PRESS RELEASE: PLB Cautions Media on Sponsored Awards On Ghan Premier League

The attention of the Premier League Board (PLB) and the Ghana Football Association have been drawn to a sponsored Ghana Premier League player of the month and coach of the month awards being organised by a section of the media.

Specifically, some media organisations, in association with some corporate organisations have launched award schemes to honour players and coaches they select as Ghana Premier League player and coach of the month respectively.

The PLB wishes to caution media houses who are involved in these corporate-sponsored award to desist from it with immediate effect as their actions are in confict with Ghana Premier League marketing rights.

For purposes of clarification, the PLB is not opposed to any organisation undertaking such an initiative with the consent and authorisation of the GFA.

What the PLB does not countenance is such media awards being sponsored by corporate organisations without recourse to the Ghana Football Association.

This is tantamount to ambush marketing and the PLB will seek legal redress if those involved do not stop the practice immediately.

Media houses and Corporate Organizations wishing to undertake such awards for any of the products of the GFA, including the Ghana Premier League must contact the GFA for the rights and the requisite authorisation.

The media remain important stakeholders for the Premier League and the PLB is grateful for the fruitful partnership so far this season.

PRESS RELEASE: PLB Cautions Media on Sponsored Awards On Ghan Premier League

PLB Rewards Saddick Adams For Life Saving Heroics

The Ghana Premier League Board chairman, Ashford Tetteh Oku has rewarded Adams with a new pair of boots and a football in a short ceremony at the offices of the Ghana Football Association for his heroics in his side’s 1-0 loss to Techiman City.

Prior to the start of the new premier league season, Saddick Adams had earlier resuscitated a B.A United player who fell unconscious and was motionless during a training session.

He repeated the feat at the expense of his health, blowing air into Asiwome Fumador after the player fell down unconscious with no ambulance service available to provide first aid.

Saddick Adams said the life of Fumador was more important than his health.

And the Premier League Board has shown its appreciation for the life saving action taken by the Berekum Chelsea captain.

The PLB chairman, Ashford Tetteh Oku promised to convey his sportsmanship to World football governing body, FIFA.

PLB Rewards Saddick Adams For Life Saving Heroics

Vodafone Deny GPL Sponsorship Reports

Telecommunications Network, Vodafone Ghana has rubbished media reports that they are in negotiations with the Ghana Football Association and Premier League Board to sponsor the domestic league.

First Capital Plus Bank now Capital Bank, signed a five a year deal with the football governing body as headlines sponsors of the league, but reneged their commitment with the FA with claims of restructuring.

The FA has since been on the lookout for a potential corporate body to accept the sponsorship responsibilities, and media reports were riff that Vodafone  are in negotiations with the FA to either replace or partner Capital Bank (the FA pleading with the financial institution to rescind their decision to suspend sponsorship responsibilities).

But the Telecommunications giants has denied the company has held negotiations with the FA and has taken the decision to sponsor the Ghana Premier League which started last weekend.

“There has not been any decision whatsoever to get involved in the Ghana Premier League as we speak. Vodafone has not taken any decision; if we had, we would have communicated it to the public a long time ago,” Corporate Affairs Manager, Ebenezer Amankwah said in an interview with Accra based radio station, Class FM.

“Vodafone has not had any contact with the Ghana Football Association and the media the stories online are unfounded,” he said.

Mr Amankwah stressed that Vodafone had not even considered sponsoring the league.

“There is no indication that we are going to sponsor the Premier League or even considering it. He who is alleging has to prove,” he added.

Vodafone Deny GPL Sponsorship Reports

PLB Happy With Spectatory

Communication Director of the Ghana Premier League Board, Tamimu Issah is excited the return of the premier league recorded massive spectatory across almost all league centres.

The Accra sports stadium recorded a massive spectatory of about 30,000, the best ever attendance of late, Robert Mensah stadium was completely sold and some fans had to watch the game without tickets (but paid), Ohene Ameyaw Park had no space to contain the number of fans who thronged to the venue, and Tamimu Issah is excited the league started on a bang.

