To some of us, our weekends will be empty. We will be loveless. Perhaps our families will be happy because we will have time for them during the weekends but the love for local football and the unending attachment to the Ghana Premier League means we will be missing a lot during the coming weekends in the absence of the GPL.
This season’s league undoubtedly has been one of the most attractive, exciting and competitive with nerve-breaking performances from players and eye-popping goals as well.
Stupendous saves were made and beautiful display of individual skills was exhibited with extra-ordinary demonstration of pure technical skills.
However, there were some major issues that caught the headlines, dominated the airwaves and ruled the local football scenes for weeks.
Do you remember Aduana Stars’ start to the season, Duncan’s refusal to step aside, Bashiru Hayford’s relationship with a player’s girlfriend, Kenichi’s facebook post and of course Soulama’s howler?
These and many more lead our major talking points in the just ended Ghana Premier League.
Duncan’s refusal to step aside: Probably, this will be rated by many admirers and followers of the Ghana Premier League as the most talked about issue in the Ghana Premier League. The dramatic display of love for the club by David Duncan and his insistence to hang on to his post after he was asked to step aside and the decision of management to change the training venue of the club to the Baba Yara Stadium qualified to earn a title in Kumawood movie. This followed Kotoko’s position at the end of the initial five matches of the league. Kotoko were at the bottom of the table. Interesting, wasn’t it? The management decided to call on the coach to step aside for his assistant Michael Osei to take over until further notice. But Duncan demonstrated love for coaching the Reds by insisting on what his contract stipulates; No step aside in my contract, Duncan’s layer is quoted as saying. While some felt that Duncan was legally right in going to the training grounds to train his team as he had announced to the players after their loss to Aduana Stars at Dorman in the week five fixture, majority of the Kotoko fans as well as the sports media insisted the attitude of the gaffer was a gross display of insubordination to the Porcupine Family. It took the word of the Board Chairman of the club Paul Adu Gyamfi, ordering the General Manager Opoku Nti to change the padlock of the training grounds to avoid Duncan from entering the field again. This dramatic event, in my opinion, qualifies for a movie. Perhaps, Duncan Amenehunu Part 1 as a title wouldn’t be bad. What do you think? The international sports media nosed the news and Kotoko became a laughing stock for some weeks. Memories of Duncan’s presence at the training grounds alone with his training equipment and the General Manager locking the place with a new padlock are still fresh. What will be your title if this is to be a movie?
Kenichi’s facebook post and subsequent departure: Then came issues surrounding Kenichi Yatsuhashi. The performance of the Phobians under the Japanese trainer was a clear picture of a championship winning side until the management started telling the Oak Family and the sports media of his arrogance. Kenichi’s performance saw the Phobians going five matches unbeaten in the league. They won their opener against New Edubiase by a lone goal, won 2-0 over Medeama in Tarkwah, drew with Ebusua Dwarfs in Cape Coast, won 3-1 over Bechem United in Accra and magically came back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 against Inter Allies in Tema. Kenichi, who was touted a ‘Toyota Engineer’ became the Jose Mourinho of the Phobians after five matches in the league. A bust-up with the management after the FA Cup loss to Samartex and his call on the management to pay his backroom staff and the players their three months unpaid salaries drew the battle lines between him and the management. He was compelled to run to facebook to tell his own story when reports were rife in the media that he was arrogant and continuously disrespected the management and the board chairman Togbe Afede XIV. The facebook post became a major talking point at a time the Porcupine Warriors, Hearts’ sworn rivals were raising their performance. The Hearts management had to warn Kenichi to desist from addressing the club’s issues on social media but the gaffer kept telling the world he had no option than social media to tell his own story. That intensified the tension between the two bodies which eventually saw them parting ways. Some of the fans were not worried about the departure of the Japanese trainer but about 80% of the football family and the sports media disagreed with the decision of the management to part ways with the coach. What started as a season for the Phobians saw them struggling to win their last game against relegated New Edubiase to earn a top four finish. Kenichi’s performance with the Phobians and the resultant parting of ways became a major talking point which dominated the media landscape for weeks.
Soulama’s howler in the clash with Kotoko: I am sure this is a moment that both Hearts fans and Soulama Abdoulaye would not want to remember. It could happen in any game but not against sworn-rivals and that was the defining moment of the game. That was the only goal of the game. While some argue that it was a spiritual goal, others insisted Soulama could have done better. Wherever your argument lies is not the issue here but the fact that the howler became a major talking point in the media is. Interestingly, the howler dominated the media landscape, especially social media, for more than a week. I am very hopeful that Soulama was under a psychological trauma after the howler.
The rumour of Bashiru Hayford in a relationship with a player’s girlfriend and the performance of AshGold: Well the rumour of Bashiru Hayford in a relationship with a player’s girlfriend wouldn’t have been news but the corresponding effect on the performance of the team raised eyebrows. The rumour continued while the defending champion’s form kept dwindling. But the coach finally opened up on the case revealing that the said lady was his confidant and informant. So in the end, there was a relationship, whether it was amorous or platonic, only the principal actors could tell. This same rumour led to Joseph Ato Bissah being relegated to the bench while the team kept struggling. The Aboakese lads kept sinking in form while nobody could tell exactly what the problem was. Supporters then started agitating that the coach must be sacked to give the players the right mindset to play while others called for the said players to be axed from the team. Then came the coach’s call for a three month leave which was turned down by the management of the club. The happenings at AshGold caught the highlights because of their performance the previous season which saw them win the GPL for the first time in 19 years. Many had expected them to at least end the season in the top four as defending champions but their performance was not a replica of a top four club hence dominating the media landscape.
Aduana Stars’ poor start to the season: The 2009 champions were tipped by many to win the just ended league following the strategic signings and the availability of talent at their disposal. Their performance in the FirsTrust G6 Tournament sent signals that they were in for the league trophy but their start to the season was worrisome compelling many to question what the problem was. Remember they signed Bechem United’s best player in the previous season, Noah Martey, Joseph Addo and Richard Mpong joined from Kotoko and they also brought on WAFA’s magnificent midfielder Zakaria Mumuni. Yahaya Mohammed was set for the season as he couldn’t join them at the middle of the previous season. The team composition was superb and all expected them to be the title winner this season but their start was poor. Aduana Stars lost their opening league game by 2-0 to Inter Allies at Tema, lost by a lone goal to Wa All Stars in Dormaa and lost again to Techiman City at the Techiman Park. This was really worrying and was not astonishing to see their coach Nuru Amadu resigning after their opening two matches. Aduana Stars surely became the talking point in the opening league matches until the game was three weeks old.
By: Sheikh Tophic Sienu @desheikh1 on twitter