Eric Tinkler stands firm on Ghana pitch criticism

The South African coach came under fire after raising concerns about the condition of sporting infrastructure in Ghana, with former Kotoko coaches Maxwell Konadu and Karim Zito calling on him to adapt to the conditions available.

However, Tinkler has stood by his comments, insisting his concerns are centred on the quality of football, player development and the overall experience for supporters.

"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," Tinkler told Akoma FM as quoted by Modern Ghana.

"How are you going to be entertained when the pitch is not in good condition?" he asked.

The former Orlando Pirates coach also questioned whether players can develop the technical qualities required to compete at the highest level when poor playing surfaces force teams to abandon their preferred style.

"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?" he said.

"Am I being entertained? No."

Tinkler believes improving facilities is essential not only for the quality of domestic football but also for attracting supporters and creating a pathway for talented Ghanaian players to move abroad.

"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.

Despite the debate surrounding his comments, Tinkler must now turn his attention to matters on the pitch as Kotoko prepare to open their Ghana Premier League campaign.

The Porcupine Warriors are scheduled to begin their season away against Debibi United on Sunday, with Tinkler hoping his side can make a positive start to the campaign.