Issah Ahmed - Lucrative remuneration only way to keep players in the Ghana Premier League

Published on: 12 June 2020

Former Asante Kotoko SC and Black Stars defender Issah Gabriel Ahmed says good remuneration will enable players stay put in the Ghana Premier League.

The country is experiencing mass player exodus as numerous number of talented footballers exit the local scene for greener environment after just a season or two.

The 38-year-old who hanged his boots in 2015 says players in the Ghana league must earn lucrative salaries in order to keep them on the domestic scene.

Ahmed was a pillar in defence in the Ghana top-tier in the early 2000’s whilst playing for Asante Kotoko SC, Great Olympics and Dawu Youngsters.

"It will be very hard for me to advice any player right now, I wouldn’t ask any player to stick to a club when he gets a chance to move outside but if we want our league to be much better… and I am not talking about Kotoko, I am talking about general issue," he said on GTV Sport Plus.

"If we want our league to be much better and pull out crowds like we did from the 90’s to the 20’s then players need to be paid better and then keep them for a long time in the country. That is where supporters will have believe in them to come to the stadium and watch them.

"If you look at our days, Hearts of Oak supporters coming to the stadium knew they had somebody like Adjah Tetteh, Don Bortey, they had a whole lots of players, same thing to Kotoko, a fan coming to the stadium knows am coming to watch Yusif Chibsah, he knows he is going to watch Charles Taylor, Issah Ahmed, Stephen Oduro. The names goes on and on and that is what he had during our time."

The centre back who also played for Danish side Randers FC was a member of the Ghana squad in their maiden FIFA World Cup appearance in 2006 in Germany.

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