‘You won’t win GPL title without your own stadium’ – Bashir Hayford tells Kotoko, Hearts

Veteran coach and current Heart of Lions manager, Bashir Hayford, has advised Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak to build their own stadiums or risk facing difficulties in winning the Ghana Premier League.

The country’s two most prominent clubs have historically used government-owned infrastructure — Accra Sports Stadium and Baba Yara Stadium — as their home venues.

Both clubs have secured just one Premier League title each since 2014.

“As Ghanaians, we must learn to tell the truth, it will be very difficult for teams who do not have their own stadium facility to win the league,” he said in an interview with Akoma FM.

“Kotoko and Hearts of Oak don’t play at their own venues, but the likes of Samatex, Nsoatreman and Bechem all play at their own stadium facility. When you travel to these privately owned facilities, you really go through a lot of intimidation and the referees can’t be independent.

“Your chances of winning at such private venues are very slim, unlike the state-owned venues like Accra and Kumasi where security is assured and level playing grounds exist for all competing teams. Hearts and Kotoko must get their own stadium, otherwise winning the league will become difficult.”

With six games to, Samartex are seven points clear on top of the Ghana Premier League table with 52 points.