Tamimu Issah was announced Ghana Premier League Board Communication Director last week during the launch of the new season, and he has taken to the media, the vehicle to drive excitement into the fans to throng to the stadia.

He also revealed that the Premier League Board will outline efficient and proactive measures to ensure massive attendance in the subsequent premier league games.

“I was very happy with the attendance of the supporters to the various stadia over the weekend,” elated Tamimu said in an interview with Kumasi-based Fox FM.

“We are working very hard to outline plans to ensure we have massive attendance in the upcoming premier League games,” he added.

PLB Happy With Spectatory

Legal Issues Won"t Stop Start Of GPL - Saani Daara

Communication Director of the Ghana Football Association, Ibrahim Saanie Daara, has has said that the FA and the Premier League Board cannot wait until all legal issues at exhausted before commencing the Premier League.

 

 

Legal tussles between Techiman City and Wa African United over alleged match-fixing has delayed the commencement of the new Ghana Premier league, and the FA says the start of the new is long overdue and they can’t keep waiting for the issues to be thrashed out before kicking off the domestic top flight competition.

 

Techiman City were found guilty by the Ghana Football Association’s Ethics Committee and they were demoted to the second tier of Ghana football — Division two, reducing the number of clubs to fifteen.

 

 

The FA says they respect the decision reached by its subcommittee mandated to give recommendations for cases brought before it, but can’t play a fifteen league match, thus, Techiman City, who has filed an appeal and a stay of execution will participate in the league.

 

 

“We understand that the implications of playing the league without all legal cases settled but we can’t keep waiting for the Ethics Committee to give their ruling,” the former BBC Journalist told sportscrusader.com

 

 

“Because after clubs that are not satisfied will appeal, and will even go to the extent going to CAS (Court of Arbitration for sport) and that will probably take us years and we can’t keep waiting.

 

 

“We will start the league with Techiman City and when we reach to the stage where the the legal team wants to advise us, we will gladly take it, but for now, Techiman City will start the league with all the other teams.” He added.

 

 

 

 

 

Legal Issues Won"t Stop Start Of GPL - Saani Daara

Financing Clubs Is Terrifying - Ameenu Shadow

Financing clubs in this part of our world ia difficult and it will be more difficult to start the season without any sponsor, according to Dreams FC administrative manager, Ameenu Shadow. 

The Ghana Premier League is a about four days away, but the Ghana Football Association is yet confirm a headline sponsor since First Capital Plus Bank now Capital Bank wrote a letter to the FA suspending their sponsorship responsibilities.

The FA has on several platforms told Ghanaians they are working around the clock to get a corporate body to either partner Capital Bank or replace them as sponsors should they insist on sticking to their stand.

But the FA is yet to fulfill their promise and clubs are wailing that it will be more difficult to play the upcoming premier league without a headline sponsor.

Ameenu Shadow, administrate manager of Dreams Football Club, says financing clubs is difficult and playing the league without any money will be a herculean task for clubs.

“I must admit it is very difficult financing clubs in this part of our world because of some peculiar problems,” the former Ghanasoccernet reporter told Joy FM.

“The reality is that, the daily, weekly, and monthly wages of clubs especially clubs as small as Dreams FC is scary and terrifying.

“So playing the league without a headlines sponsor will make things more difficult.” He said.

Financing Clubs Is Terrifying - Ameenu Shadow

Accreditation For GPL To End On Wednesday

The Ghana Football Association has announced that members of the media that all accreditation cards issued last season are still valid for entry to matches in the upcoming football season, including FA Cup matches.

The GFA will issue media accreditation tags to those who applied last year but were not issued their cards by close of this week.

The accreditation process has also been opened to new applicants.

All application requests must be on a letter head of the media house applying, and must be signed by a designated official of the media house.

The request must reach the FA by close of day on Wednesday February 17, 2016.

Those who have already been accredited but have lost their cards can also apply for replacements at a cost of GHS 20 Cedis per card.

Payments for such replacements should be made at the accounts office of the GFA and the receipts must be attached to the application letter. No replacement will be processed without proof of payment.

Meanwhile, television stations interested in covering the Premier League should contact Multichoice Ghana for the necessary rights arrangements.

