President Akufo-Addo hints of football resuming

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his 16th Address to the Nation on measures taken to combat the spread of COVID-19 in the country has hinted on the possible resumption of contact sports including football, pending the lifting of an imposed ban.

Speaking in a televised address on Sunday, August 30, 2020, the president said “In the next couple of weeks, a decision will also be taken on the resumption of contact sports, including football, taking into consideration the imminent participation of our national teams in international competitions.”

Touting himself as a known lover of the game of football, the president acknowledged the devastation the absence of the game has caused and shared his hope that the Ghanaian population will have the pleasure to enjoy playing and watching football in the country again.

“As a known lover of football, I know how devastating its absence has been, and it is my hope that very soon we will all have the pleasure of playing and watching the beautiful game again. Until then, non-contact sports are the only sporting events permitted to take place. Beaches, pubs, cinemas and nightclubs are still to remain closed until further notice. All other institutions that have been cleared to function are to continue to do so in strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocols,” the president said.

The government of Ghana over the period since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, instituted a ban on various public and social activities mainly aimed at reducing human contact and promoting social distancing.

However, in a way to bring life back to some level of normalcy as the country’s number of cases continues to witness a decline, government keeps revising the imposed restrictions.

In the Sunday address, the president announced the reopening of the Kotoka International Airport KIA) for the arrival and departure of international flights.

The reopening which takes effect on Tuesday September 1, 2020 will allow passengers to come in and go out of the country through KIA.

As a way of preventing the spread of COVID-19 in this situation, all passengers will be required to take a rapid test to prove their COVID-19 status at the airport.

The country’s land and sea borders, according to the president, still remains closed.