Asante Kotoko head coach Eric Tinkler has defended his repeated concerns about the quality of football pitches in Ghana, insisting his comments are aimed at improving the game rather than making excuses for poor results.

The South African coach said quality playing surfaces are essential for entertaining supporters, developing players and helping clubs play modern football.

Speaking to Akoma FM, Tinkler rejected suggestions that his criticism of pitches was an attempt to avoid responsibility, saying his priority is to build a Kotoko team capable of playing an attractive brand of football.

“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,” he said.

Tinkler argued that poor pitches often force teams to abandon possession-based football and rely on long balls instead.

“How are you going to be entertained when the pitch is not in good condition? 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?

“Am I being entertained? No.”
The former Cape Town City coach said his remarks should be viewed as part of a wider discussion about improving football in Ghana rather than criticism of local conditions.

“It’s not a criticism in terms of trying to run away from the fact that you’re making it hard to win football matches. It’s about entertainment,” he explained.

Since taking charge of the Porcupine Warriors ahead of the 2026-27 Ghana Premier League season, Tinkler has spoken about his desire to introduce an expansive style of play that can attract more supporters to stadiums.

“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 said.

He also argued that improving pitches is vital for producing players capable of competing at the highest level.

“How are those players going to be able to reach the level they need to reach if they don’t have playing fields that are suitable for them to develop to those levels?” he asked.

Tinkler’s latest remarks come after experienced Ghanaian coaches Karim Zito and Maxwell Konadu criticised his continued focus on pitch conditions, with both suggesting that he should adapt to the realities of Ghanaian football.

The Kotoko coach, however, dismissed the suggestion that criticism automatically makes opposing views valid.

“People want to criticise. As I said, I’m not on social media. I stay away from it because I know there’s only going to be bad comments and bad opinions, so hence, I don’t follow,” he said.

“What’s their opinion? It doesn’t mean that it makes them right.”

For now, however, Tinkler’s immediate focus remains on Asante Kotoko, who begin their 2026/27 Ghana Premier League campaign with an away fixture against newly promoted Debibi United.