Sports
Pitch violence taken too far?
• The culprit: Coach Napari
If you offer a knee-jerk solution to a nagging problem, it would always come to haunt you.
Suffice to say, we have not seriously tackled the disturbing issue of hooliganism over the years. We have taken things for granted and we continue to suffer for it. Is it because we are not directly affected by the carnage that comes with such violence?
Only last week, a female Referee Sakina Nasara Abdul Rahman, was brutally assaulted by Coach Iddrisu S. Napari during a Women’s Division 1B League match in Tamale. As a result of the sadistic act, the injured referee had to be hospitalised at the Tamale Teaching Hospital. Simply cruel!
This is has been the worrying cycle of violence we have had to endure painfully at the various league centres – year in year out, even though this case of a coach assaulting a female referee is an uncommon sight until recently.
It goes without saying that one lady referee was also attacked by a coach at Kwaebibirem a fortnight ago in the Eastern region. Ghanaians, however, are more used to seeing fans attack knights of the whistle.
As they say it, violence is violence – it does not matter where it comes from – and who perpetrated it.
Truth is that the absence of active prosecution for such rampant acts of indiscipline and violence has served to embolden the perpetrators. After all, they know that nothing will happen to them even if they are apprehended by the police. For them, there is nothing to be scared of. That is the most agonising aspect of it – seeing culprits get off the hook.
Draconian measures must be taken harsh to deal with these irredeemable and usually shameless scoundrels.
Many have also suggested that football stakeholders – spearheaded by the Ghana Football Association (GFA), must austerely chase an agenda for a sports violence and crimes bill to be advanced in Parliament and passed at the first possible opportunity.
The said bill must necessarily include the establishment of a fast-track sports court to ensure that such incorrigibles are prosecuted and gaoled.
In this vein, club owners and administrators – whose club officials and fans perpetrate the violence, must for once join the crusade and put this harrowing issue to bed.
It is heart-warming to know that the Northern Regional Football Association (NRFA), the Ghana Football Association, and the Ghana Police have worked together to ensure the coach’s arrest and subsequent prosecution. But it must not end there. If for nothing at all, this barefaced coach must be used as scapegoat to serve as a deterrent to all potential offenders.
PlainTalk with John Vigah
Defending Ghana Premier League champions, Bibiani Gold Stars, will chase revenge against Asante Kotoko when they lock horns in a top Match day 19 fixture at the Bibiani Dun’s Park today.
The hosts lost the first-round fixture 2-0; however, they currently sit second on the league table, with a point above the Porcupine Warriors, in fourth place.
Following a pulsating goalless draw with Berekum Chelsea at home last week, a result that sent shockwaves through the Reds’ camp and sparked rumours about the future of Head Coach, Karim Zito, today’s game will serve as a major test for the technical team.
In Tema, Vision FC will test the mettle of league leaders, Medeama SC, when they welcome them to the Nii Adjei Kraku II Sports Complex.
Having opened a five-point gap at the summit of the log, Medeama is looking to extend their lead with a victory today.
Ibrahim Tanko acknowledges the challenge in Tema will be different, but trusts his ‘lieutenants’ to do a good job.
After playing out a goalless draw with Asante Kotoko last week, Coach Samuel Boadu’s Berekum Chelsea will return to their Golden City Park base to host Swedru All Blacks in what locals have dubbed a ‘must-win’ game.
Lying 16th on the league log with 19 points, fans of the ‘Bibires’ are hoping their resurgence begins as they fight to climb the table.
In other games, Karela United will remain at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium to host Samartex FC, while the Dr Kwame Kyei Sports Complex host the clash between Nations FC and Aduana FC.
Bottom-placed Eleven Wonders will visit the Kpando Stadium as guests of eighth-placed Heart of Lions; Young Apostles would be at Wenchi Sports Stadium to play host to relegation-threatened Hohoe United, while Basake Holy Stars welcome Bechem United to the Ampain AAK II Sports Arena.
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
Despite the absence of Ghana at the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, the country featured in conversations around the tournament from start to finish; or at least the semifinal stage.
Interestingly, not many of the countries that participated in the championship did enjoy that leverage.
Surfing either traditional, social or new media, Ghana’s name has featured prominently in several conversations, courtesy of an intense rivalry between Ghana and brothers, Nigeria.
This is because fans of the two countries have attempted to give reasons to support qualification or otherwise to AFCON.
Ghana’s failure to qualify for the AFCON was attributed to weakness, and the fact that the Black Stars have not been good enough.
Ghanaian fans, however, responded by placing bigger premium on the FIFA World Cup 2026 which Nigeria Super Eagles has failed to qualify.
So, for followers of the Black Stars, The World Cup is for the ‘big boys’, a category too strong for the Super Eagles.
This interesting ‘banter’ has dominated a few sports shows on both local and international networks with Ghanaians openly declaring support for opponents of the Super Eagles in the 2025 AFCON.
Personally, I asked a few for their reasons and the response was quite humorous. “If Nigeria wins the AFCON, Ghanaians would be dead on social media,” one said.
A Nigerian blogger also warned: “If Nigeria wins AFCON, Ghanaian soccer fans would run away from TikTok.”
At this point, one was forced to accept the social media war between soccer fans of Ghana and Naija.
A few Nigerian bloggers and content creators even reminded Ghanaian fans of their ‘brotherliness’ and the need to support each other as West Africans to keep the trophy in the face of the North African challenge.
Interestingly, the Ghana-Nigeria rivalry has transcended beyond sports and ventured into areas of hospitality where both countries are claiming to be better than the other as far as preparation of ‘jollof’ was concerned.
In an attempt to win over Ghanaian fans, a few bloggers posted videos admitting for the sake of peace, that Ghana ‘jollof’ was better.
But the protest by fans over the appointment of Ghana’s Daniel Laryea as the referee gave a new dimension to the relationship between the two sets of sporting rivals.
It started with concerns why a West African referee was appointed for such crucial tie between a West African nation and a North African opposition.
That subject changed to the assumption that since Ghanaian fans were against the Super Eagles, Referee Daniel Laryea could do their bidding by giving Nigeria a raw deal.
However, Daniel Laryea made the entire nation of Ghana proud with a solid performance in the match watched across the globe.
Many factors contributed to make the game a tensed one; host nation performing in front of thousands of home fans plus a hungry Nigerian side that was bent on causing the biggest upset of the competition.
Definitely, these circumstance could extend to affect the match officials. That notwithstanding, Daniel Laryea proved to the whole world he has what it takes to occupy the same office with some of the top referees in football.
He commanded discipline among the players; there was calm on both benches despite a few disagreement over decisions – but football is like that.
Every sincere fan that watched the game closely would admit that Daniel Laryea’s performance was one of the best in the competition and must be commended rather than condemned.
Clearly, Laryea settled the ‘jollof’ rivalry with a commanding display. What is left now is how the Black Stars keep the ‘jollof’ title delivered by Laryea in Ghana with a fine performance at the World Cup because the Nigerian fans would be following closer than they think.
By Andrew Nortey
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
