Ibrahim Sannie Daara, the former Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), has expressed skepticism about the feasibility of an autonomous league in Ghana.
The call for such a league surfaced following the tragic death of Francis Frimpong during a Matchday 19 fixture between Nsoatreman FC and Asante Kotoko at Nana Kronmansah Park.
In response to this incident, both Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak issued a joint statement urging the Ghana Football Association to implement a self-governed league managed by an independent body as part of broader reforms.
However, Daara, who now serves as a Senior Media Officer with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), believes that Ghana is not yet equipped to support an autonomous league.
He pointed out the lack of necessary infrastructure and resources, including CEOs, marketing capabilities, sponsorships, and TV rights, which are crucial for such a league's operation.
He referenced the challenges faced by countries like South Africa, which also struggle with managing their own leagues, making the idea of an autonomous league in Ghana unrealistic at this stage.
In an interview on Asempa FM, Daara emphasized that the focus should instead be on strengthening the current system.
"I don't think the autonomous league is needed at this time because it is not easy. Before it is implemented, you would need CEOs, marketing, sponsorship, and television right, and at the moment, we don't have these things in place. If we look at the Premier League and South Africa, it is not easy for them, and so in our case, I don't think the autonomous League is realistic."
He advocated for building up the foundations of the existing structure, which would eventually lead to the desired improvements in the league.
"We should rather focus on the basics and build from there, which will improve the league," Daara added.
It’s worth noting that before the 2019 GFA Elections, Kurt Okraku, the current GFA president, had pledged to establish an autonomous body to run the Ghana Premier League.
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