GFA wants Gov’t to employ Premier League players

Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association, Ibrahim Sannie Daara, insists the only way to keep Ghana Premier League players from joining foreign clubs is for the government to employ them.

Mass player exodus has been blamed for the dwindling standards in the league.

A good number of last season’s top performers have left the country for places such as Iraq, Libya, Tanzania and Egypt.

It is a trend that has denied the league of its top talents which pundits argue has affected the quality of the competition.

Players such as Kwame Kizito (Libya), Thomas Abbey (Egypt), Stephen Sarfo (Egypt), Samuel Sarfo (Iraq), Majeed Ashimeru (Austria), Isaac Twum (Norway), Joseph Paintsil (Hungary), Ahmed Toure (Cote d’Ivoire) have all left the country after emerging as some of the best performers from last season’s Ghana Premier League.

And Sannie believes and the only way to keep players in the league is if government adopts some clubs and pay their players instead.

“I brought this proposal of us getting governement to someway somehow to get the security forces to employ some of these players,” Mr. Daara told Accra-based Class FM.

“If you go to Ethiopia, apart from St. George’s, the rest of the clubs are all government-backed. If you go to Zambia, it’s the same.”

Back in the 80’s and 90’s, companies such as Akosombo Textiles (Akotex FC), Electricity Company of Ghana (Power FC), Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, all used to finance football clubs but have since given up, leading to the collapse of their associate football teams.

–