The chief executive officer of Eleven Wonders, Albert Commey, wants government to subsidise COVID-19 tests for players, if football is to resume.
On Monday, the Confederation of African Football introduced guidelines to regulate soccer-related activities for member associations that wish to resume football.
Chief among these guidelines were mandatory periodic tests for players.
This, Albert Commey says, will be possible only if the government subsidises the tests for football clubs in Ghana.
‘‘I am appealing to the government to take the full cost of it, because other citizens are being tested for free and the players are equally citizens of this country.
“They pay tax and perform all obligations as required by the constitution. And if not for anything at all, for social responsibility’s sake, the government must come in,” Commey said.
What the situation requires
‘‘CAF has given its directives. It is now time for the government and the member association – that is the Ghana Football Association – to agree with those or find alternative models that serve the same purpose and are functional.
“So the bottom line is that this will only work if we work with the government, and if the government makes such significant contributions as the situation requires,” Commey said.
For now, the Ghana Football Association will have to decide whether or not to resume the current season, which remains suspended.
The GFA has said that it will arrive at a decision before or on 30 June and will communicate the outcome of its discussions immediately.
Football in Ghana remains suspended since March, when a government directive to ban all contact sport disciplines came into effect. The move was made in an effort to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Victor Tamakloe
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