The founder and president of Phar Rangers Football Club, Nana Yaw Amponsah has disclosed that he did not agree with the government’s and Ghana Football Association’s directive (GFA) for football clubs to break camp as part of measures to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to him, the directive from the government and GFA rather put players at risk of contracting the virus.
He stated this in a special COVID-19 sports event on Happy 98.9FM with Ohene Brenya Bampoe dubbed; ‘Effects of COVID-19 on Football Clubs in Ghana.’ “I was not happy when we were asked to break camp because we were uncertain of the fate of some of the boys and that was sad. But I had to obey the directive because it was from the gov’t and subsequently followed by another from the GFA.”
Explaining his stance further, the player intermediary noted that some of the players had issues when it came to accommodation and shelter and mostly had a place to lay their heads only when they were at the camp. “Some of these boys don’t even have anywhere to go when the football season ends and still stay at the camp,” he noted.
He added that it was sometimes difficult for some of these players to fend for themsleves. And with them now out of the clubs jurisdiction, the players in their attempt to survive could possibly contract their virus.
Regardless of it costing more for Nana Yaw Amponsah to have camped his players during this period of the pandemic, he was willing to do so to “monitor and keep his players safe.”
The government of Ghana in March placed a ban on all social gatherings including sporting activities to stem the further spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Virtual discussion on the ‘Effects of COVID-19 on Football Clubs in Ghana was hosted by Happy 98.9 FM and had a varied number of football club administrators participating.
Participants included; Founder of Tema Youth Football Club, Wilfred Osei Palmer, Founder of Planners Athletic Club, George Afriyie, Hillary Boateng the Chairperson for the Ghana Women’s League , Frederick Moore, MD of Accra Hearts of Oak and George Amoako, CEO of Asante Kotoko.
By: Joel Sanco
