Sports News of Wednesday, 8 April 2020

Source: goal.com

Ghana Premier League to get landmark third transfer window

The GPL is on break due to the coronavirus The GPL is on break due to the coronavirus

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has announced it intends to open the Ghana Premier League transfer window for the third time following disruption of the top flight and its second window by the coronavirus pandemic.

The league, like many others in the world, has been ground to a halt as part of social distancing measures to curb the spread of the disease which has infected over 1,414,692 persons globally, claiming the lives of 81,248.

The second transfer window, opened on March 16 and set to run until April 13, has also been heavily negatively impacted by the situation.

"The Ghana Football Association wishes to announce that the second Transfer Window of the 2019/20 season that opened on the midnight of Monday, March 16, 2020 would be allowed to run till midnight Monday, April 13, 2020," the GFA announced on its official website on Tuesday.

"However, the Executive Council has decided that following the guidelines advisory from FIFA when normalcy is restored, the GFA will apply to FIFA to open the window for a period to allow clubs to strengthen their squads.

"The Premier and Division One League, the Women's Premier Leagues are currently on hold due to the Corona Virus pandemic.

"It would also be recalled that the commencement of the lower leagues of the Regional Football Associations was also halted because of the pandemic."

The Premier League was at the matchweek 15 stage when it was forced to take a halt after a government of Ghana directive banning all social gatherings including sporting events.

Currently, national capital Accra and second-largest city Kumasi, who combined house seven of the 18 participating league teams, are on lockdown.

Eleven Wonders coach Ignatius Osei Fosu recently told Goal about their challenges in making new signings during the current transfer window due to the lockdown and social distancing challenges.