The Ghana Premier League is far from perfect, according to former Hearts of Oak player Sulley Ali Muntari, and much work needs to be done to advance it.
The mentality of club executives, according to Muntri, is the reason why the nation’s top division is in such poor shape.
Speaking about his failure to sign a contract extension with Hearts of Oak and his unsuccessful transfer to Asante Kotoko, he made the implication that both organizations chose not to use the European methods of developing a squad.
“I wanted something like that, but here the mentality is just different, and we continue to say the mentality is different and the League is horrible. There is talent, there are a lot of talents that we should give them a chance to play and take good care of them for them to play,” he said in an interview with Dan Kwaku Yeboah TV.
He pointed out some poor treatment players go through at the hands of club administrators.
“You can’t travel with kids and leave them seven, eight, or nine hours and expect them to go and play football. And you don’t treat them the way you want to be treated. So I think if we want a very good future for these kids, the League, first division, second division, and colts. We need to focus on them. We really need to focus on them. If not, we will continue to compare.”
He said the domestic League could not produce great players like Michael Essien, Stephen Appiah, Derek Boateng, and the like because of the poor running of the local League and lack of foundation.
“If you want Essien, Stephen Appiah, Derek Boateng, and the other players, you won’t get it. Because at that time, the players were picking up, there was a foundation for them. You just don’t wake you and say you want this and that; it won’t work.”
Sulley Muntari joined Hearts of Oak in January 2002, signing a six months contract that runs until the end of 2021/2022 Ghana Premier League season.