Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, has urged greater public education on football pitch maintenance, arguing that many criticisms of grounds staff are driven by a lack of understanding of the technical work involved.

His comments follow the circulation of a viral video on social media showing the early stages of maintenance work on a football pitch, prompting some users to question the methods being used.

Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ultimate Sports Show, Ampofo Ankrah acknowledged that he too had limited knowledge of pitch maintenance before assuming office, insisting that the footage captured only the initial phase of a comprehensive process.

“I don’t blame people, or even my colleagues, for being ignorant of what goes into pitch maintenance. I was once ignorant of the process myself. The video circulating shows the dirty work that is done before all the other maintenance processes begin,” Mr Ankrah said.

The NSA Director General explained that preparing a football pitch requires several technical procedures beyond what was shown in the viral clip, noting that the early groundwork is an essential step towards producing a quality playing surface.

Ampofo Ankrah also stressed the importance of using the media to educate the public on the realities of pitch maintenance, saying a better understanding of the process would encourage more constructive discussions about the condition of football facilities.

“It’s important we educate the people through the media to understand the work we do to facilitate constructive criticism on pitch maintenance,” he added.

He expressed confidence that increased public awareness would lead to more informed conversations about the challenges involved in maintaining football pitches across the country.