Accreditation For GPL To End On Wednesday

Tony Baffoe Call For Security At Stadia

With hooliganism destroying the beauty of Ghana football and putting the life of spectators and officials in danger, former Ghana international Anthony Baffoe has called on the FA and PLB to ensure utmost security of all and sundry during Ghana Premier League matches.

The Ghana Premier League has old history of hooliganism destroying football and with 2016 Premier League season barely six days away, the FIFA general match coordinator wants security to be the key as that is the only way the league will end successfully.

“It is very important we place emphasis on security and match organization,” Tony Baffoe told Citi FM.

With the start of the new season delayed by about three months, fans are itching for club football and Anthony Baffoe is not an exception.

He was at the Dawu Park to watch Dreams FC engage Hearts of Oak to re-commission the venue which has not had premier league football for about a decade, and he could not hide his excitement as the start of the league draw nearer.

“I am happy that the league will finally start. I was in Dawu on Sunday to watch Dreams and Hearts of Oak and the stadium was filled to capacity.

“I can see that people are itching for the Premier League season and I hope we have improved attendances at the various match venues.” he said.

Tony Baffoe Call For Security At Stadia

GHALCA Got Bad Press Under Raji - Oduro Sarfo

GHALCA chairman hopeful, Nana Oduro Sarfo claim the association under Alhaji Raji received bad press reportage and that basically curtailed the body’s ability to gain sponsorship for its competitions.

Alhaji Raji took over the mantle from Emmanuel Odotei, and under his administration, members of the Executive Council of the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) asked their chairman and treasurer to resign or face impeachment for breaching an important administrative procedure which is tantamount to financial impropriety.

There were reports of alleged misappropriation of $9,000 contracted as loan from the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and demanded that it should be returned to the GHALCA chest, or the two men be prepared to face the law.

The association also failed to organised some of it’s Top-4 competitions which was inaugurated in 1993 but played it’s first competition in 2001, coupled with alleged stereotypical comments made by  the head of the association.

And Nana Oduro Sarfo believes the bad press the association had affected their brand.

“Every institution will like to have publicity and no institution will like to associate itself with a bad press. We do hear on radio how GHALCA’s money has been embezzled, how GHALCA has been fighting among themselves, how GHALCA has been organising competitions, and cannot fixed dates and go by the date,” He told sportscrusader.com

“So if you have such an organization and the organisation comes to you for sponsorship, you’ll not associate yourself with it because you don’t want a bad press to accompany your brand,” He added.

GHALCA will go to congress on Tuesday February 16. The venue for the congress is the Accra sports stadium media centr

GHALCA Got Bad Press Under Raji - Oduro Sarfo

GHALCA Itenary For Congress

The vice chairman of the Ghana League Clubs Association, Isaac Wilberforce Koomson has revealed that the association’s congress is basically to render accounts for activities of the gone by year.

GHALCA delegates will meet at the Accra sports stadium media centre on February 16 review the 2015 year and probably fix a date for the elections in April.

But Mr. Isaac Koomson, former Chief Executive Officer of Stark FC revealed the main agenda is to audit their accounts and make public their roadmap to the elections later this year.

“Usually every year, GHALCA renders a report of work over the year and this is just one of its annual general assembly or gathering that GHALCA attends every year,” Isaac Wilberforce Koomson told sportscrusader.com

Isaac Koomson, who is rumored to be interested in dislodging his chairman, Alhaji Raji for the association’s chairmanship seat also disclosed that GHALCA’s congress delayed this year due to the litigations which has engulfed Ghana football.

“This year’s congress delayed because of the litigation in our football and the G-6 tournament that was brought in to replace the Top-4 competition,” he said.

He also revealed the itinerary for the congress, however, whether the association will announce the availability of nomination forms for interested candidates is still yet to be known, but the roadmap to the elections will be announced.

“During the congress, we will audit our accounts and review our activities over the year (2015), and also give the roadmap to our elections this year.

“These are the things basically we will be looking at when we meet tomorrow for the congress.

“Any other thing we are likely to discuss will fall under other matters.”

