Asante Kotoko head coach Eric Tinkler has defended his comments about the state of football pitches in Ghana, insisting his concerns are aimed at improving the quality of the game rather than avoiding responsibility.
The South African coach explained that football is ultimately about entertainment, and poor playing surfaces make it difficult for teams to produce attractive football.
Speaking to Akoma 87.9 FM, Tinkler said:
“I’m not trying to make an excuse about the pitches. The fact is, football is about entertainment. People want to come to the stadiums and be entertained.”
The Kotoko boss believes bad pitches often force teams to abandon technical football and rely on long-ball tactics.
“How are you going to be entertained if we go back to the old-school English football, where we’re just playing long balls because the pitch only allows us to do that? Am I being entertained? No.”
Tinkler stressed that his comments should not be viewed as an attempt to escape the pressure of winning matches, but rather as a call for better conditions to improve Ghana football.
“It’s not a criticism in terms of trying to run away from the fact that you’re making it hard to win football matches. It’s about entertainment.”
The Asante Kotoko coach said his ambition is to build a team that plays exciting football, attracts supporters to stadiums and develops players capable of moving to bigger leagues.
“We want to entertain. We want to play a brand of football that is entertaining, that’s going to bring fans to the stadiums. We want to develop players that we can move into Europe.”
He added that quality pitches are essential for young players to reach international standards.
“How are those players going to be able to reach the level they need to reach if they don’t have playing fields that are suitable for them to develop to those levels?”
Tinkler’s comments come after former Ghana coaches Karim Zito and Maxwell Konadu criticised his repeated concerns about pitches, urging him to adapt to the realities of Ghanaian football.
However, the Kotoko coach insists criticism does not automatically make an opposing view correct.
“People want to criticise. I’m not on social media. I stay away from it because I know there’s only going to be bad comments and bad opinions.”
“What’s their opinion? It doesn’t mean that it makes them right.”
Tinkler’s remarks have reignited the debate over Ghana’s football infrastructure, with discussions continuing over whether coaches should adjust to existing conditions or whether authorities must invest more in modern facilities to support better football.
