Sleeping Giants: 5 Ghanaian clubs that have lost their mojo now

Football clubs like every product go through phases of introduction, growth, maturity and of course decline.

The maturity stage is obviously the highest point in a club’s history where trophies are won, popularity soars and a group of people who are referred to die-hard fans are discovered.

If you are a fan of a club, this is the period you cherish most. Each game day is anticipated with great excitement because you know at the end of the day, three points will be bagged and your team will be on the winning side.

Again, at this stage, top players find a home at your club and their goals become your source of happiness.

After this phase cometh the more depressing stage where trophies become extinct, players reach the twilight of their careers and consistent victories turn into consistent defeats.

It’s a difficult period to be a fan at this point. Your only source of comfort is a recollection of the glory days which by the kind courtesy of youtube are just a click away.

In this situation, if a club is not humble enough to accept its fallen standards and find ways of reinventing itself, chances are that the club’s fortunes will plummet to unwanted levels and it will become a pale shadow of itself.

Some Ghanaians clubs are victims of this. From their once invincible status, they now have become lowly-rated clubs who are wallowing in the abys of Ghana football or in the trenches of top tier football.

Below are a few of the clubs

Sekondi Hasaacas

‘In Sekondi when we score, we don’t shout goaaall, we say dooooooo’. If you’ve ever followed football in the Western Region or crossed paths with a native of Sekondi-Takoradi, you would have heard this statement.

Hasaacas at some point were the symbol of pride for most Western Region folks. With their green and white stripped jerseys they entertained people and won trophies.

It was the time, the tag Giant of the West made sense but these days, the Hasmal Boys are nowhere to be found in Ghana’s top league.

Since their relegation five years ago, Hasaacas have been trying without success to return to the top flight.

The 1977 league champions have been overtaken by Karela, Medeama and even Nzema Kotoko as the Western Region’s top teams.

Sekond XI Wise

‘The Western Show Boys’ have been ‘no show’ for God knows how long. Ackah Blay Miezah’s Eleven Wise are roaming the bushes of Ghana football with absolutely no sign of a renaissance.

Wallowing in the third tier of Ghana football, Eleven Wise are yet to show any sign of the team that made Western Region proud.

The team that created a rivalry with Hasaacas has been away from the Ghana Premier League since 2010 and there is no reason for fans to think their fortunes will be improving soon.

Great Olympics

They have more nicknames than trophies. They have an uncanny knack for shooting themselves in the foot whenever they are in the Ghana Premier League.

When they are down in Division One, they find their unity, mobilize resources and stage comebacks but once they get back to the topflight, the old problems show their ugly heads.

Fans against players, fans against board members, coaches versus players, oh Oly Gbogbo!!

For a team that prides itself as the landlords of Accra, the gap between them and ‘tenants’ Accra Hearts of Oak has never gotten any closer despite the latter not doing well themselves lately.

Olympics were once great. In 1970 and 1974, they won the league and their contribution to Ghana football cannot be overlooked but they should be doing better than they are doing now.

King Faisal

Alhaji Grusah’s King Faisal. Sammy Kuffour, Shilla Illiasu are just two of the many successful players who have passed through the King Faisal system.

Grusah has done an outstanding job for Ghana football but the days when King Faisal was a decent team that won’t just challenge for titles but also not struggle with demotion appears to be history.

These days, they are usually seen in the bottom half of the league table, fighting to keep themselves in the league. They’ve rarely been successful.

Okwahu United

Kwahuman’s very own ‘Asaase aban, yenta gyae’, Okwahu United’s days of being a force in the Ghana League are long gone.

A team that has been alternating between the care of wealthy men has seen no success in a long while.

Occasional strides in the cup competition serve as a reminder of what used to be a solid club but not enough to get them to where they deserve.

Instead, they are known for the rowdiness of their fans and that infamous match-fixing scandal with Nania FC which many say was the beginning of the end of the once-famous club.