Put a gun to McDan’s head and he still cannot name even one GPL club involved in gambling - Sheikh Tophic

[caption id="attachment_981871" align="alignnone" width="295"] Sheikh Tophic[/caption]

Sheikh Tophic, the Deputy Communications Manager of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), has expressed his disagreement with the notion that the Ghana Premier League is a “gambling” league, a claim recently made by Daniel McKorley, the Executive Chairman of McDan Group of Companies.

In an interview on Asempa FM, McKorley, known for his significant contributions to sports development in Ghana, voiced his concerns about the influence of gambling in the country’s top football division.

“I can sponsor the Ghana Premier League, but the gambling is too much,” McKorley stated.

Responding to these remarks, Sheikh Tophic acknowledged the sincerity behind McKorley’s comments but argued that they reflect a lack of direct engagement with the league.

“First of all, Mr. McKorley spoke with a very clean heart. For somebody to comment about something wrong with the product means it bothers him because, first of all, if you don’t follow the product, you wouldn’t know what is going on. What it means is that he does not follow our league,” Sheikh Tophic said.

Sheikh further suggested that McKorley’s perspective might be shaped more by media reports than by personal experience, despite his role as a board member of Accra Great Olympics.

“He follows football as a fan. In fact, he is a board member of Great Olympics, and he pumps a lot of money into the team. So when he says this, then it means that he only listens to what is said in the media. Even if you put a pistol to his head to mention which teams have been involved in betting, he would not be able to,” Sheikh added.

The GFA Deputy Communications Manager also urged the media to focus on promoting the league in a positive light to help counter negative perceptions.

He encouraged Daniel McKorley to be part of the effort to bring about change in the Ghana Premier League.