By Alex Osei-Boateng
ACCRA, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Premier League clubs in Ghana on Friday announced their withdrawal from the proposed special competition created by the Ghana FA's Normalization Committee (NC), which was scheduled to begin on Jan. 26.
The NC, last December, announced the introduction of a new competition structure to bring back official domestic football activities in the country and also make clubs active.
The committee on Wednesday met with officials of all 16 premier league clubs as well as 48 second-tier teams to agree on the structure for the emergency competition.
However, two days after the meeting, all 16 elite clubs kicked against the special tournament, expressing grave concerns about its format.
According to the clubs, they have presented alternative proposal to the NC which they believe represents the interests of all stakeholders of the game and can provide the most compelling platform to attract media/commercial partners and re-launch football in Ghana, with great excitement.
"We are prepared to move forward with 16-team Premier League CAF Champions League qualification tournament as presented to and approved by the NC, and appreciate your stated willingness to adjust your timelines to minimize scheduling issues," the clubs said in a statement.
"Should you wish to continue a constructive dialogue on how we can participate in a broader tournament along the lines of the 64-team CAF Confederation cup, we would welcome a further discussion. Otherwise, we wish you all the best for the success of your special tournament as currently structure," it said.
Football activities were halted in June last year after the first showing of a documentary by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas which exposed corruption and rot in football administration in Ghana.
The investigative piece has already claimed a number of casualties in the African football fraternity including referees caught on tape receiving bribes in order to compromise games.
