OUR LEAGUE... Hoping for the best

IT was a good weekend for some clubs and as usual disappointment for others. Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Liberty Professionals, Tema Youth and Kessben FC got off to very bright starts. Even though I will commit some of my time to comment the good work being done by Kessben FC at Abramkese, I will move straight to my main topic for today. On “Flash Point” this week, I would like to discuss the FA Legal Committee's advice to the FA not to sanction the registration of Baba Adamu, popularly known as “Baba Armando” who has signed for Premiership side Kumasi Asante Kotoko. This is a player who was part of the national team at the African Cup of Nations in Egypt and was also part of the World Cup squad that was put on the stand by list. For some time now, a lot of football loving Ghanaians have been clamouring for the call up of Armando into the Black Stars to justify himself. In a recent press confab by Black Stars coach, he (Claude Le Roy) said that Ghanaians should wait for the national championship to start for him to see the player. But let's all be honest with ourselves.

The Government of Ghana has spent millions of dollars in preparation to host the rest of Africa in the Cup of Nations in January and the country needs every good player who can contribute his quota in annexing the trophy. Though that is not to say all Ghanaian players will have to be on the pitch. After reading the FA Legal Committee's response to Kotoko and why the player cannot be registered, I wondered who will ever qualify for “the exceptional circumstance” clause in this country. Would it not only be fair to encourage great players who would want to re-launch their careers to come back home and do so? Already, the standard of our league is so low that the best player in our league last year doesn't even merit a selection to the Black Stars. Skilled and gifted players like Armando are needed in our league to help the standard of play. It was very wrong for the FA not to have registered Charles Taylor & Ishmael Addo and it's wrong now. Many people want to know Kotoko's basis in their submissions to the FA before they make their comments but I believe it shouldn't matter if we consider the fact that the registration period was for only 10 days before the commencement of the league. Let's try to see this thing in a more football related manner. The FA Legal Committee wasn't even aware that registration for the league was opened for 10 days. (They stated one month in their letter). This issue should be dealt with well by the FA because the player can be useful to our senior national team who lack potent strikers. Is it not only fair to register the player so that it will give the coach the chance to see the player whose name has been mentioned for more than 20 times in various press conferences? The FA should think again.

A VISIT TO ABRAMKESE : I paid a visit to the newly built 15,000 capacity Anane Boateng Stadium by Kessben FC which is almost near the completion state at Abramkese on the Lake Bosomtwe road, about 25minutes drive from Kumasi and was really impressed. Even though works have not been completed, Kessben FC have shown that it doesn't take any miracle to build a stadium. Ashgold and Liberty showed the way and Kessben FC have followed suit. There were a lot of supporters who were also wearing replica shirts of the club and asked why some of our bigger clubs can't do this. On the game itself, I think Kessben FC have a lot of work to do on their team as they did not play very well.

REFEREEING : Glady for us, no referee has been cited for poor performance by any club and with this we should be encouraging them in giving us a good officiating this season. For Coach David Duncan to lose against Tema Youth and praise a referee (Cecil Fletcher) is a clear indication.