Special Competition: NC congratulates Kotoko, Karela for reaching finals

The GFA Normalization Committee has congratulated Kumasi Asante Kotoko for emerging as winners of the N.C Special Competition-Tier1 semi final match.

The NC has also commended Accra Hearts of Oak for contributing to the display of buoyancy and football mastery exhibited on the pitch.

The massive attendance and roaring chants of supporters from both teams were reminiscent of the glory days when Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak were the citadel of Ghana football.

Your hard fought victory over Hearts of Oak in the semi final of the NC special competition re-echoes your Motto: ‘WOKUM APEM A APEM BEBA’, which literally translates: you do not give up.

Indeed Accra Hearts of Oak almost invoked the famous PHOOOOBIA spirit by converting a penalty in the dying embers of the game.

However, Kotoko were unyielding until the last penalty kick to claim victory.

We are of the belief that Kotoko and Hearts will continue to act as torch-bearers in our forward march towards the renaissance of domestic football.

The GFA-NC seizes this opportunity to also commend FIFA referee, George Vormawah for an excellent job done.



His performance was a proof that Ghana still boast of some quality referees who would deliver quality results given the right support.

The leadership of the GFA-NC is proud to have removed all bottlenecks to ensure this game was played.

In a related development,, the GFA-NC has also congratulated Karela FC on their hard fought 1-0 victory over Ashantigold SC to set up a mouth watering clash of football philosophies with Asante Kotoko.

We thank the football public for their continuous support towards the work of the Normalization Committee.

A CRITICAL HURDLE CROSSED

Although the NC Special competition has been fraught with challenges and frustrations, we must also be quick to point out some pleasing developments; in particular, the gamemanship at the final whistle where players and officials congratulated each other.

This trickled right down to supporters with comportment of both sets of fans at the Accra sports stadium thanks largely to the joint military and police security exercise.

This cooperation and sportsmanship is what the NC has has been drumming home from the pitch, through commentary, to the terraces and unto the streets - football must always be a unifier and must remain the beautiful game.



The National Sports Authority (NSA) deserves special mention on their detailed preparations to host the arch rivals.

With consistency, the NC is confident that potential sponsors and partners of Ghana football would take note of the measures that were meticulously put in place to ensure a smooth and incident free match. Not only this, both teams would be in a good financial state to reward the players and officials appropriately.

The NC applauds the media for their efforts with detailed and professional analysis in the days leading up to the semi final including their treatment of "differences with percentage" of gate proceeds.

The wider media through traditional and social media platforms ensured that the NC Special Competition stayed relevant and trending.

Since it's formation, the NC has reiterated that the ongoing normalization of the game is not merely seasonal, but would continue long after it hands over the reformed template to run Ghana football.

The NC's target is that Kotoko and Hearts should not be an exception but the norm in terms of average match patronage, media coverage and general high standards.

The professional football protocol that would help raise Ghana football to the highest levels possible would become a reality when all stake holders join together to forge ahead for a common purpose.

The NC has also taken note of feedback from various quarters regarding the televised game which has received positive reviews per the general coverage by a production team whose composition was 100% Ghanaians. Our television right owners, GBC ensured that domestic football got to every television household in Ghana.

This is also very welcome news since the improvement of Ghana football must be wholesale and must be reflected through every single branch of the game.