Sports
His concern is not with synthetic surfaces themselves, but with the low-grade versions that, he says, have become common across the country. “We have littered the country with bedroom carpets,” he said bluntly.
Ace sports journalist, Godfred Akoto Boafo has issued a passionate warning about what he believes is one of the biggest hidden threats to Ghana’s football future: poor-quality artificial pitches.
His concern is not with synthetic surfaces themselves, but with the low-grade versions that, he says, have become common across the country.
“We have littered the country with bedroom carpets,” he said bluntly.
According to Akoto, many of these pitches are constructed using thin synthetic material laid over hard concrete and gravel, creating unforgiving playing surfaces that absorb little impact.
The result, he warned, is a growing risk of long-term injuries.
“Over time you are killing ankles, you are killing knees, you are killing hips.”
He insists there is ample scientific evidence linking poor-quality artificial surfaces to increased stress on young athletes’ joints.
But Akoto believes the damage goes beyond injuries.
He argues that Ghana has also lost the free public spaces where generations of footballers developed naturally.
“The kids hone their skills by just picking up a ball and playing for hours.”
Instead, many community pitches have become commercial facilities where players must pay hundreds of cedis to use them for just a few hours.
“We’ve taken all that away.”
For Akoto, football greatness has never been manufactured inside expensive facilities alone.
It has always begun with children playing freely.
“If the streets were locked, would those players have become who they are?” he asked.
His fear is that unless Ghana prioritises quality facilities and restores access to community football spaces, the country’s next generation of stars may never fully develop.
@PK
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