(Commentary by William Dodzi Ezah, GNA Sports desk)

Accra, Oct 7, GNA - A Sunday without any competitive football match on the local scene is like a day of mourning for most Ghanaians, especially football loving fans, as they have nothing to talk about, nothing to tense them up or subjects for hot arguments. There is no fun.

On days when a league match is anticipated, the talk on the lips of everyone is the game, the expected results and the possible placement of clubs on the national league table.

However a different scene was witnessed last Sunday when the local league went to sleep to begin its one-month break due to the All Africa Games taking place in Abuja, Nigeria.

The only activity which would have kept the minds, hearts, ears of every Ghanaian busy is the ongoing match between National Under-23 team the Black Meteors and Algeria which had very little attraction.

Following the suspension of the league, most people have to stay indoors unlike the previous days when they have to troop to the Stadium to watch their favourite players and teams play. Those who enjoy their Sundays at the drinking bars and discuss football have to leave early or stay there reluctantly feeling bored.

The drinking bars and other places of social gathering were calm because people have to sit and drink quietly without discussing or arguing about the chances of their clubs.

This situation according to some bar operators has adversely affected their sales because customers have nothing to celebrate as compared to a league day when fans have either have to drink to celebrate a victory or drink to forget about a painful defeat.

At the Lorry parks, drivers are not left out of those who lost the opportunity to make a few more cedis because there are no football fans to be picked to and from the stadium as it would have been, on a match day. So you see that the league has a place for everyone in the society in one-way or the other.

Contrary to the days when flags of clubs are hoisted or decorated on cars and buildings, especially, on Sundays with fans dressing themselves up in the colours of their clubs, last Sundays witnessed a different situation as none of such things were seen except the old and torn flags hoisted long-long ago.

An interview with some soccer fans across the city of Accra confirms that the suspension of the league has really affected their Sundays because they have nothing to talk about or nowhere to go and have fun. A die-hard fan of Kumasi Asante Kotoko said to the GNA Sports "Sunday without football is like a tea without sugar."

He explained " I felt something is missing from my life after 3:00 pm last Sunday. Not even the radio station are shouting " over the bar or dabi- dabi- dabi."

Another fan who claimed to be a Phobian said, he is more interested in the retention of the league title by his club and wish the league is still on "for me to see my last."

Though the national team was in action in Nigeria, none of them seem to be so much interested in the game and this goes to buttress a point made by a Ghanaian soccer administrator that, Ghanaians are much interested in their clubs than the affairs of the national team especially when the league is going on.

However, the situation is far from over since they have to go through the next Sunday in the same mood because there will not be any competitive matches till October 29.

The only compensation might be the assignments by the Black Queens and the Meteors in the qualifying matches for the Athens Olympic Games where the Queens play DR Congo and the Meteors South Africa all in Accra on October 25 and 26 respectively.

This therefore means that fans have to be starved of club soccer for some more weeks possibly till October 29, when the league resumes again to take away the boredom and make life real and active.