Last Sunday’s Ghana Premier League game in Accra that saw Asante Kotoko visit — and narrowly beat — arch-rivals Hearts of Oak is arguably the biggest highlight of the six-week-old season.
The sheer size of the crowd that turned up for the match — and the record $130,000 in revenue generated at the gates — was remarkable, signaling the potential revival of a fixture that is traditionally Ghana’s most anticipated yet which has taken a hit in popularity of late.
So, then, how do we keep the numbers up?
Daily Mail GH suggests five ways:
1. PLAY LESS
There’s such a thing as too much football, especially if the menu regularly serves games that would be better savored as treats. In recent years, there have been one too many Kotoko-Hearts duels, with the fixture being the go-to pick nearly every time some glorified friendly is lined up, resulting in a thawing of the ice in which their age-old rivalry has always been preserved. The occasional President’s Cup date is fine; otherwise, let’s stick to the league games and those rare FA Cup encounters. Sometimes, too little is just right.
2. BULK UP
Football is always better when the players are, too; in turn, the players are better only when the investment that brings them in is of correspondingly high value. Unfortunately, that is more than Kotoko and Hearts could boast in Ghana football’s professional era. Positioning themselves for juicier sponsorship deals would be key, as would handing the reins of both clubs to persons truly capable of delivering sound management practices, not vacillating sycophants operating on whims.
3. GET STABLE
These clubs have lost their respective identities, the result of numerous — mainly needless — chopping and changing of playing, coaching, and administrative personnel. Both appear to be in a constant state of flux and would rather adopt a trial-and-error approach to success than strategize properly. As a consequence, most fans cannot really identify with either anymore, instead choosing to lend much of their allegiance to those top European sides that are driven by a clear vision and greater sense of purpose. To keep the interest going, Kotoko and Hearts need to build recognizable brands again: their former glorious selves, yes, but with an appealing modern feel.
4. BRING BACK THE GOOD OLD NIGHTS
In nearly two decades, we haven’t seen a Kotoko-Hearts game played at night. It hurts — well, just a little — and the popular belief is that an occasional reversal to those good old days nights would be a shot in the derby’s arm. Just ask the organizers of the world’s biggest football matches: there’s nothing quite like a late-evening classic.
5. IMPROVE SECURITY
It’s since May 9 — the tragedy which claimed 126 lives in 2001 — that Ghana’s two biggest teams have never played under floodlights. Unfortunately, violence remains a signature of the ‘Super Clash’, even if nothing as tragic on the scale of what was witnessed on that cold night 19 years ago. In the aftermath of the latest instalment emerged a video of a jubilant Kotoko fan being pummeled by an irritated Phobian, identified as boxer Patrick Allotey. Reports like these underline the enduring problem of inadequate safety at games between the rivals, and it’s surely not the way to go if spectators are to show up in their numbers for future contests.
NY Frimpong – Daily Mail GH
