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09.05.2007 Football News

Uncertainty Over Top 4?

09.05.2007 LISTEN
By Daily Graphic

This year's Top 4 competition appears to be heading for a standoff as two of the participants have already handed the competition its first major hiccup.

The Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA), the organisers, have fixed the competition for the end of this month and had accordingly written to the four clubs — Accra Hearts of Oak, Ashantigold, Asante Kotoko and Kpando Heart of Lions — to confirm their participation.

Daily Graphic has learnt that only two clubs,Hearts of Oak and Kpandu Heart of Lions, have declared their readiness to participate, even though the others have up to the close of today to confirm their participation.

But the posturing of Ashgold is indicative that the competition could be running into organisational problems.

Mr Kudjoe Fianoo, the CEO of Ashgold, said his outfit in a letter to the organisers had raised three issues crucial to their participation.

The issues, according to him, concern the venues for the matches and challenged the decision of the organisers to use Cape Coast and Sunyani for the matches.

Secondly, he is demanding full disclosure of the package for the tournament, arguing that his club was against any venture that would compel them to pay bonuses from their coffers.

Aside that, Fianoo is contesting the decision to engage in a competition whose objective is to prepare teams for Africa at this stage when the continental competition is eight months away.

He argued further that the new soccer calendar which has been adopted by the FA completely renders the Top 4 irrelevant.

“There are even strong indications that the teams which qualify will augment their teams with new signings which normally add attractions to the competition”, he stated

Story by Andy Quao

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