Sports News of 2026-09-01
'Poor pitches undermine football entertainment' – Erik Tinkler
Asante Kotoko head coach Erik Tinkler has defended his concerns about the quality of football pitches in Ghana, insisting that his comments are not an excuse for poor results but a genuine concern about the quality of football being produced.
Speaking to 3Sports, Tinkler said football is about entertaining fans and argued that poor playing surfaces make it difficult for teams to produce attractive football.
I can't teach the players on poor pitches - Tinkler Slams Ghana’s stadiums
“Football is about entertainment. People want to come to the stadiums and be entertained,” Tinkler said.
He questioned how teams could entertain supporters when the pitch does not allow them to play their preferred style.
“How are you going to be entertained when the pitch is not in good condition?” he asked.
Tinkler said poor pitches could force teams to abandon possession-based football and resort to long balls simply because the playing surface does not allow them to play on the ground.
“How are you going to be entertained if we go back to the old-school English football where we're just playing long balls because the pitch only allows us to do that?” he said.
The Kotoko coach stressed that his concerns were not about finding excuses for losing matches but about creating an environment that encourages quality football and attracts supporters to stadiums.
“We want to entertain. We want to play a brand of football that is entertaining, that's going to bring fans to the stadiums,” he said.
Tinkler also linked the quality of playing fields to player development, particularly for Ghanaian players hoping to earn moves to clubs in Europe.
“We want to develop players that we can move into Europe,” he said, questioning how young players can reach the required level without access to suitable playing surfaces.
“How are those players going to be able to reach the level they need if they don't have playing fields that are suitable for them to reach those levels? That's just a fact,” he added.
Tinkler also dismissed criticism from social media users, saying he deliberately stays away from social media because of the negativity surrounding it.
“I stay away from it because I know there's only just going to be bad comments and bad opinions,” he said.
“Football is about entertainment. How are you going to entertain if the pitches are not in good conditions?”
Asante Kotoko head coach Erik Tinkler responds to Maxwell Konadu and Karim Zito’s comments. pic.twitter.com/JmK9B9meiC
— Owuraku Ampofo (@_owurakuampofo) September 1, 2026
PAH/MA
