Sports News of Thursday, 19 September 2024

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Venue changes will have negative effect on the Ghana Premier League teams - Prosper Ogun

Kotoko head coach, Prosper Narteh Ogum Kotoko head coach, Prosper Narteh Ogum

Head coach of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Prosper Narteh Ogum has said that changing venues for some teams in the Ghana Premier League negatively impacts the clubs and players.

He explained that players become accustomed to a particular pitch, which helps them perform better during matches.

Ogum noted that when home game venues are changed, it takes time for players to adapt to the new pitch, affecting their confidence levels.

"Yes, I believe so [venue changes affect teams] because you have to constantly be on the move. This disrupts the team's flow in terms of adaptation. The more players play on a specific pitch as their home ground, the more confidence they gain because they can mentally picture the crowd at any given time.

"They know how to mentally prepare themselves before the game. Moving from one venue to another requires time for them to adjust to the crowd and the spectators; it takes time for them to adapt," Ogum said during an interview with 3Sports, as quoted by myjoyonline.com.

He made these comments after Kotoko had to find a new venue for their home matches due to the closure of the Baba Yara Sports Stadium for rehabilitation work following a ban by the Confederation of African Football.

Similarly, Hearts of Oak have chosen the Legon Stadium as their home venue after the Accra Sports Stadium was closed for renovations.

SB/ ADG