Ghana's Presidential advisor on Health explains why ban was lifted on football

Ghana's Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare has revealed why government considered lifting the ban on all contact sports to allow football to restart amid the Coronavirus pandemic.

Football activities had been suspended by the government since March due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus in the country.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his 17th address on easing of restrictions announced the return of football activities next month.

According to Dr. Nsiah Asare, the decision by the President to lift the ban and allow the safe return of football centred on the low infection rate of the virus, businesses of the club owners and among others.

"The President wants us to go back slowly to the normal state. We have been easing the restrictions strategically in order not to experience any bad thing", he told Hello FM.

“Football is all that the football people have got, that’s their work so they cannot camp players and feed them without working for them. You know worldwide people are playing too. In some countries, the supporters are allowed into the stadiums and vice-versa. We lifted the ban on churches and nothing happened as well. Students were going to school and commercial vehicles were loading to full capacity."

“We thought about what could be done to help that running football to start the game since that’s their source of living and we knew about some international games as well. We allowed the national team’s involved to start training after testing and nothing happened."

“But they were to made aware that they will strictly adhere to all the protocols."

“With regard to the supporters going to the various stadia, we realise that the clubs will suffer a lot if they are to play in empty stadiums so we agreed to the social distancing arrangement."

“So we considered all those factors and we were convinced that the ban on football should be lifted ”, he added.

Ghanaian clubs have already commenced training after a six-months break which led to the cancellation of the 2019/20 football season.

The new season is expected to begin in November, the Ghana FA has announced.