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The head of soccer’s governing body has spoken about the effects of the coronavirus on the nation’s sport.
Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku is concerned about the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the nation’s development plans.
Soccer, like all other sports, has been halted following a national ban on all public gatherings as part of measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease.
With Ghana’s number of Covid-19 cases increasing over time, there is uncertainty about the future of the championship. While some want the current season to be canceled, others want the championship to continue when it is safe to do so.
“Since 2017, we have not played a league and declared a winner, which is a big problem because no sponsor wants to partner with a product that is consistently inconsistent,” Okraku said on GTV Sports + on Wednesday.
“I want to ask for calm, we will make a decision in everyone’s interest. We will communicate our decision if we decide to cancel or truncate the season.
“As we speak, there is no decision on whether the Ghana Premier League would be canceled or not. We are still in talks.
“I don’t have the exact figures on how much revenue clubs will lose if the league is canceled. But he doesn’t expect sponsors to continue sponsoring when there are no soccer activities.
“It will be another difficult period for clubs, referees, match commissioners if the season is canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”
At the time of the league suspension, a total of six cases had been registered.
As of Wednesday, May 13, the West African nation has recorded 5,127 cases of 22 deaths and 494 recoveries.
Globally, more than 4,374,914 people have been infected and 288,152 lives have been lost.
“In the lower leagues, soccer indirectly contributes a lot to the economy. Also with football, sponsors will not continue to bring their money on board, “continued Okraku.
“The GFA will lose members, clubs will also lose their partner and sponsor agreements, players may lose their contracts or endorsements, fans will also lose the excitement they get when they watch the games.”
“I share the pain of club owners right now. All over the world, when problems like this arise, the problem of wages arises. FIFA has spoken on the matter.
“In the last Exco [Executive Committee] At the meeting, we gave ourselves until the end of June to make a decision. We are considering all scenarios, in our commitments to stakeholders.
“Our medical team led by Dr. Adam Baba is working very hard to produce a document that we can consider.
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“I think our football has reached a point where we must allow science to play a role. It is something that my administration will study.”
Aduana Stars leads the table as in week 15 of the game when the league stopped.
The 2019-20 championship marked the return of the league after a yearlong hiatus due to a bribery and match-fixing scandal that disrupted the 2017-18 season.
