Ibard Ibrahim, a security analyst, has opposed calls to suspend the ongoing Ghana Premier League due to various acts of hooliganism reported at some game venues.
Instead of a total suspension, he proposed enhanced security measures for the league’s remaining games.
Irbard Ibrahim believes that suspending the league will have an impact on the brand and cause issues with sponsorship and game attendance.
He has therefore admonished the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to work in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service and other stakeholders to address the challenge.
In an interview with Rainbow Sports, Irbard Ibrahim stated that “the GFA, the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, and the National Sports should work together to design enhanced security arrangements for match venues.” However, I would not call for the league’s suspension. We’re already in training. The Ghana Premier League competes but lags behind the EPL and other international leagues. We are seeing some improvements, and suspending the league will affect the brand. While we deal with the hooliganism that has marred some games recently, the league can continue”.
He stated that hooliganism poses a threat to finding sponsors, and that authorities must devise strategies to address the situation.
”We are already struggling to find headline sponsors. Sponsors do not renew their sponsorship agreements. That is a major threat. Football is a huge business. It is a revenue generator. If you look at how much money has been invested in the EPL, you will notice that it can compete with, if not outperform, the GDP of some countries. So, as Ghanaians, we should not pass up this opportunity. If you do things well, you will get sponsors.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
