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Soccer News of Monday, 4 February 2002

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National Middle League to receive sponsorship next year

Mr Douglas Djarbeng, Chairman of the Division One League Board has said that from next year, the board would seek sponsorship for the national middle league and the sub middle league.

Speaking to GNA Sports in a telephone interview, Mr. Djarbeng said due to the large number of participating teams in the division one the board is not able to get sponsorship for it hence their decision to start from the top by limiting themselves to the middle league and the sub middle league.

Mr. Djarbeng said the national division one league comprises 48 teams and this deters many prospective companies from taking up the sponsorship of the league. He said the board would seek sponsorship for the middle league and the sub middle league before extending it to the main Division one league adding that contacts have already been made with a number of companies but the deals are yet to be finalised.

On the just ended middle league, Mr. Djarbeng said they had not been able to achieve 100 per cent success in this year event due controversies before and after the league. He said as at now there are still cases pending before the disciplinary committee and these has taken some marks from the success of this year's league as compared to that of last year which had only few problems.

Mr Djarbeng advised club chairmen to desist from under ground dealings in matches and to be honest in whatever they do so that the coming season would a success. He said football is not a game of life and death therefore people must see it as game which could be won or lost at any time and urged club chairmen to educate their fans. He congratulated clubs in the northern sector for showing sportsmanship in the division one league as well as in the national middle league.

On the Black Stars, he said the team is capable of getting far in the competition because they are now gathering momentum and expressed confident that they can beat Nigeria to qualify for the semi finals. He said the match against Nigeria is going to be real test for the Black Stars considering the rivalry between the two countries.