Over the years, Ghana has chalked remarkable success at juvenile and youth competitions at the continental and global level. The transition of these successes to significant achievements at the senior level however remains nonexistent. Talents unearthed at juvenile level unfortunately falloff without a deliberate succession plan to integrate them into the various age groups.
Since 2017, no National Male Team at the youth level or developmental stage of football has qualified for the World Cup. This has greatly hindered Ghana’s football developmental process. There is evidence of conflict-of-interest situations in the call of youth players with members of the current GFA administrations favoring players playing for clubs owned by these administrators and or clubs associated with the leadership. The resultant effect in the long run is the various teams no show at the global stage and depleted Black Stars.
STRUCTURAL REFORMS:
Structural reforms must be introduced at the GFA to ensure transparency, accountability, and good corporate governance, thereby improving financial management and enhancing professionalism in football administration. We recommend that, effective immediately, the Government order the agency responsible for sports in Ghana, the Ministry or National Sports Authority (NSA) to sign the FIFA Standard Corporation Agreement to ensure that government can get involved in the organization, technical direction, administration and the financing of football without the usual FIFA interference rhetoric.
NATIONAL TEAM FUNDING:
It is public knowledge, the level of financial investment the Government of Ghana makes into the National Teams. We are however of the view that, the mode of investment is wrong.
Substantial sums of tax payers’ monies only go into the Black Stars’ friendly games, tournaments at the expense of other National teams and sectors of the sport. It is quite astonishing the manner in which several Sports Ministers continue to approve unconscionable budgets prepared by the GFA for the Black Stars campaigns without proper scrutiny.
We suggest that, the GFA Collaborates with the National Sports Authority in the preparation of tournament or game budgets, as the NSA is the body mandated by Law, to undertake such exercise.
INVEST IN GRASS-ROOT DEVELOPMENT:
Government must invest massively in school sports, technical development, and infrastructure and grass-root football.
DOMESTIC COMPETITION:
The success of every Football Federation is measured by the strength of its domestic competitions. The Ghana Premier League and other competitions are in a very deplorable state. When organized well, it has the propensity of boosting the local economy with activities each week while offering employment opportunities to thousands of Ghanaians. As a matter of urgency, the government must endeavor to invest in the local league, through infrastructure development and also engage state and parasternal agencies to sponsor the leagues. An agreement should be reached between organizers of the league, club owners and such state agencies to have an oversight role in the use of these monies to ensure transparency at all levels. Adequate provision of infrastructure is crucial for football development in Ghana. The government should invest in the construction and maintenance of modern football infrastructure to support national teams and domestic leagues.
ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL TRAINING COMPLEX
ACCOUNTABILITY:
The GFA manages the national team in trust of Ghanaians. For accountability and transparency purposes we are calling for an extensive investigation into all the monies (FIFA & CAF and sponsorships) that have come to the GFA in the last five years. We are aware that MTN sponsored the Black Stars $2 million for two years when we qualified for the 2022 World Cup. Mara, Tecno Mobile, Puma, Flora Tissue, Zeepay, Chery Cars is part of Tanink Ghana Limited etc are some sponsors that came on board to sponsor the Black Stars during the World Cup in Qatar.
NATIONAL TEAM COACHES SALARY CHALLENGE:
All national team coaches must be provided with contract and be paid just as the Black Stars’ coach to cure the issues of bribery heavily associated with the management of the other national teams.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT:
Government to lead stakeholder engagements involving football clubs, fans, players, journalists, and civil society institutions to chart the way forward
REDUCTION OF TAX ON FOOTBALL-RELATED EVENTS:
Parliament to as a matter of urgency, consider reducing the 17 percent tax on football events to 3 percent as done for the creative arts.
ome protesters at the ‘Save Ghana Football’ demonstrations have called on football authorities to vacate their positions if they can’t fix the Black Stars.
The Black Stars exiting at the group stage of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations is the third time in consecutive major tournaments that the team has failed to progress from the first round.
The Kurt Okraku-led Ghana Football Association is searching for a fifth Black Stars coach since coming into office five years ago.
The demonstration is currently ongoing after it started at the Obra Spot at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange in Accra.
The protesters will pass through Asylum Down, the Greater Accra Regional Hospital and present a petition at Ghana Football Association headquarters.
They will then proceed to do same at the Parliament of Ghana before ending the protest at the Independence square.
A protesters called “The leaders, they should fix the team for us. If they can’t improve the situation of the Black Stars, all of them should vacate their positions”.
sante Kotoko were eliminated from this season’s MTN FA Cup after losing 2-0 against Karela United in the Round 16 of the local competition.
The match took place on Monday, February 12, at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium, between both Ghana Premier League sides saw the Porcupine Warriors succumb to defeat.
Solomon Aboagye scored barely two minutes after the return from recess to break the deadlock for Karela.
Despite Asante Kotoko’s efforts to create scoring opportunities after conceding, they could not square the score.
In the 65th minute, Giyas doubled the lead for Karela United with a spectacular shot, clinching a 2-0 victory.
The win sees Karela advance to the quarterfinal with Kotoko sent packing.
Skyy FC secured a spot in the semifinals of the FA Cup with a 1-0 victory over fellow Division One side Ebusua Dwarfs at the St. Martins Park in Daboase on Sunday, April 9 2023.
Skyy took an early lead after just 2 minutes of play through Eric Antwi Konadu.
Dwarfs were bent on restoring parity but Skyy proved why they were top of the standings by holding on to that solitary goal to secure qualification.
Skyy reproduced their scintillating form in the Division One League to reach Last 4 of the competition after they were knocked out in the quarterfinals by eventual champions, Hearts of Oak.
They look set to cause an upset in the next stage as they remain the only Division One team left in the competition alongside Dreams FC, Nsoatreman and King Faisal who are their next opponents.
