The Board Chairman of Ghana’s National Sports Authority (NSA) has warned the country against trying to follow in the footsteps of Germany in resuming football activities.
Kwadwo Baah believes the 2019/2020 football season should be cancelled in order not to jeopardize the safety of footballers.
Ghana, like many other countries across the world, has been greatly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Not only has the pandemic disrupted the sporting calendar, a ban on social gatherings has also ensured that the Ghana Premier League and other football competitions are currently suspended.
Yo #BetwaySquad
— Betway ZA (▶️Streaming Bundesliga 🇩🇪) (@Betway_za) May 24, 2020
Certain football teams in Germany have been placing cardboard cutouts of their fans in the stands to try and make the stadium look full to give it more atmosphere. Do you think the #PSL should try this if the league resumes? pic.twitter.com/lIGDg0y9Q2
However, the West African country’s situation is totally different from that of Germany, where the Bundesliga season has already resumed.
With certain quarters calling on the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to replicate the Germans, Baah insists blindly copying the European country could prove a perilous move.
“We shouldn’t rush in returning football because we have to get things right first before making any decisions,” the NSA boss told Accra-based Asempa FM.
“I agree with the school of thought that the season should be cancelled. We shouldn’t rush if the western world are returning their football seasons. If it’s easy, the EPL [English Premier League] would have started a long time ago.”
Ghana’s Coronavirus case count has now surpassed 7,000. And although there have been over 2,000 recoveries, it doesn’t look like the ban on social gatherings will be lifted anytime soon.
Baah believes, until the safety of footballers of all persons involved in the game can be guaranteed, there is no need resuming the league.
The National Sports Authority has temporarily closed down the Baba Yara Sports Stadium
— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) February 18, 2020
The closure is to enable the NSA and Ministry of Youth and Sports fix critical places of the stadium before the celebration of Ghana's 63rd Independence Anniversary. #TV3NewDay pic.twitter.com/i35AVpucrP
“There other European countries calling off their football seasons. Even France and Belgium have declared their champions and Ghana is of no exception,” he noted.
“We need to ensure that we have the capacity to protect those involved in our game before even play resumes.”
Currently, the GFA is undecided on what step to take next, but stakeholders are still deadlocked in discussions on the way forward.
