Coach of zone two Division One League side Bibiani Gold Stars, Kobina Ammissah has called on all clubs playing in the Division One League (DOL) to gladly embrace the FA’s initiative to reduce the number of clubs clubs participating in the league from the current 48 to 18.
The Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) earlier this month, announced a decision to set up a 5-member committee for the implementation of the transitional provision the number of participating clubs in the National DOL. The decision has led to diverse opinions from officials of the DOL clubs – some speaking in favour of the initiative with others saying otherwise.
Latest person to add his voice to the argument is former Elmina Sharks coach Kobina Ammissah who is currently the head coach of Bibiani Gold Stars and he has gladly welcomed the initiative and called on everyone to do same. According to him, change is good and this initiative will bring development.
“At first after the division one league you play the middle league, that’s how we played till it got to a time and they changed to this current system”, Kobina Amissah explained, speaking to West Gold Radio. “This current system made everybody happy because then the frustrations in the middle league was too much – going for camping to play the middle league and a whole lot. So when they changed to this zonal system everybody became happy, now the same people who changed it from middle league to the zonal system that made everybody happy, the same people are telling us that they want to introduce 18 clubs league to make it national division one league, so why should we say that one is not good? The other one they brought was good but this one is not good? No it’s wrong”, he questioned.
He further urged the clubs to embrace anything that will bring development to the Ghanaian game. He insisted that change is good and that is the reason why FIFA itself has introduced lots of changes such as the introduction of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for checking legitimacy of goals scored and increment of substitutions in a game from 3 to 5.
“We have to embrace anything that will develop our game. We have to know that change is good, one may say not all changes are good but change is good that is why [during a football match] when you realise things are not going on well then you effect a change from the bench. The person who comes on from the bench brings in new things to enhance the chances of the team that is why in the wisdom of FIFA they said let’s effect three changes (substitutions), even as at now FIFA has introduced a new law – they said we will make 5 changes and it’s all good. Now they’ve brought VAR, you can score a goal then they review it if it’s not a legitimate goal they rule it out, so changes brings development to everything you do and that’s why I personally support that 18-club league”, he explained.
Coach Kobina Amissah further stated, that reducing the number of the clubs from 48 to 18 will make it easy to attract sponsorships for the league hence the sizeable number. He called on the FA to implement the newly proposed initiative and start it as soon as from the 2020/2021 football season. To him, there’ll be oppositions but the FA should remain firm and make it a reality.
