National president of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG), Kwabena Yeboah has bemoaned the lack of a premier league team in the whole of the Northern Region. Northern Region has not seen premier league football since the relegation of Real Tamale United (RTU) in the 2012/2013 season. The team has struggled ever since to make a return.
Kwabena Yeboah, who was speaking at the inauguration of the Northern Regional branch of SWAG on Saturday, 31st October, 2020 at the Pioneer Lodge in Tamale said the northern region had an avalanche of talents and must utilize these to get a premier league team. He entreated traditional and opinion leaders as well as stakeholders in football within the region to ensure a team qualifies to the premiership soon. “It is unacceptable that we do not have a premier league team from this part of the country. Therefore, I humbly appeal to the chiefs and all stakeholders to ensure that we rally behind at least one team to make it to the premier league.” He said.
Kwabena Yebooah lamented that the likes of Mohammed Choo, Ghana’s premier league top scorer in 1978 and 1982, Ahmed Dawud (Jaato), Abedi Ayew Pele, Mohammed Gargo and Karim Mallam Star among others are a testimony to the myriad of talents the Northern Region has produced in the past. He said it is appalling not to have a premier league team.
He also said the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium was a world class edifice that needs to be put to good use, hence premier league football.
Kwabena Yeboah was in Tamale with the Deputy General Secretary, Ohene Brenya Bampoe and camera lady Mary Eshun.
They arrived on Friday afternoon to a warm welcome from the interim executives. They subsequently paid a courtesy call on the Dakpema of Tamale Fuseini Bawa at his palace who welcomed them to the city and blessed their mission. Later in the evening on Friday, the delegation paid a similar courtesy call on the Northern Regional Football Association (NRFA) chairman, Alhaj Abu Hassan Mahama Rhyzo.
Sports journalists across the length and breadth of the Northern Region attended the inauguration which was generally successful.
The program had in attendance, a former headmaster of Tamale Senior High School and sports enthusiast Mr. Shaibu Wilberforce Adam who was the chairman for the occasion. Alhaj Abu Hassan Rhyzo, NRFA chairman who was the main speaker, a representative of the New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary candidate for Tamale Central Constituency Dr. Ibrahim Anyars, Chief Executive Officer for Yendi Gbewaa, Muaz Abdulai Choo, operations manager of Tamale City Football Club, Mohammed Iddi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RTU Alhaj Ahmed Dawud (Jaato), representatives from the Sports Callers Association of Ghana, northern regional branch among others.
The program saw the following journalists inaugurated as interim executives: Osman Hafiz (chairman), Abdul Majeed Abdulai (vice chairman), Yussif Abubakari (Secretary), Ibrahim Adam (Deputy Secretary), Sey Mubarak (Executive member in charge of Communication), Mohammed Mutaka (Organizer) and Mumuni Abdul Mumin (Treasurer). The have a two year mandate to run the association before elections are conducted.
SWAG Northern Region follows the likes of Volta Region, Ashanti Region, Bono Region, Eastern Region and Western Region as newly inaugurated since the current national leader’s drive to achieve a nationwide membership for the association started.
