FOOTBALL IS BACK!: 2020/21 Ghana Premier League & Division One League To Start On October 30

The 2020/21 Ghana Premier League and Division One League will return on October 30, President Akufo-Addo has announced on Sunday.

This was made known in the President 17th address of the nation on the measures taken against the spread of the coronavirus.

“With respect to football, after due consultations with the Ghana Football Association, it has been decided that the Ghana Premier League and the Division One Football League will restart on Friday, 30th October, with a full regime of testing of the players, technical and management staff”, he stated.

The president further revealed that the various match venues will be allowed to admit spectators for up to 25% of the capacity of the facility.

“No spectators will be allowed at the training centres, and, when actual competition resumes, seating at all stadia will be limited to twenty-five percent (25%) capacity to ensure social distancing.

"Wearing of masks by spectators at stadia will be mandatory. The restart of all other sporting competitions will be determined on a case-by-case basis, pending consultations between the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the respective sport associations,” he added.

The 2019/20 football season came to a halt in mid-March following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

Ghana government as part of the strategic ways to avoid the spread of the coronavirus in the sports industry lifted the restrictions on non-contact sports not long ago while allowing the Black Starlets, Satellites, and the Maidens to resume training ahead of their respective CAF and FIFA assignments.

Speaking during his COVID-19 update, President Nana Addo announced that the resumption of the 2020/21 Ghana Premier League and the Division One League will restart on Friday 30th October, 2020.

Football-related activities were banned in March 2020 following the outbreak of the coronavirus.

However, the Ghana football association (GFA), set a tentative date in October to the start of the 2020/2021 campaign with a zonal format insight, and with this latest announcement, the football governing body is expected to make a definite decision on the next football term.

Th 2020/21 Ghana Premier League will be played in two zones i.e, Northern and Southern Zone.

Meanwhile, Asante Kotoko and Ashgold will represent the country in this year's Caf Champions League and Caf Confederations Cup campaign.