By: Zakaria Abubakari Olu Jakpa
0543152076
28th May 2026
The 2026 Salah Gala matches organized by the Member of Parliament for Damongo Constituency ended abruptly at the Damongo Astro Turf following crowd trouble and supporters invading the pitch.
The match was unfortunately brought to a premature end after Kamara FC expressed dissatisfaction with a penalty decision taken by the centre referee, leading to the boycott of the game.
At the time of the incident, One Way Stars were leading by a goal to nil and had the opportunity to increase the tally after a through ball found their attacker one-on-one with the goalkeeper before he was brought down in the penalty area, resulting in the referee awarding a penalty.
A community where many people have consistently called on stakeholders to organize football games to promote unity among constituents has sadly witnessed another moment of chaos instead.
This is the second time the MP has organized gala matches of this nature, and both editions have been marred by confusion and disorder among teams and supporters.
The 2020 Electoral Area Gala competition also ended violently, with several supporters sustaining injuries. The final match between Hangaline Ngbaripe Alhassankura Electoral Area and Larbanga Electoral Area had to be halted after confusion erupted when the referee blew the final whistle, forcing military officers to intervene and restore calm.
The question we must ask ourselves is:
What at all do we want?
We always call for football matches and unity games, yet when such competitions are organized, we end up fighting among ourselves.
The winners of this competition were expected to take home just GHC 2,000. One can only imagine what could have happened if the prize money had been much higher.
This act is completely uncalled for.
All individuals who led or participated in the violence should be identified and brought to book because this behavior is becoming unacceptable and damaging to the image of the community.
Drastic measures must be taken to prevent future occurrences. If it means banning certain individuals or teams from future competitions, then so be it.
Football is a game governed by three possible outcomes:
You either win, draw, or lose.
Whichever result comes your way, you must learn to accept it in good faith.
Conclusion
Sports and football competitions are meant to promote peace, unity, friendship, and development within our communities, not violence and hatred. If we continue to allow emotions and anger to control us during matches, we risk destroying the very opportunities meant to bring us together.
Stakeholders, organizers, team officials, players, and supporters must all play their part in ensuring discipline and respect for the rules of the game. Until we learn to accept decisions and results in good faith, incidents like these will continue to tarnish the image of our community.
Football should unite us, not divide us.
spear fm sports desk
