A very unfortunate incident marred matchday seventeen of the Ghana Premier League when Medeama SC hosted Accra Hearts of Oak at the TNA Park in Tarkwa, a game the home side won 1-0. What should have been a routine league fixture, however, descended into chaos following an altercation involving Hearts of Oak assistant coach Abdul Gazale and a ball assistant.
According to multiple accounts, tensions flared when Gazale accused the ball assistant—commonly referred to in local football circles as a ball boy—of deliberately delaying the return of match balls to disrupt Hearts of Oak’s momentum. In a moment of poor judgment, the assistant coach allegedly slapped the ball assistant, who in turn retaliated by slapping him back.
The exchange sparked chaotic scenes that led to a temporary halt in play, drawing stewards and security personnel into the fray. While Gazale’s reaction was clearly wrong and lacking emotional intelligence expected of a senior team official, the conduct of the ball assistant was also unsporting and fell far below acceptable standards of sporting integrity.
Such antics, it must be stated, are not peculiar to Tarkwa alone. Similar time-wasting tactics and confrontations involving ball assistants have been reported at various league centres. This raises broader concerns about enforcement and accountability within the domestic game. The Ghana Football Association (GFA), led by President Kurt E. S. Okraku and General Secretary Prosper Harrison Addo, is being urged to take decisive action. Failure to punish past offenders has only emboldened others, allowing such behaviour to fester across venues.
Equally disturbing was the conduct of some security personnel on duty. After Gazale had been subdued and was no longer a threat, video footage circulating online appears to show a uniformed security officer repeatedly kicking and stepping on him while he lay on the ground. The incident effectively turned into Abdul Gazale versus security and stewards, raising serious questions about professionalism, restraint, and abuse of power.
Security officers, especially those affiliated with state agencies, are expected to act impartially and with discipline, even in volatile situations. Any form of excessive force undermines the integrity of the league and erodes public trust.
Stakeholders of Ghana football—including the GFA, clubs, media houses, and football advocacy groups—must speak out. A thorough investigation is required, and all individuals found culpable must be punished accordingly. Allowing a few bad actors to repeatedly tarnish the image of the Ghana Premier League risks killing the very game many have worked hard to build. Punishments must be firm and exemplary to deter future misconduct.
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