Ghana’s Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has issued a strong condemnation of the recent violent incidents at the Ampain AAK II Sports Arena, lambasting certain club owners and managers whom he described as “clueless about football.”
The incident, which occurred and brought the match to an abrupt end during a Ghana Premier League Matchweek 33 fixture over the weekend, saw chaotic scenes erupt after Nations FC challenged the referee’s decision to award a second questionable penalty to the home side.
The latest incident at Ampain adds to a growing list of violence-related setbacks in Ghana’s lower-tier football competitions. Analysts believe poor officiating, inadequate crowd control, and the win-at-all-costs mentality have all contributed to a volatile environment.
“I have been informed about the unfortunate incident, but I have not received the full briefing on the incident as to what went in and what was not done. However, investigations are ongoing, but it is unfortunate that we continue to have such situations,” the Minister told Sporty FM.
Minister Adams emphasized that club management must not be left in the hands of individuals whose only interest is short-term gain or personal prestige. According to him, football development suffers when administrators lack both technical knowledge and a vision for long-term sustainability.
“What must be done is to have proper education of the club owners, even before the fans.
"Some of the club owners seem not to be up to the task beyond owning the clubs. Some club managers are clueless about what football is all about. We need to spend time to deal with such a category of persons also, even before we talk to the fans, the officiating officials, and match commissioners," Adams added.
In the meantime, the GFA has announced that it is probing the incident that disrupted the match.
By: Pascal Amoah
