Sports Features of Monday, 7 August 2017

Source: Saani Abaacha

Fully filled Baba Yara stadium: A testimony of the Ghanaian passion

An estimated 30, 000 fans were at the Baba Yara stadium An estimated 30, 000 fans were at the Baba Yara stadium

Football fans across the country witnessed one of the most patronised fixtures in the 2017 Ghana Premier League with an estimated 30, 000 plus fans packed under one roof under the auspices of a league match.

The mourning mood in Kumasi made way for thrills and excitement in a blistering 90 minutes of refined football from the country’s finest.

The sold out Baba Yara Sports Stadium witnessed one of its greatest match ever spiced by the history banner in hoisted in memory of the late Equipment Officer for Kumasi Asante Kotoko.

Christened as the Ghanaian version of the Classico, goals, tricks, flying tackles and frenzy tempers were always going to take centre stage. The twelfth man to complete the jigsaw puzzle, however, overshadowed the real doers, with every single seat covered in search of optical senses.

The much publicised Kumasi Asante Kotoko at home to Accra Hearts Of Oak actually defended its statuesque as the most patronised event countrywide

The teaming fan base, epitomized by their ultrasonic voices, garnished the beauty of the game with both set of players defending their club badges and that of the Ghana Premier League at large.

The rousing welcome from the crowd at the sight of the players can be compared to the heroic welcome accorded German National team on their return from Brazil with the FIFA World Cup three years ago. It was not just deafening, it was emotional and soothing. The fans played their unique role devoid of violence and any form of negativity.

A goal each from Kwame Kizito and Saddick Adams tied the game at 1-1 after regulation time to round off a blistering second half.

The indelible mark however left by this game was the fan base assembled inside the stadium. If supporters can fill a stadium just to get a glimpse of a match that was televised life on free to air television stations, how do we keep this hard earned reputation in the interest of the Ghana Premier League?

Long live Ghana Premier League Long Live Ghana Football