GHALCA postpones Hearts opening Top 4 match

Accra, Jan 20 GNA - The Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA), organizers of this year's Coca-Cola Top 4 competition in consultation with the management of Accra Hearts of Oak have agreed to postpone their opening match of the Top 4 competition to Thursday.

Speaking to the Media on Tuesday, Mr Kudjoe Fianoo, Administrative Secretary of GHALCA said the postponement was at the behest of Hearts who initially requested the match be pushed to Sunday to allow them time to confer with their supporters.

Hearts were originally scheduled to play Kumasi King Faisal in the opening match of the Coca-Cola Top 4 championship on Wednesday at the Accra Sports Stadium with Kotoko taking on Liberty Professionals at the Kumasi Sports Stadium on the same day.

Meanwhile the Kumasi match would go ahead on Wednesday as scheduled.

Mr Fianoo said GHALCA refused the earlier proposal of Hearts because of the tight schedule the FA was working with, since they have up till February to complete the tournament to allow for preparation towards the early kick off of this year's premier league.

He said the decision not to allow Hearts demand was also on the recommendations made by the Okudjeto Commission report that stated that matches between Hearts and Kotoko should not be played on weekdays. The GHALCA Top 4 Competition, which is its third year, hit a snag when Kotoko, defending champions and winners of this year's league demanded that they should be paid 400 million cedis as appearance fees in addition to some demands the organizers where not prepared to meet resulting in their expulsion from the tournament.

After the installation of a new board for Kotoko, the club made a u-turn from their earlier demands prompting the organizers to readmit them at the expense of Arsenals who were brought in initially to fill the void after Kotoko's expulsion.

The decision to bring back Kotoko into the tournament was met with fierce protestation from Hearts who threatened to pull out if Kotoko are readmitted prompting some protest from their supporters.

Mr Fianoo said even though the incidents leading to the commencement has brought some discomfort to all associated with the tournament he is glad that everything was finally settled amicably in the interest of Ghana soccer.

In a related development, the management of Accra Hearts of Oak has released the rates for their opening game against King Fiasal scheduled for the Accra Sports Stadium on Thursday, the GNA Sports gathered. The Popular stand would go for 15,000 cedis, Osu Stand , 20,000 cedis, Upper Terrace, 30,000 cedis, VIP Annex 50,000 cedis and VIP 70,000 cedis.

The statement said every ticket purchased would be accompanied with a ticket that would enable the bearer win some items in a raffle to be drawn during half time of the match.