The Ghana Premier League entered match day two but inconclusively. Match Day one is expected to be concluded come Tuesday when the match between Dormaa based Aduana Stars and Accra Hearts of Oak which should have been the season’s opener was postponed due to rumours that some members of the oak family had contacted covid-19 is finally played and concluded.
Prior to the season opening there had been several reports of some teams contracting COVID-19 whiles others were struggling to conclude on their tests and thus be cleared to participate.
A Ghana soccer net report had it that Premier League Clubs had recorded 56 cases of coronavirus with Accra Hearts of Oak recording the highest number of Coronavirus positive cases after the first round of tests ahead of the new season. “Thirty-six players out of thirty-eight tested positive forcing their opening day game against Aduana Stars to be postponed” , the report stated. They gave the breakdown including 10 cases from Elimina Sharks as below:
Hearts of Oak – 34
Elmina Sharks – 10
Dreams FC – 6
Karela United – 2
Legon Cities – 1
Great Olympics – 1
Medeama – 1
As a measure from the FA and CAF venues are closed to supporters with guidelines on media coverage. Already teams like Techiman Eleven Wonders are threatened with disciplinary actions for allegedly breaking COVID-19 protocols.
On one hand were and are challenges with Clubs capacity to test and the delayed results of the tests. On the other hand was the Clubs waiting till the last minute to conduct the tests. More so with the open contact system and regularity of testing.
Obviously one cannot rule out financial constraints and how Clubs in Ghana are medically handicapped. The truth is how many Clubs have independent medical teams much to talk of affording quality health care.
Until Star Life came to the scene even well established Clubs like Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak were medically not properly insured if they were at the least.
One is also left to wonder if it was more appropriate for the league to start amidst all the setbacks? Even more so with the startling figures.
Indeed, most venues for the matches were also not proper and ready. Now Clubs are also not happy with the GFA stopping them from filming their matches and contractual agreement with Star Times including the lack of transparency therein.
As the FA meets with Club CEOs later today it is important for stakeholders to be both decisive and conclusive on handling and managing the novel coronavirus pandemic and all related football matters. Bringing back the love will require not breaking more hearts.
GFA should have a better look at putting in place a proper health management system for Ghana Football. Either by partnership or independently setting up structures there must be readily available, accessible and affordable health care and management system in place even as we still battle COVID-19.
Else, we risk burying the already ‘dead feelings’.
SPN Sports/ News Feature/Editorial Desk