End of an era for Royals?

 In 2019 when a new management acquired Wa All Stars, it marked the birth of a new club side – Legon Cities; which was ready to challenge the Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko dominance.

It was the pride of Wa in the Upper West region of Ghana after the ‘defunct’ Upper West Heroes. They would have created a fierce city rivalry similar to the Hearts versus Olympics, Kotoko versus Cornerstones and others.

The change in management moved the club to Accra but with their spirit in Wa.

At least, a few pundits attributed their struggles to this analogy.

Belonging to a former Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Kwesi Nyantakyi, under whose tenure they made history by winning the Ghana Premier League (GPL) once and played in Africa club championship, Legon Cities was touted as the latest force to reckon with.

Sadly, six years down the line, they have been relegated from the elite stage of football with a few matches to go in the 2024/25 football season.

It is such a sad story for their supporters to read about although the signals have been on the wall from the day of acquisition.

They went so close to suffering the drop in the previous season but were ‘saved’ by Accra Great Olympics, another capital force that has become so accustomed to relegation.

Legon Cities would be sorely missed for the carnival they added to the competition.

Their arrival for home matches reminded fans of scenes of over two decades ago when teams’ arrivals for matches at the stadium created exciting scenes with the arrival parties led by police riders. They lived like royals as they were known.

That died many years ago but Legon Cities revived that, as they kept fans spellbound with the convoy that follows their beautifully branded team bus.

There was a storm about the team’s name. The confusion was about whether it should be ‘City’ or ‘Cities’ but when that was clarified, the media was set in propagating information about them.

Now, with a few fans, the new management led by a bankroller that operated behind the scenes, Legon Cities undertook ventures clubs with mammoth, following never tried.

In a way to blend football and entertainment, they introduced showbiz packages that featured top performers like hiplife icons, Shatta Wale, Wendy Shay, Medical, Mr Drew, Krymi and many others.

It was certainly their way of bringing the fans back to the stadium.

But knowing those performances alone would not bring the results needed for survival, the playing and technical teams were not spared of the investment.

Legon Cities became an attractive destination for top stars like former Black Stars captain, Asamoah Gyan, Black Stars goalkeeper’s trainer, Fatawu Dauda, Jona Attuquaye, Mitchell Otoo and others that were about ending their careers.

The technical bench also attracted some of Ghana’s finest coaches like Maxwell Konadu, Yaw Acheampong, Paa Kwesi Fabin, Bashir Hayford and others.

Sadly, none of these coaches were able to deliver the aspiration of the new owners who are faced with a new task of fighting their way back to the top.

With three matches left, Legon Cities can count themselves out for next season.

It means the rest of the matches must become preparatory games in shaping the team for the more difficult Division One League (DOL) described as the wilderness of Ghana football.

It is a poignant tale for lovers of the game considering what they bring to the table as they created entertaining moments in matches against Hearts of Oak, Great Olympics, Accra Lions, clubs they faced in city rivalries.

But certainly expected to find a place on DOL Zone III, they could face traditional sides like Great Olympics and Okwawu United and others all striving to return to the GPL.

It will be a long journey back for the Royals. It will be rough and twisting with no guarantee of returning immediately, but no matter what happens, the focus should be on a return at all cost.

 By Andrew Nortey