Artificial pitches ‘easiest’ but not the ‘best’ – CK Akunnor

Assistant Black Stars coach, Charles Kwablan Akunnor has backed up Sammy Kuffour’s claim that artificial pitches are not ideal for footballers.

The former Bayern Munich defender on Wednesday questioned the government’s decision to construct artificial pitches instead of natural ones.

Kuffour, at a press conference organized by StarTimes criticized the ‘one constituency one astroturf initiative of the government, insisting the synthetic grasses cause injuries and are not conducive for professional football.

"Now we have AstroTurf coming to Ghana. Is it good for our football? For me, I think it's not the best for our kids, how many of them would get injuries in the Achilles, injury problems everywhere because of AstroTurf.

"German people have stopped using AstroTurfs; Europeans have stopped using astroturfs. So, why are we just so much concerned bringing AstroTurfs here, it doesn't help us. The technical abilities that the young ones need to train it doesn't go with the AstroTurf".

Speaking to journalists on the final day of the StarTimes Bundesliga school, CK Akunnor backed his former teammate.

Unlike Kuffour who rubbished the idea of artificial pitches, Akunnor said that government’s decision to adopt that type of grass is because it lacks the money to maintain the natural grass.

In his defence of Kuffour’s claim, Akunnor stated that he made those comments because research has proven that artificial pitches are not good for professional football.

“Probably he (Sammy Kuffour) said that because it has been made clear that when you have astro the injuries are high. Nowadays what they are doing is a mixture of the astro and natural grass so it is improving. Artificial pitches are the easiest ones but not the best. That’s why probably he said it”.