Top 4 in trouble as Ashgold threaten to pull out
Barely a week after the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) launched its flagship competition, the GHALCA Top 4, amidst pomp and pageantry, Ashgold are threatening to pull out of it.
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The Obuasi club is demanding that the organisers resolve all outstanding issues related to the competition before it attempts to oblige the teams into action.
The competition is scheduled to kick-off on Sunday with Accra Hearts of Oak and arch rivals Kumasi Asante Kotoko setting the stage with a thriller.
Mr. Kudjoe Fianoo, CEO of Ashgold, told the Graphic Sports if GHALCA failed to meet their demands it would be impossible for them to participate in the competition.
According to him, Ashgold had registered their disagreements with the arrangements for the competition and communicated that to the organisers.
He disclosed that at a meeting with GHALCA executives, they were told that if the organisers failed to secure sponsorship for the competition they would rely on gate proceeds with the proposal that home teams would take 60 percent of the gate proceeds with 20 per cent going to the away team while GHALCA would take 10 per cent.
However, he said, the board of Ashgold rejected the arrangement and made it clear it could not pre-finance the team to participate in the tournament.
“With this feedback from our board and with no clear sign that GHALCA will secure sponsorship for the tournament, we are considering pulling out of the tournament.
“Playing six games, including three away, is costly and can affect our finances at a time we should be mobilising the necessary resources for the new season.
“The organisers told us they were looking for sponsors, but they could not get it and they decided to go ahead without sponsorship.
“We have been on this road before and we are not prepared to take this risk again. This same GHALCA compelled us to play the Top 8 competition with a promise to reimburse us, but they reneged on that and still owe us. We have learnt our lessons and wouldn’t be fooled again”, Fianoo stressed.