The 30-year-old Black Star sheds light into the player exodus from the domestic scene
Ethiopia-based Ghana international Lee Addy opines the poor working conditions in the domestic league which makes the Premier League (GPL) unattractive.
Addy is among a contingent of frustrated footballers rescued from the East African country and evacuated back home following a distress call to the Government of Ghana in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Addy, who represented Ghana at the 2010 World Cup, played for Berekum Chelsea during his days on the local scene.
“Our only motivation to stay and play in the [Ghanaian] league is if Ghanaian clubs are able to present us with good offers,” Addy told Happy FM.
“I will urge all the big clubs in the country to invest in the players and they will gain in the long run. It will also help the league to be competitive.
“In Ethiopia, the FA has set a standard for players to be paid a minimum of $1,000 [€874]. Most players in Ghana will prefer to play in Ethiopia than in Ghana because of the salary.
“We hope the GFA can turn things around on this issue but it must start from now.”
Last month, a group of about 22 players sent out an SOS call, through a viral social media video, to the Government of Ghana, alleging to have failed to receive help from the Ghanaian consulate. The footballers were spotted outside the Ghanaian embassy in Addis Ababa.
The Ghana Ministry for Youth and Sports (MoYS) in collaboration with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) jointly combined efforts to pull off a successful rescue mission.
The players are currently under mandatory quarantine in accordance with Ghanaian travel safety protocols.
“We are pleased with what the government and the GFA have done for us, in fact, we didn’t expect them to help us this way,” Addy said.
“I will advise any Ghanaian to visit the Ghana embassy in any country they travel to and inform them of their arrival so in case of any problem they can reach out to them.”
The Premier League is scheduled to return in October, having been forced to a stop by the coronavirus pandemic from March.
