Supporters of Accra Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko have been granted and increased number of spectators to attend the Ghana Premier League (GPL) week 7 outstanding match at the Accra Sports stadium, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has announced on Friday.
Throughout the 17 Match Weeks of the 2021/2022 GPL season, spectators have been under an imposed 25% capacity at the various stadia as a result of covid-19 issues, and fans and stakeholders have indignantly expressed displeasure at the limitation. The move was a move to ensure that social distancing as part of the covid-19 prevention protocols are enhanced, but fans believe that having taken the vaccines and still wearing nose masks, the restriction was no longer necessary.
Ahead of Sunday’s clash between Ghana’s biggest football clubs Accra Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko, the GFA in consultation with the National Sports Authority (NSA) the Ministry of Youth and Sports as well as the Ghana Health Service and the Covid-19 Taskforce, have cleared the way to relax the restriction, paving way for increased number of spectators to attend the biggest club football game on the calendar of the GFA.
“The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has received clearance for the Ghana Premier League Matchday 7 outstanding match between Hearts of Oak SC and Asante Kotoko SC to be played with an increased capacity at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Following consultations between the GFA, the Ministry of Youth & Sports, the National Sports Authority with the Ghana Health Service and the Covid-19 Taskforce, permission has been granted for the Clubs to play in an increased number of spectators”, the GFA has announced.
However, the GFA has been silent on what capacity or percentage of attendance would be allowed. The statement by the GFA failed to confirm whether the Accra sports stadium would be filled up to its full capacity of the 40,000. The FA however confirmed that that “more tickets will be available to supporters at the sale centres and at the Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday and Sunday”.
According to the GFA, “The Ghana Health Service will also mount vaccination centres to offer free COVID-19 vaccination to spectators and the general public”.
