A Board Member of Aduana Stars, Mr Isaac Koomson, says what is preventing professional players from ending their career in the Ghana Premier League (GPL) is clubs’ inability to outsource those players.

According to him, Premier League clubs did not have the financial strength to pay such players though their presence would have enriched the league and increase patronage.

Quality of league
Mr Koomson compared the Ghana league to the South African league, while describing the latter as being financially stronger though the local league was more competitive.

He emphasised in an interview with Asempa FM yesterday that professional players would add quality, patronage and other values to the local league if they chose to end their career in the country.

“My experience in football has shown that the country is not big enough and does not have equipped people who can think outside the box and see these professional players as opportunities to brand the league and generate sponsorship packages and patronage.

South Africa example
“The South Africans have seen something special about these players. They believe the professional players will enrich their league, promote sponsorship packages and bring patronage of people to the game centres, which will generate income for them,” Mr Koomson noted.

“If Sulley Muntari attaches himself to any club in Ghana, attention and attendance for the club will be big and that cannot be quantified. In other countries, corporate people can invest their money and take up the responsibilities of such players because it will add value to their brands,” he added.

He further stated that professional players could only play in the local league when they had completely lost their form and were financially insecure, making it difficult for clubs to work with such players in spite of the advantage.