GPL low attendance: GFA spokesperson blames Anas' expose and poor officiating

Ghana Football Association spokesperson, Henry Asante Twum, has blamed the low attendance of the Ghana Premier League on poor officiation and investigative journalist Anas' 'Number 12' expose on Ghana Football.

Clubs are struggling to pull a decent number of fans to match venues with Hearts of Oak, 21-time champions, selling just 188 tickets for their game against Tamale City on January 8, 2022.

Twum argues that Anas' investigative piece about bribery and corruption in Ghana Football still leaves fresh in the minds of Ghanaians, adding that poor officiating has also been a major contributive factor to the low turnout.

“If I say officiating is not part of the poor attendance challenges then I’m telling lies. It’s a major issue. The history of the game with Anas Number 12 exposé is still in the minds of people. That is also one of the problems."

While addressing poor refereeing issues, Twum said referees are offered one of the best capacity-building at the end of every season.

“Referees in Ghana have one of the best capacity-building programmes. At the end of the season, we take referees and assistants through capacity-building programmes. They are made to watch all the matches to identify the errors and the solutions.”

He also noted that poor pitches have also affected stadium attendance.

“One thing that is also holding our game back is the poor nature of pitches.”

The Ghana Premier League kicks off on matchday 12 with nine fixtures coming up including Tamale City hosting league holders Asante Kotoko, Hearts of Oak visiting King Faisal, and league leaders Aduana Stars welcoming newly promoted side Kotoku Royals.

EE/FNOQ