Sports
Slave wages,threat to the local game!
Years back – some three or more decades ago, domestic football was a sheer delight – drawing thousands to fill the stands on match days.
Quality abound – and even though the players performed their act on relatively pitiably despicable pitches, some tantalizing football freely oozed out from the feet, carving out pretty patterns even to the blind eye.
Those were days when most of the players remained on home soil, not really enthusiastic on joining the ‘exodus bandwagon’ to seek greener pastures.
However, with the Ghanaian economy hitting a slump, especially in the 1980s, players began to file away in droves in the ‘90s as clubs could no longer afford the allowances and salaries of the playing body.
The domestic league was now beginning to suffer from quality play – and by extension poor patronage as empty seats stared in faces of the scanty fans around.
The already harsh situation was made even worse by the fans’ affection for foreign football to the detriment of the local game. None can totally blame the fans who have continuously explained off their decision to quality football in the English, Spanish, German and other elite games in Europe.
Lack of marquee, quality players has also culminated in Ghanaian clubs failing to win laurels in continental football for a long time.
Indeed, the last time a Ghanaian side annexed an African trophy was in 2004 when Hearts of Oak upstaged sworn rivals and fellow compatriots Asante Kotoko to win the CAF Confederation Cup. Kotoko themselves have not tasted African glory since 1983 – some 38 years ago, when they beat Al Ahly of Egypt to lift the African Clubs Championship crown (now CAF Champions League) for the second time.
Year-in-year-out, our players leave their clubs in midstream to clubs in less-endowed football countries that could only pay a notch higher than what they were taking back home.
Some elite clubs in Ghana pay as low as GH¢700 to GH¢2,000 to their top stars who would not shilly-shally to fly out abroad at the slightest opportunity.
President of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana [SWAG], Kwabena Yeboah, is not enthused about the wages of Ghanaian local players.
According to him, the base salary for Asante Kotoko player in the year 2021, for example, should be US$2,000 and not the range of GH¢1,000 to GH¢2,000.
In an interview with Accra-based Starr FM, the veteran broadcaster said the club needed to build the team and sustain the players for a period of five to six years and also attract players from outside the jurisdiction of Ghana, describing the salaries of the club’s players as ‘slave wages’ which must be improved.
“If you really want to attract the best material, you must pay very well. What we pay players right now in Ghana, for me in blunt language, are slave wages.
“You cannot pay a Kotoko player you want to make a mark in Africa, and consistently wins matches for you a GH¢1,000, GH¢2,000. It’s a joke. The least any Kotoko player deserves, especially the starting players, is US$2,000 because you have your players leaving for Benin, to other parts of Africa because they’ve been cajoled and lured by US$1,000 a month because they cannot receive that kind of money here; so they will definitely leave.
“If you want to compete, I’m saying that the starting base [salary] should be US$2,000 as you look to improving the amount. Until we start doing that, our players will continue to leave in numbers – and we’ll continue to mark time.”
The SWAG President’s assertion might sound unrealistic and impracticable to some club owners, but looking more intently, that is plain talk from the iconic broadcaster. Rather, he is being super realistic. Truth is that, things have changed and we cannot afford to do run affairs of our clubs the way we were doing some decades back.
Our local players have howled for far too long and it is high time club owners put their act together and see how best to plant some smiles on the faces of these actors as regards their remunerations and allowances.
Until that is done, expect our players to head off in droves – at the slightest opportunity – as they yearn for better living condition.
The Black Starlets will intensify preparations for the upcoming 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations with a double-header of friendly matches against FC Samartex 1996 at the Nsenkyire Sports Arena, Samraboi.
The national U-17 side will first take on the youth team of Samartex on Saturday at4pm, as the technical team continues to assess player combinations and sharpen match readiness ahead of the continental tournament.
The following day, Sunday, March 15, the Starlets will return to the same venue to face the senior side of Samartex in another crucial preparatory fixture, also scheduled for 4pm.
These matches form part of a series of build-up games designed to test the squad’s depth, tactical discipline and competitive edge as they prepare for the AFCON challenge.
The Starlets have already played several friendly matches during their training programme, including encounters against True Democracy FC, Port City FC, Attram De Visser Academy, Semper Fi FC and Golden Kick FC.
The upcoming double-header is expected to provide another valuable opportunity for the technical team to fine-tune strategies and evaluate players as Ghana’s young talents continue their preparations for the 2026 U-17 AFCON.
The Football Association, in partnership with the Ghana Education Service in the Ayensuano District of the Eastern Region, is supporting the Ayensuano District Basic Schools Sports Festival, a three-day sporting event aimed at nurturing young talent and empowering students through sports and education.
The festival, scheduled to take place from March 9 to March 13, 2026, at Kofipare, will be held under the theme “Strengthening the Reset: Unleashing the Champion in You.”
The event is being organized in honour of Rev. Alexander Narh Amanya, the District Director of Education for Ayensuano, in recognition of his contribution to educational and youth development in the district.
The Women’s Football Development Unit of the GFA’s Technical Directorate views the festival as a significant platform to implement the Education Pillar of the GFA Women’s Football Strategy, which seeks to promote awareness, participation, and development opportunities for girls in football.
As part of the initiative, the GFA will engage female students through educational and empowerment sessions designed to introduce them to pathways in women’s football and encourage greater participation in the sport.
The Football Association will be represented by key officials who will provide mentorship and educational guidance to the participants.
Jennifer Amankwaa Sarpong, GFA Women’s Football Development Manager, will educate the girls on the Women’s Football Development Pathways, highlighting opportunities within the sport and potential career prospects.
Bernice Bempah, GFA Women’s Safeguarding Officer, will lead discussions on the GFA Safeguarding Code of Ethics, focusing on creating safe sporting environments and educating the girls on recognizing inappropriate behaviour, setting boundaries and confidently reporting concerns.
Patience Boadu, a public health practitioner and nurse, will facilitate sessions on girls’ health and football, covering important topics such as healthy lifestyles, hydration, menstruation, and personal hygiene.
The Ayensuano District Basic Schools Sports Festival is expected to combine sport, education and mentorship, creating an enabling environment for young girls to discover their potential both on and off the field while aligning with the broader vision of the Ghana FA to grow women’s football across the country.