GHALCA Itenary For Congress

GHALCA To Hold Congress At Accra Sports Stadium

Ghana League Clubs Association will hold its congress on Tuesday February 16 at the Accra Sports Stadium to fix a date for April’s elections.

GHALCA, the mother body of all league clubs in the country will use the opportunity to announce nomination forms availability for interested candidates for the chairmanship position.

Alhaji Ali Braimah Raji, incumbent Chairman of the association, Chief Executive Officer of Ashanti Gold Sporting Club, Kudjoe Fianoo, former Chief executive officer of Berekum Chelsea, Nana Oduro Sarfo has all  confirmed their interest for the position, while Isaac Koomson, Kofi Poku are yet to make their candidature public.

The association is likely to use the congress to review the just ended year.

GHALCA To Hold Congress At Accra Sports Stadium

Parliament To Meet GFA Over League Delay.

A Parliamentary Committee on Youth, Spots and Culture has written to the Ghana will meet he Ghana Football Association for a meeting to discuss issues surrounding the delay of the Ghana Premier League.

The Ghana Premier League has for the second successive year, failed to follow the football calendar of the country due to legal issues before the adjudicating body of the FA.

The 2014 / 2015 premier league campaign was delayed by about six months when King Faisal Babies and Aduana Stars were tussling each other over latter’s failure to meet a deadline on the FA rules.

The Ghana FA were petitioned to make their rules work, but they were denied.

And 2015 / 2016 is following a similar pattern as alleged match-fixing case before the Ethics Committee has delayed the league by three months. The FA has fixed a date for the commencement of the new season, but a Parliamentary select committee wants answers to the why delay.

“We’re writing a letter to invite the GFA to find ways to solve the issues as quickly as possible for once and for all. Honestly, it is not good, last year we suffered the same thing and this year too we encountered it, it’s not good,’’ Hon. Kobina Mensa Woyome, MP for South Tongu, a member for the parliamentary select committee on Youth, Sports and Culture told Kumasi-based Boss FM.

“We have been following (the current issues surrounding the delay of the league) and we are not happy about it. We have gathered some information but it’s always good to talk with GFA.

“So a letter will be going to the GFA so that they can come and brief us what’s going on at their end, so that we will know how to solve them as quickly as possible,” he Added.

Honourable Kobina Mensa said the select committee has been silent due to oversight of responsibility, but have chosen to act on this issue because the Ghana Football Association manages football in the country.

“We have oversight responsibility about all the sports activities in the country which of course the Ministry of Youth and Sports oversee hence, we have an interest because the GFA manages our national teams.

“The running of the league is more or less like a private issue but once it has some bearing on selection into the national teams, we need to put measures in place to solve those issues.” he said.

Parliament To Meet GFA Over League Delay.

Free Gate For Super Cup

The Ghana Football Association has offered football fans across the country, the opportunity to witness Sunday’s Super Cup match between league champions AshantiGold and MTN FA Cup winners Medeama SC for free at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The Super Cup is played between winners of the league and Telecommunications network sponsored competition, the MTN FA Cup annually as the curtain raiser to usher in the football fever.

And The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has decided to open the gates for free to the public for the match scheduled for Sunday February 7.

According to the Communication Director of the Ghana Football Association, Ibrahim Saani Daara, the decision of the GFA to open the gates for free is to show appreciation to the football fraternity for their support.

“Over the past few months we have been debating how we can show our appreciation to the fans for the support they have given local football,” Ghana FA spokesman Ibrahim Sannie Daara said.

“We had different suggestions on how we can show our appreciation to the fans. One of the key ideas was the suggestion that we make this gesture and we thought its was great idea.

“So we are calling on supporters of all the clubs in Ghana, the various supporter groups and the ordinary football fans to come to the stadium on Sunday and enjoy this game for free.”

The two clubs will be representing Ghana in CAF inter-club football competitions, CAF Confederation Cup and Champions League after winning the league and FA Cup respectively.

It will be an opportunity for both technical benches to test their readiness for Africa as well the Ghana Premier League which will begin later this month.

