This season’s Ghana Premier League is special in many ways.
For the first time in the competition’s history, the Ghana Football Association has introduced a significant number of referees from its “Catch Them Young” policy.
The introduction of more female referees has also been an interesting addition.
However, the most significant change has been the state-sponsored financial packages for participating in the competition.
Each of the 18 Ghana Premier League clubs has received GHC1 million.
There will be performance-related bonuses in addition to the prize money.
Overall, the government is expected to spend nearly $2 million on clubs.
Part of that money will also fund Adesa Production – the league’s television broadcast rights holders – coverage of the competition.
But two months after this, never-before-seen investment, is the league better for it?
Absolutely.
Operational expenses of clubs
Until the government’s capital injection this season, Ghana Premier League clubs only received $25,000 for participating in the league.
That money came from the television broadcast rights deal with StarTimes. It was the biggest windfall clubs had received for any season.
That amount has nearly quadrupled.
With that, clubs can increase the salaries of their employees and potentially keep their best players longer than they usually do.
This week, sources at Aduana Stars have said that Alex Boakye will sign a contract extension, on a new deal worth GH₵15,000 a month.
The centre back’s value has been inflated by Asante Kotoko’s reported interest. Kotoko are in the market for a center back, following captain Samba O’Neil’s reluctance to accept their extension offer.
Their situation is further exacerbated by Musa Hamzatta’s determination to leave the club just three months after signing for Kotoko.
Last week, the defender returned from trials in Sweden, where he had been since the middle of October. He is said to have told the club that his interests lie elsewhere.
That is why Kotoko reportedly offered Alex Boakye a contract worth GH₵15,000 a month – a figure Aduana have since matched.
A year ago, Aduana would have been priced out of a deal to keep the hen that lays the golden eggs. Today, the story is different.
Thanks to President John Mahama’s vision for the league, clubs can flex their muscles and ward off domestic and, in some cases, external threats.
Not every player dreams of leaving their family behind to play in Tajikistan or for a club 20 kilometres north of a rice farm in Thailand. These days, the motivation to leave for a $3,000 contract is low because of the frequency with which these contracts get terminated after a few months.
Knowledge of this is why Alex Boakye, who has seen this happen to so many players, would be happy to take the equivalent of $1,500 for the next two years. Especially with the job security that clubs like Aduana F.C. provide.
What this also means is that the quality in the league, which was almost evenly spread, will be enhanced.
At the moment, Aduana Stars have accumulated 23 points, just like league leaders Medeama S.C.
Without the transfer war chest to keep Boakye, their title ambitions would have dissipated. And as often happens, Boakye would have strengthened title rivals Asante Kotoko, weakening Aduana in the process.
Television and radio production
Unlike the StarTimes era, the matches are being broadcast on TV3 and Onua TV, both free-to-air channels. Having two free-to-air channels essentially makes the league more accessible.
However, the StarTimes regime had its benefits too. In their final season, the Chinese company produced four live matches for each match week.
Although they had to sub-let aspects of the contract to a local production house, iMax Productions, StarTimes had their own Outside Broadcast (OB) Van, which significantly reduced their expenditure.
Still, it costs them a mammoth $1 million to produce live matches per season.
From multiple accounts, Adesa Productions is relying on an OB van from Silicon House Productions, a local company. Renting such expensive equipment only drives up the production costs.
Just like Adesa, this is Silicon House’s first production of an elite football event on this scale.
As a result of logistical and technical challenges, they are not able to go to every venue.
They have also not been able to match up with StarTimes’ schedule of four live matches per week.
To do that, the government and the Ghana Football Association ought to be willing to involve another production house. From technical crew to commentators and pundits, there is no shortage of expertise to pull this off.
At the moment, the logistical challenges are affecting the number of matches being shown on television.
Last month, Samartex versus Kotoko, a meeting of two former champions, was not on tv. Young Apostles versus Hearts of Oak was also not broadcast. In the same month, Dreams F.C’s advertised match with Hohoe United was also cancelled from the schedule.
The match was later played at the Tuba AstroTurf – a facility that is not fit for television productions, instead of the University of Ghana Stadium.
This is a whole matter on its own. If the government is going to continue to sponor the league, it cannot allow the GFA and its clubs to continue to play on pitches that are not television production-friendly.
Some of the venues are not even fit for radio broadcast. I have been to the Nii Adjei Kraku II Park in Tema twice. Each time, the radio commentary team has had to operate from the stands because there is no designated media stand.
It has no space for television production either.
Of the 18 teams in the league, only Accra, Baba Yara, T&A, University of Ghana and Tamale Sports Stadiums have provisions for television production.
How then does the television rights holder operate at such venues?
The GFA has to do better in its enforcement of the licensing regulations in this regard.
Or.
Just compel all 18 clubs to choose from one of the five TV production-friendly venues.
The government’s intervention is a game-changer. But to realise its full potential, the GFA, its clubs and the production partners need to do more.
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