Posted by “The dribbling magician”, Mohammed Polo has added his voice to the on going debate on the resumption of the Ghana Premier league (GPL) amid coronavirus pandemic.
All sporting events in the country was suspended in March this year following the outbreak of the coronavirus.
The future of the country’s league remains unknown, but any hopes of seeing football back soon was hampered on Sunday when the president of the country, Nana Addo Dankwah Akuffo Addo announced that the ban on football activities will remain in force until at least 31st July 2020.
In spite of this, a session of football administrators have come out to register their displeasure to the president for not lifting the ban on football.
But “the dribbling magician” in an interview with Bryt FM advised football administrators to remain calm as government take necessary steps to eradicate the deadly virus.
He also advised that the federation not be in a haste to make a decision as the situation in Ghana can’t be compared to the one in Europe or advanced countries.
“I think it is about time football administrators calm down and allow government to work because the disease is very dangerous. After all human lives is more important than football so we shouldn’t always think about football”
“We cannot compare ourselves to the Europeans because their situation is different from ours. As we speak, the league lack certain things like sponsorships and even paying players has become difficult for clubs. Since government is not prepared to help at the moment we should keep our fingers crossed” he added.
The former Hearts of Oak Star also went on to talk about the Kurt Okraku led Ghana Football Association (GFA) administration, saying it is too early to start criticism.
“I think is too early to judge him because the work at stake for him is huge and not an easy job as well. Though the Ghana Premier League was without a headline sponsor, but it was going until the suspension of football but it is just unfortunate”
“We need to give him ample time to do his work rather than criticizing him. We have to give him the chance to operate and see what he brings on board. His time in office now is limited and so why should we criticize him? He quizzed.
“The pull him down will not help us as a country. I think Kurt needs time because he also has what he is bringing on board as Ghana FA president. He has four year mandate so we should wait for him to go at least three years before we talk about his work but judging him within seven-eight months is not the best” he told Sylvester Ntim ‘Koke’ of Bryt FM in Koforidua.
Talking of his football career, Mohammed Polo in his playing days was a superstar, he enjoyed a successful carrer, winning numerous team trophies and personal awards, but Mohammed Polo never played in Europe, he also never won the African best award. Two things he says still hurt him.
“As a former player, the only thing I regret is my inability to play for any club in Europe. It hurts me I couldn’t prove to the Europeans that there is a player of that stature”
“The truth is that Ghanaians didn’t sell me well because I should have won the African best award about two or three times looking at my performance those days. It’s a worry I couldn’t win the African best but God knows best”
“I have been third, fourth on the African best list but at some point in time, they pull strings. Favoritism and lobbying is something that normally happens when naming African best. I didn’t win it because I had no one to lobby for me”, he concluded.
Mohammed Polo was instrumental in Ghana’s African Cup of Nations triumph in 1978.