BY NADIA NTIAMOAH
Young Apostles FC have rejected allegations that Aduana FC Chief Executive Officer Collins Atta Poku was prevented from entering their stadium during Sunday’s Ghana Premier League encounter, describing reports circulating on social media as misleading and insisting that the incident resulted from adherence to established security protocols.
The club’s response follows an online controversy sparked by photographs of Atta Poku that circulated after Young Apostles secured a 1-0 victory over Aduana FC.
The images triggered claims that the Aduana CEO had been denied access to the stadium, raising questions about the treatment of visiting club officials during the league fixture.
However, Young Apostles have offered a different account of the incident, maintaining that Atta Poku was not barred from entering the venue but was instead directed to use the designated entrance for access to the VIP section.
In a statement issued on Monday, October 12, 2026, the club explained that the Aduana FC chief executive had attempted to enter the VIP section through an entrance that was not authorised for that purpose.
According to Young Apostles, security personnel directed him to the appropriate access point in line with the arrangements governing entry into the VIP area.
The club insisted that the instruction was part of its established security procedures and should not be interpreted as an attempt to deliberately prevent the visiting club’s chief executive from accessing the stadium.
Young Apostles further rejected suggestions that their officials deliberately obstructed Atta Poku or treated him unfairly because he represented the opposing club.
The club maintained that its management made several attempts to facilitate his entry and personally invited him to join the VIP section. However, it claimed that the Aduana FC CEO declined the offers and chose to remain outside the stadium.
“Mr Poku subsequently chose, of his own volition, to remain outside the stadium and later shared photographs that create a false impression of exclusion,” the club stated.
The explanation represents Young Apostles’ official account of the incident, which differs from the impression created by the photographs and claims circulated online.
The club’s position is that the controversy arose from the interpretation of the circumstances surrounding Atta Poku’s access to the VIP section rather than a deliberate decision by management to deny him entry. It has therefore urged football supporters and stakeholders to consider its account before drawing conclusions about the conduct of its officials.
The controversy emerged after Young Apostles defeated Aduana FC 1-0 in their Ghana Premier League encounter on Sunday.Although the result gave Young Apostles a victory on the pitch, the discussion surrounding Atta Poku’s presence outside the stadium quickly attracted attention on social media.
Photographs shared online prompted questions about whether the Aduana FC CEO had been subjected to unfair treatment and whether the arrangements for receiving visiting officials had been properly handled.
Young Apostles, however, expressed regret that the issue had overshadowed what it described as a welcoming atmosphere at its home venue.
