Osei Palmer defends GFA’s decision to start Premier League in AFCON period

Ghana FA Executive Committee member, Wilfred Kwaku Osei Palmer has defended the FA’s decision to kick start the 2014/2015 Ghana Premier League on the opening day of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, stating that the nation’s football governing body had to adhere to some provisions in the contracts of the sponsors of the domestic top flight.

The widely held view amongst pundits is that the unattractiveness of the local league will make it difficult to compete with the AFCON 2015 over patronage and match attendance during the continental tournament’s 23-day period.

“We have signed a deal with Supersport for TV rights and First Capital Plus, the league’s headline sponsor and it is stated in the contracts that there are certain deadlines that we have to meet as an FA and we can’t risk losing all the sponsors,” Osei Palmer told Montie FM.

“Our Premier League wasn’t supposed to start this month but in September last year but because of the court case we are in the AFCON month. But, the question is, do we wait for the AFCON to end before we start out league for 2014/2015?” the Black Satellites Management Committee Chairman added.

The Equatorial Guinea 2015 tournament will run for three weeks and will cover six match-days in the Ghana Premier League, with the final of the continental championship being played on the same day as Ghana’s El Clasico between Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak in Kumasi on February 8.

There are fears that Kotoko’s epic clash with Hearts at the Baba Yara Stadium could fail to attract a high turn out if the Black Stars manage to sail through to the final of the AFCON 2015.