The race is not for the swift
The Ghana Premier League seems to be generating a wonderful interest which we believe will pass as one of the best over the years. I must say it is as a result of the efforts of all stakeholders who spent time to ensure the official take-off on February 20, 2016 when there was still some doubts as to its commencement.
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Who did not hear the rumour that there was an injunction to stop it all, and then the threat that some of the clubs would start with the powers unprecedented in the annals of the game? Some claimed that their approach was going to be too dreadful to contain, and by the 10th week, the winner would be declared.
There were concerns also about lack of sponsorship, but as at now we do not seem to be worried over the sponsorship, like what happened in the last season when the First Capital Plus Bank (now Capital Bank) placed themselves in a position to help the clubs cater for their finances, at least half-way. But then the activities are showing such incredible success as the passion gets greater.
It must be noted that the two biggest and most glamorous clubs of the nation, Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko are leaving no stone unturned to maintain their leadership, no matter which clubs would raise their heads to challenge them.
Indeed, new faces like Ashgold, Chelsea, New Edubiase, Aduana Stars and lately West Africa Football Association (WAFA) have come to pose some threat to the traditional clubs who are on record as the only ones who have maintained their presence since the modern national league was re-organised in the early days of independence in 1957.
Really, others have come to pose some challenges, but have fallen back, talking about hard-working Great Ashantis, Cornerstone, Cape Coast Venomous Vipers, Eastern Rovers, Abuakwa Susubiribi, Harbour City, Swedru Fankobaa, All Blacks, Independent, Standfast, Adansiman, Voradep, Ahorsu, Volta Heroes and a few others.
These clubs produced some highly talented players the nation can hardly forget, yet since the race is not always for the swift, others had to come up for reckoning but could not survive, giving way to other new faces to this point, where we are having a close look at newly-promoted Dreams FC and Techiman City who are shaking the airwaves. Yes, the young clubs are giving every indication that they have come to stay in the premiership.
This is a particular season all concerned must wake to ask whether our football is growing to the highest level as we are trumpeting and whether we can boast of giving others in other countries a run for their money. In fact, there are still some clubs who are waiting on the fringes to return to the premiership, and whether we like it or not, the challenge is on, no matter what is happening now.
Remember that it was almost impossible to think that clubs like Great Olympics, Real Tamale United, Kumasi King Faisal, Sekondi Eleven Wise, Kumasi Cornerstone, Kpandu Heart of Lions, Tema Youth, St Mirren, Amidaus, Berekum Arsenal would climb to the top and fall back to where they are now working so hard to return to where they belong.
If you watch what is happening in the MTN FA Cup challenges, you will see that there are clubs who are seriously looking forward to return to the elite division, and they are still fighting to maintain their standards.
Of course, after Match Day Six of the current premiership, you and I can attest to the fact that things are not working well for Asante Kotoko who initially made claim to pick the title after the tenth week, having made the best of recruitment for the new season.
In my last contribution in this column, I pleaded with followers of the club to exercise some restraint and find a real solution to their current problems to avoid falling into the temptation of blaming everything on the management and coach David Duncan.
We, however, woke up to be greeted with the news that the coach had been asked to step aside, and that can be interpreted in several ways. Is it not premature for Kotoko to draw that conclusion on the man who took over from Mas Ud Didi Dramani. Well, after all the advice, it was reported that Duncan had been asked to step aside, something which indicated that what some of the supporters complained about and suggested had been implemented by the management.
To Duncan, it sounded like a big joke, as at Tuesday morning, he was insisting that "stepping aside" was not part of the contract he signed with Kotoko, and that he was still in charge. But the funniest part of the matter was that while he had instructed his playing body to meet him at Adako Jaachie for training, the management had directed the team to meet and train at the Baba Yara Stadium under the supervision of assistant coach Michael Osei.
This is an unfortunate drama that must not be the lot of a club like Kotoko, and interestingly at the same time, Hearts fans were checking up whether they were dreaming after having been drilled from pillar to post by Wa All Stars last Sunday at the Accra Sports Stadium.
As we all know, it is when things are going well with the two glamorous clubs that we can claim our football is making a headway. In other words no one can convince anybody that we are enjoying a good football looking at the way Aduana Stars treated Kotoko at Dormaa Ahenkro and Hearts were put in their proper place in Accra.
In fact, Kotoko have all sort of headache to battle with while Hearts fans anger at officials at the Accra Stadium last Sunday left much to be desired, and can create all sorts of problems for the club who have just found their winning mentality. This is a game that calls for patience even in the face of the worst provocation.
I believe Hearts know that the race is not for the swift and at any time one could falter and lose some points as they went ahead in their championship drive. Indeed if you ask me, I would say that the two big clubs are not far from danger and will need some serious prayers right from now, but for Kotoko to go to relegation, it is not worth the time discussing it! It is simply impossible!