December 18 postponement; a blessing for Ghana Premier League

The biggest sports news (football specifically) now has to do with the fallout from Ghana Football Association’s (GFA) decision to replace Dreams FC with Tema Youth in the new season thanks to a ruling in favor of the latter. The decision comes after months of legal tussles that had the case heard by the various legal and quasi-legal bodies of the nation’s governing body moving all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), who ruled in favor of Tema Youth. That led to last night’s ground breaking decision.

On the other hand, the Ghana Premier League 2016-2017 season has been scheduled to kick off on December 18 after the fast tracked 2015-2016 season came to a close with Wa All Stars winning it all. Thanks to a myriad of issues including the aforementioned point and the fact that the GFA needs more time to hammer out tiny details on its new TV deal with Chinese Media Company StarTimes, reports have gained ground about the imminent postponement of the new season’s start.

Selling media rights to cover basically all GFA sanctioned games in Ghana to the Chinese firm for $17.95 million close to the supposed start of the new season certainly requires officials and other stakeholders to deliberate on issues that may crop up years down the line of what is an unusually long deal. My qualms about that provision will be put together very soon so watch this space but any talk of the deal getting finalized in 17 days isn’t realistically feasible. Seeing recent events unfold in the manner they have, I am a firm believer, the 2016-2017 GPL (because there still isn’t a headline sponsor) season will not start on December 18.

Starting the new season close to Christmas is easily the best way to get things kicking in a league struggling to get back to its more popular years of old. However, failing to start the season at that time stands to create more benefits to the league and its stakeholders than problems.

First of all, starting the league in say, February, allows for all lingering cases to be put to bed without any revisits during the season. The ruling has been passed on Tema Youth’s tussle with Dreams but from all indications that battle is far from over. Going ahead to start the new season without tying all loose ends could open Pandora’s Box of injunctions and hold ups.

As optimistic as Ghanaians always are, let’s just say Dreams agree to play in Division One next season without a fight, would the GFA address the other pertinent legal squabbles involving Techiman City and Berekum Chelsea and between Bolga All-Stars, B.A. United and Wamanfo Mighty Royals in time? Even with clear and damning evidence of bribery involving Bolga and B.A., GFA’s legal units have thus far been slow-footed on passing judgment on the case anyway.

Playing the league at a later date also serves to avoid problems that may arise from Ghana’s impending elections. On December 7, easily the most peaceful West African country and definitely one of the most peaceful in Africa, will hold what easily passes as one of the most keenly contested Presidential and Parliamentary elections. The election day’s proximity to the league’s start breeds problems as results from the count are expected after two or three days at best. What this effectively means is, should there be a run off (which looks very possible), the next phase of voting would ultimately dislodge the scheduled kickoff date.

There is also the issue of the African Cup of Nations which will take place in Gabon in January and concludes in early February to deal with. At the time the AFCON is in full swing, the young season is likely to suffer from little publicity as the country’s eyes would be on the Black Stars performance at the tournament. The league’s low popularity has also been pointed out above, so heckling it with a tournament of prime importance to Ghanaians, is a death trap for the local competition. Conversely, playing the league in February eliminates all these unwanted eventualities and puts much premium on the league and its new partner, StarTimes.

Lastly, commencing the new season weeks after December 18 would give teams more time to prepare for the challenge ahead and basically make for an exciting and enthralling competition as teams get to spend more time going over tactics with players (old and new). In what looked like a turbo charged walk through last season, players surely must be fatigued from the huge number of games played in little time last season. Extending their rest period will benefit them a lot as the extra time off the pitch reduces the risk of injuries too.

Some quarters will call for it, others may clamor for it but ultimately, moving 2016-2017 GPL start from December to the first third of the new year would be best serve all.