By their very definition, victims of armed robbery attacks should never be blamed.
But given the prevalence of these attacks, a thorough examination of the facts surrounding these incidents is necessary.
That means questioning these football clubs, their traveling culture, security protocols, and why they will always travel at night.
Recent incidence of armed robbery attacks in Ghana football
- April 14, 2019 – Asokwa Deportivo attacked en route to Prestea (April 14, 2019).
- December 20, 2021 – Pearl Pia Ladies were attacked in Bupe after a match against Ampem Darkoa Ladies.
- March 21, 2022 – Ashanti Gold attacked after the Hearts of Oak game.
- April 9, 2022 – FC Savannah Ladies were attacked on their way back from Tamale to Kumasi after the Dreamz Ladies game (April 9, 2022).
- October 10, 2022 – Kassena Nankana FC was attacked on their way to Wa.
- November 1, 2023- Legon Cities attacked after Samartex game on the Kumasi-Bibiani road.
In all of these instances, the clubs did not have any kind of police protection.
This is strange because the Ghana Police Service does not charge for the cost of its officers when they are dispatched either as a single unit or as escort teams.
What the Ghana Police Service requires is a written request sent ahead of time in order to plan and assign its officers.
Per convention, if the assignment requires an overnight stay, the individual or organization requesting their service may provide accommodation for the policeman, often numbering between five and ten.
Seems kind on the pocket, no? Not quite.
Football clubs in Ghana consider this kind of ‘expenditure’ to be an unnecessary drain on their wallets.
Instead, each club travels with a security officer.
When Legon Cities were in the Premier League, they would request police dispatch to navigate through traffic on the trips out of the region. Once they get to the less congested parts of the city, the dispatch rider would return to the capital while the team bus continues the journey, without adequate protection.
When the team bus was attacked in November 2023, there was no police protection with the team that day.
It may seem infinitesimal, but clubs consider it a drain for the same reason they travel at night after matches instead of sleeping over. Money.
Night travels
The average football club in Ghana travels with between 35 and 40 people – 18 players, 10 technical staff, 6 management members, a security officer, and a driver. For Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko, the contingent is usually bigger.
On average, a 35-man contingent will cost between 30,000 and 40,000 cedis for one trip – that includes a night’s stay in a hotel, fuel, food, and miscellaneous.
That night’s stay – often the night before the match- is segmented. At most clubs, two players would share a hotel room, while the captain and, at some clubs, his assistant, may have separate rooms to themselves.
That works out to ten rooms.
The head coach and his first assistant are often given separate rooms. The rest of the coaching staff may share rooms depending on their level of experience.
The management members often get separate rooms, but where there are many, chief executives and team owners are often exempt.
Beyond that, clubs are reluctant to spend any more because the additional 10,000 they would spend on a night’s stay may throw their budget out of the window.
It is a culture that puts unnecessary stress on players and club employees, and as we have seen from the seven armed robbery attacks in the last seven years, it puts lives at risk.
What can the GFA do?
Last year, the GFA addressed Yaw Frimpong’s stabbing by introducing the enhanced match-day security protocols.
This will be different because any cultural reset can only be forced by the implementation of the licensing requirements in a manner that leaves only financially sound clubs operating.
And if there is one thing we know about the GFA and its members of Congress, they would rather operate in a filth if it means staying together, than cleaning house if it means kicking out some of their members.
The GFA operates a relaxed regime of the club licensing regulations.
For years, the main consequence of this has been the compromised games we watch. As early as the first round, Eleven Wonders gave up on the league, refusing to pay players and employees.
For a club that has been cash-strapped for years, Legon Cities’ takeover of Eleven Wonders should not have been approved.
But ‘football people’ have a twisted sense of loyalty and competence.
So there is no penalty for compromising the integrity of the league or for failing contractual obligations.
That is why when the pain of Dominic Frimpong’s death goes away, we will be right back to this broken industry.
Source:
www.myjoyonline.com