Ghana Premier League club Accra Lions FC has criticized the deteriorating situation of Ghanaian football, noting major concerns that endanger the sport's future.
The Capital-based club called the current scenario as a tipping point, pleading for immediate measures to restore professionalism, transparency, and sportsmanship in the domestic game.
The club's worries stem from what it describes as continuously deteriorating circumstances in the Ghana Premier League, which they feel is symptomatic of larger problems in Ghanaian football.
The Accra Lions also expressed displeasure with the league's lack of a sponsor and a broadcast rights contract, which they say undermines the league's credibility and appeal.
Below is ACCRA LIONS OFFICIAL STATEMENT
We owe it a duty to our fans, the football community and the public to express our concern about recent developments in the Ghanaian football landscape.
In our opinion, the results at the international level is a reflection of the development at the local level.
We are playing our fourth season in Ghana's top division and unfortunately we have to admit that the conditions are steadily deteriorating.
There is now no sponsor for the league, nor has a television contract been negotiated at this point.
How will the league ever acquire sponsors again if refereeing performances like yesterday's become the standard and any criticism is immediately sanctioned by the association?
Lots of incidents and happenings have gone unattended, an experience that has left us with more questions than answers.
Such tendencies continues to chip away every sense of the definition of the trust our esteemed fans and the public have reposed in us.
Ghana football is at a crossroads. If we want to get back to our old strength, it requires a minimum of integrity, professionalism, transparency and sportsmanship.
As the reigning runner-up of the Ghana Premier League we see it as our duty not to stand idly by.
We have consistently committed ourselves to working with young players and must be allowed to raise the question of whether the Ghana Premier League, as we are experiencing it these days, is a healthy environment for highly talented young players who should develop a proper sporting spirit and a winning mentality to make them internationally competitive.
We are determined to join whichever group or organization(s) to make the sport a clean one and better for healthy competition.
We have resolved to stand by the games principle of FairPlay and speak truth to power.
