A group of sports journalists in the Ashanti Region has announced plans to petition Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II as part of a scheduled demonstration against what they perceive as a decline in football in the country.
This move comes in the wake of a similar action by sports journalists and enthusiasts in Accra last week, expressing dissatisfaction over the disappointing performance of the Black Stars in the recently concluded 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Atta Poku, the convener of the protest, disclosed to Citi News that the group had already petitioned various stakeholders and outlined their intention to start the demonstration at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium and conclude at the regional coordinating council, where they will submit their petition to the Ashanti regional minister.
“The plan is that it is going to happen on February 23, and we have actually delivered a petition to various stakeholders, so we intend to ramp up what we have done to expedite action on the engagement that is ongoing after the first demonstration. We are planning to actually converge on the seat of football, which is the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, at 9 am, just as it happened in Accra,” Atta Poku explained.
“We will go through the Wesley Roundabout and the regional coordinating council will be the final destination, so a petition will be sent to the regional minister and Asantehene because of his involvement with Asante Kotoko,” he added.
The demonstration aims to draw attention to the perceived decline in football standards and to advocate for necessary reforms to revitalize the sport in Ghana.