Oh Lord of Mercy! Is it going to be another sad season for our beloved club, Accra Great Olympics, Oly Gbogbo, Oly Acapulco, Oly Dade, Oly Do-the-Do? My oh my, most of us who saw the rise and steady progress of the great club which came to replace Accra Standfast might have wished they would always stay in the top echelons of the national league to add to the high competitive core of the division.
Amazingly, over the weekend we woke up to find that all the three newly-promoted clubs that were ushered into the Premiership in the 2016/2017 season, Olympics, Elmina Sharks and Bolga All Stars were in the relegation zone, and the question that came to mind was why should it happen?
It was expected that, at least, one of them would have a breakthrough to continue with the journey. We are in the 19th week of the 30-week competition, and at the bottom of the league log we have the unpleasant publicity of a parade of these clubs that happily joined the elite division only this season.
Eh, is it going to be another story of “coming and going” in the Military “about turn” order, like what happened to Techiman City in the recent case or Amidaus Professionals in the 2013/2014 season or the unfortunate case of Dreams FC who actually booked their seats for the current season but had to withdraw via certain legalities and illegalities? For those of us who have been following the fortunes of the national league from its inception in 1958, such cases of rising to the sky and displaying their brightness like the moon and then moving into the darkness like what happened to B.A. United recently and earlier cases of Real Tamale United, King Faisal, Heart of Lions, New Edubiase and others have never been palatable to talk about.
That is the nature of the competition all over the world and like any other living thing, they have their beginning and their end; some are lucky to be “born again” and start fighting afresh, no matter the vicissitude of life. Of course it is the wish of everybody that the traditional clubs would rise again to fight the battle, and that no matter what happens there might be such clubs in all the regions to herald when the history of the league comes to be re-written.
How come that there are no Hasaacas or Eleven Wise in the Western Region, no Vipers, All Blacks or Fankobaa in the Central Region, no B.A. United, B.A. Stars or Bofoakwa in the Brong Ahafo Region, no Cornerstone, Great Ashanti or Adansiman in the Ashanti Region and others who in the past made football tick in this land.
In actual fact, clubs are springing up and falling, and while it is the wish of some football critics that the number in the elite Division would be increased to say 20, others are advocating a reduction to add value to the cracking nature of the Division. However, the unpleasantness and the tough nature of the lower divisions make life there unworthy of trial, hence the strong bid to remain in the top Division.
In this respect, it is worth congratulating some clubs like WAFA and others who suffered relegation but fought through thick and thin to make it “about turn” back to the elites. I must say that a club like Tema Youth deserve mention in dispatches for their resilience and tenacity.
Just imagine that in the 2015/2016, they were nowhere to be found in the premiership. They worked hard to fight injustices permeating in our football system, and went as far as the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Zurich Swizerland to appeal for proper adjudication, and their appeal was adhered to, culminating in the sudden change which made a strong club like Dreams FC agree to swap places with them in the current season.
I must say that the swap has been justified with their present appreciable 10th position in the 16-club league table with their 24 points after defeating some clubs like Berekum Chelsea, Hearts of Oak and Great Olympics along the line. I just don’t know how to describe the mood of the three clubs that earned their promotion the hard way this season and seem to be returning to the wilderness.
I believe everybody knows that the league is crying for excellence and for sure there must be a way to determine how good a team must be before they are promoted to the highest Division, and also the best way to prepare them towards the exigencies of the senior division.
It has been observed that in view of the nature of the division in a situation where we are suffering from lack of sponsorship, there is the need to apply all methods to prepare for promotion, that is struggling with the other clubs to buy good players for the new ordeal.
Unfortunately, in recent times, most of the freshly-promoted lots have not got the equal resources to challenge the old folks for the best of players to augment their teams for the challenge ahead, and they must be sympathised with.
Looking back at the last weekend, the results speak volumes about the progress report of the three in danger zone, where Olympics were defeated 1-0 by Liberty Professionals after the first round goalless draw at the Carl Reindolf Park at Dansoman, then Elmina Sharks who also fell 0-2 at home to Hearts after their 1-1 draw at the Accra Stadium in the first round. Perhaps the best was recorded by Bolga who fought for a goalless draw at home after receiving 0-2 defeat at the hands of WAFA at Sogakope in the first round.
Now, with nine matches left to end the season, one wonders whether the three will rise to the occasion to turn things round. Bolga are today meeting Liberty Professionals in Accra, Olympics are travelling to Dormaa-Ahenkro to meet second-placed Aduana Stars who are always sure of home victory and Elmina Sharks are moving to Sogakope, and one can see in advance how the three will advance on the league log.
And from now, every observer is watching what will happen to the set, and who will as well replace them from the lower division. Of course, anything can happen, and it will not be a surprise if they end up fighting hard to escape relegation at the end of the season. God bless!
