Kofi Adams urges Ghana Premier League to build marketable stars

Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams has called for a deliberate programme to develop recognisable players and restore the appeal of the Ghana Premier League. He said the competition’s commercial prospects depend partly on creating football personalities who can attract supporters and give clubs stronger identities.

Adams made the call at the Ghana Football Association’s 32nd Ordinary Congress in Prampram. He said the league once benefited from players whose performances, public profiles and rivalries made them central figures in Ghanaian football.

He pointed to former league stars Charles Taylor, Stephen Oduro and Don Bortey as examples of players who became attractions beyond their individual teams. Their reputations helped supporters identify with the competition and gave the league characters around whom interest could grow.

Adams said the current league still contains talented footballers, but argued that the wider football industry has not done enough to turn them into widely recognised figures. He said the presence of more media coverage has not automatically produced players who command the same level of attention.

The minister said star creation should be treated as an intentional part of football development. In his view, clubs, the GFA, the media and other stakeholders must work together to identify players, build their profiles and promote personalities capable of becoming leading figures in the domestic game.

His comments came amid concerns about declining interest in the Ghana Premier League, including attendance, commercial income and the strength of clubs’ relationships with supporters. Adams said the league’s character is part of what makes it sellable, linking the development of identifiable players to broader efforts to improve its administration, promotion and commercial performance.

The discussion formed part of Congress deliberations on the development, administration and commercialisation of Ghanaian football ahead of the new season. Adams believes a new group of influential league personalities can emerge from the current crop if the football system takes a planned approach to their development and promotion.