Asante Kotoko head coach, Prosper Ogum has expressed his frustration about the closure of stadiums, which has forced football clubs to seek temporary venues for their home games.
The Baba Yara Stadium, the home ground for Kotoko, has been shut down by the National Sports Authority (NSA) for renovations after receiving a ban from the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
As a result, the Porcupine Warriors have had to relocate to the Len Clay Stadium in Obuasi for their home matches.
This issue isn’t limited to Kotoko. Other venues like the Cape Coast Stadium have also been closed, leaving several Ghana Premier League teams scrambling to find suitable alternatives.
In an interview with 3Sports, Ogum shared his concerns about how constantly switching between venues affects team performance.
“Yes, I think so because you have to always be on the move,” the gaffer said. “Today you are at this venue, next time you have to go to a different place maybe because the venue not meeting a particular standard.
Ogum emphasized the importance of consistency in playing at a home ground, explaining that familiarity with a pitch boosts players’ confidence and helps them mentally prepare for matches.
He believes frequent venue changes disturb this process, making it harder for players to adapt to varying atmospheres and crowds.
“When it happens that way, it affects the flow of the team in terms of adaptation…the more the players play on a particular pitch as their home grounds for a period, it gives them confidence because they can have a mental picture of the crowd is going to be at any point in time.
“They know how to mentally adjust themselves before they come into the game. When you move from one venue to another, it will take time for them to adapt in terms of the crowd, in terms of the spectatoring; it will take time for them to adjust.”
Ogum also highlighted the strain caused by long-distance travel between stadiums, along with the substandard transportation available to the teams.
“Sometimes, the distance is an issue and the type of buses we use in Ghana are not sports-related buses. Travelling from venue to venue because of issues you have to change your home ground is not the best for our league,” he added.
Asante Kotoko is set to play Young Apostles in their matchday three clash this weekend, with the game to be held at their temporary home, the Len Clay Stadium.
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