My perspective as a Ghana Premier League fanatic.
I have been a Ghana Premier League fan for many years. Like thousands of Ghanaians, I have celebrated the goals, suffered the defeats, argued over refereeing decisions, and experienced the unique emotions that come with supporting a club.
Association Football is passion, it is rivalry, and it is emotion, but football must never become violence. The recent incidents of hooliganism associated with our domestic game should force every stakeholder to pause and ask a difficult question: What kind of football are we building for the next generation?
We cannot continue to treat violence at our match centers as an unfortunate part of the game. When supporters attack one another, when players and officials are threatened, when property is destroyed and, most tragically, when lives are lost, we have moved beyond football rivalry. We have entered the territory of public safety and national security.
The death of Asante Kotoko supporter Francis Yaw Frimpong, popularly known as Nana Pooley, during the Nsoatreman-Kotoko league encounter in February 2025 remains one of the most painful reminders of where unchecked football violence can lead. Parliament subsequently discussed the incident as part of growing concerns over hooliganism and violence at Ghanaian sporting events.
That needless tragedy should have been a turning point, but sadly and predictably, the conversation about hooliganism continues.
There is nothing wrong with supporting Kotoko, Hearts of Oak, Aduana, Medeama, Samartex, Karela or any other club in the GPL with passion. In fact, passionate supporters are one of the biggest assets of any association football club globally. The singing, drumming, chanting, flags, jerseys, and healthy banter are what make matchday special at all centres.
But there must be a line: your club is not your enemy, the opposing supporter is not your enemy, indeed, the referee is not your enemy. The player wearing another club’s colours is not your enemy either. At the end of 90 minutes, it is still football.
We must therefore create a culture where rivalry ends when the final whistle goes.
The responsibility cannot be placed entirely on supporters. Clubs, the Ghana Football Association, stadium authorities, security agencies, government, football people, the football media, and supporters, of which I am one, all have important roles to play.
Clubs must take greater responsibility for the conduct of their supporters. Supporters’ groups should not only mobilize fans to attend matches; they should also help educate them on acceptable behavior.
The Ghana Football Association must continue to enforce its disciplinary framework consistently and ensure that clubs understand that their responsibilities do not end when they sell tickets and fill their stadiums.
Security agencies must also be adequately prepared for high-risk fixtures.
There have been calls from football stakeholders for stronger security arrangements, while the Sports and Recreation Minister, Kofi Adams, has also called on club leadership to take greater responsibility in tackling hooliganism.
These conversations are important, but implementation is even more important.
What about the children watching us? This is perhaps the question we should ask more often.
A young boy or girl watching Ghana Premier League football today is learning what football culture means. If that child sees supporters fighting, abusing officials, attacking opponents or celebrating violence, what lesson are we teaching? Sad isn’t it.
We cannot tell our children to resolve disagreements peacefully while the adults they look up to turn football grounds into battlefields. Football should teach discipline, teamwork, resilience, respect and healthy competition. It should not teach hatred.
HOOLIGANISM IS ALSO A BUSINESS PROBLEM
There is another dimension we must not ignore: sponsorship and commercial value. As a marketing and business development professional, I believe Ghanaian football must take this issue seriously from a business perspective. Sponsors invest in football because they want to associate their brands with passion, entertainment, community, youth and positive experiences. No serious brand wants its name repeatedly associated with violence, destruction, injuries or death.
The question therefore goes beyond whether hooliganism is morally wrong.
We must ask: What does football violence do to the commercial future of the Ghana Premier League? If families become afraid to attend matches, stadium attendance suffers. If stadium attendance suffers, the matchday economy suffers. If the league is repeatedly associated with violence, sponsors and corporate partners may become more cautious about investing. That ultimately affects club funding, players, vendors, organizers and the wider football economy.
The Ghana Premier League cannot become commercially attractive while remaining unsafe.
We must change the matchday experience. Perhaps it is time for Ghana to rethink the entire matchday experience. Security should be intelligence-led rather than reactive. High-risk matches should receive appropriate security planning well before kick-off.
Clubs should identify and sanction individuals who repeatedly engage in violence. Stadium entry procedures must be properly managed. There should also be stronger collaboration among clubs, the GFA, Ghana Police Service, stadium managers and local authorities.
Most importantly, sanctions must be credible. If supporters know that violence will have consequences, behavior can change. If they believe they can destroy property, attack people, and simply walk away, the problem will persist.
We cannot afford to lose another Nana Pooley. The greatest tragedy is that it sometimes takes death before we act. Nana Pooley’s death should not become another painful chapter that we remember only on anniversaries. His death must become a lesson. We should not wait for another supporter, player, official, or innocent bystander to lose his or her life before asking what went wrong.
We have already received the warnings. How many more warnings do we need? Let us save Ghana football. I still believe deeply in the Ghana Premier League. Let us build a league where sponsors are proud to put their brands behind the game.
And above all, let us build a football culture where every supporter across the various centers can go to a match day and cheer for his or her club and return home safely.
At the end of 90 minutes, it is still football.
Source: Adom Online
