"The fans don't owe you." That line from Ghana's Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams at last Thursday's GFA Congress should be pinned to the wall of every club chairman in the country.
Adams was blunt about the state of the Ghana Premier League at the 32nd Ordinary Session of the Ghana Football Association Congress, held at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram on August 20, 2026. His core argument: the GPL isn't just losing ground to other football leagues — it's competing with TikTok, streaming platforms, mobile gaming, and every other screen in a fan's pocket.
The attention economy is brutal, and the GPL isn't winning it
"Our league is competing with the Premier League, the Championship, TikTok, streaming platforms, gaming and any other forms of entertainment available on the mobile phone," Adams said. "You need to create something to attract them."
That's the uncomfortable truth Ghanaian football has been slow to absorb. A teenager in Accra on a Saturday afternoon has more entertainment options than ever before. The GPL has to earn its place in that lineup — and right now, it often doesn't.
Adams went further, flipping the traditional relationship between clubs and supporters. The default assumption in African football has long been that loyal fans simply show up. Adams rejected that entirely: clubs have a responsibility to provide a product worth following, not the other way around.
What this means for the league's future
This is where the stakes get real. Attendances in the GPL have been a persistent problem, and low crowds feed a cycle — less atmosphere means less TV interest, less TV interest means less broadcast revenue, less revenue means clubs can't invest in quality. The league's ability to attract sponsorship and betting market attention internationally depends on reversing that cycle.
- Clubs need to improve matchday experience, not just results on the pitch
- Digital content and social media engagement are no longer optional extras
- The entertainment value of a GPL match has to compete with a Premier League stream at home
Adams isn't wrong. But identifying the problem and solving it are two very different things. The minister spoke sense — now the GFA and the clubs have to do something with it.