Ashantigold will host Algerian side MO Bejaia in their Champions League match on Sunday February 14, and will play Medeama SC again in their opening league fixture at the Obuasi Len Clay stadium.

Whereas Medeama SC will begin their Confederation Cup campaign against either  Ittihad of Libya or AS Sonidep of Niger.

Free Gate For Super Cup

I Wish I Come From Togo - Bashir Hayford

Head coach of defending Premier League Champions, Bashir Hayford has taken a swipe at the Ghana FA with claims that he wish he was from Togo because the FA do not recognize it’s best coaches.

Bashir Hayford won the First Capital Plus Bank Premier League title with Ashanti Gold last season and was adjudged the best coach of the season after beating off competition WAFA Coach John Killa and Aduana Stars trainer Kwabena Ameyaw.

Elsewhere, the best coach is sent for football-related activities to beef up his technical knowledge in the game, but here in Ghana, the FA and PLB do not provide any incentive for winning the accolade.

And the outspoken coach wish he was a native of Ghana’s West Africa neighbours, Togo.

“After they say you are the best coach, that’s all. It ends there. That day they name you that is all! No program for you to follow, nothing! For me sometimes I wish I come from Togo because, Master, things that are happening here,” Hayford told Starr FM.

“You are named the Best Coach and then the whole season you sit down until they choose another Best Coach. What are the programs for the best Coach? Elsewhere, Best Coaches are taken outside for attachment somewhere by the FA,” He added.

Bashir Hayford also suggested that the FA and PLB should provide a platform for coaches to acquire knowledge abroad and impart on their colleagues when thet return.

“The FA must say this is our Best Coach and we have to make sure we maintain his standard so maybe go to Liverpool or Chelsea on attachment for one week or programs like go to Tamale and meet the coaches and give them your experience,”  He said.

I Wish I Come From Togo - Bashir Hayford

Dreams FC Ready If GPL Starts Tomorrow - Ibrahim Dossey

The Premier League Board of the Ghana Football Association is yet to release it’s schedule for the 2015-16 Ghana Premier League season but Director of Football for Dreams FC, Ibrahim Dossey believes his side is ready to compete against any team on any day.

“We are ready to play even if the league starts tomorrow,” he told the official website of the club.

The Kweiman-based club has signed a squad of 36 players, but will prune it down to 30 before the Ghana Premier league first game expected to kick off in the latter part of February.

Many of those players are have not felt tge vibe of the Premier League before, but Ibrahim Dossey has played down inexperience could hamper their success in the upcoming season.

“What is inexperience, so far as I am concerned my boys are prepared and gradually as you play some matches you learn more.

“It is important we play some of these premier sides (in pre-season) because that also boosts the confidence of the players and the entire club.” He added.

Dreams FC engaged Inter Allies, who are in their third season in Ghana Premier league in a friendly at the Tema Sports Stadium amd lost 2-01, but Ibrahim Dossey says it is learning curve for the players

“The game at Tema was good for us because it’s another form of exposure to even play on the artificial turf,” he noted.

The date for the commencement of the league will be announced tomorrow by the Football Association and the Premier League Board.

Dreams FC Ready If GPL Starts Tomorrow - Ibrahim Dossey

EXCLUSIVE: GFA to appoint Ashford Tetteh Oku as new chairman of Premier League Board

Experienced football administrator Ashford Tetteh Oku will be confirmed as the new chairman of the Premier League Board, Sportscrusader.com can exclusively reveal.

Oku who is until now the Vice Chairman of the PLB will be handed the post in the ongoing reshuffling of all statutory and adhoc committees of the Ghana FA.

The former Administrative Manager of Hearts of Oak will become the substantive replacement for Welbeck Abra Appiah who has communicated his decision to step down after 10 years in the job.

Oku became the obvious choice due to his immense wealth of experience and efficiency in discharging all duties handed him.

He remains one of the most decorated football administrators in the country having undergone several professional courses in football management.

The Premier League Board is made up of the chairman and his Vice – appointed by the Ghana FA – and a representative each from the 16 clubs in the Premier League.

EXCLUSIVE: GFA to appoint Ashford Tetteh Oku as new chairman of Premier League Board