Alhaji Abdul Karim Grusah
THE owner of King Faisal Babies, Alhaji Abdul Karim Gruzah, has attributed his club’s poor showing in the 2020/2021 Ghana Premier League to lack of funds.
The Kumasi-based club escaped relegation narrowly after drawing goalless with Liberty Professionals on the final day of the local league at the Sogakope park.
However, Alhaji Gruzah believed that if Faisal were adequately resourced, they would have been a strong force to reckon with in the just-ended league.
”The lack of sponsorship in the league affected every club and we were badly affected as you saw in our performance during the league”, he told Graphic Sports in an interview last Saturday.
He, however, disclosed that the club was on the verge of securing a sponsorship deal with a yet-to-be-named company and that the deal would be announced this week after the details had been fine-tuned and concluded.
The veteran football administrator further disclosed other plans such as the early recruitment of some quality players to avoid another struggle in the elite league next season.
”We are going to do early recruitment but because of lack of funds we won’t target any big names. Our focus will be on the lower division clubs,” Alhaji Gruzah noted.
He said the club’s management would meet this week to take stock of the just-ended season and what could be done to improve Faisal’s fortunes next season.
He, however, indicated that the issue of player recruitment and the naming of a new sponsor would be key on the agenda.
According to the King Faisal boss, the club’s doors were still open to other corporate bodies who would like to partner them in the coming season to perform much better than they did last season.
He revealed that the club was saddled with debt but the benevolence of some individuals, including the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia; the CEO of BOST, CEO of COCOBOD, Joseph Boahen Aidoo; Mr Asamoah Boateng; the Chief of Staff, Madam Frema Opare; some MPs such as Patrick Boamah and the Transport Minister, Mr Kweku Ofori Asiamah, helped settle it.
While expressing gratitude to these individuals for their support, he requested for more support to help build a formidable side capable of competing favourably with the big clubs in the league next season.
