Nyarko Benso
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has rejected a request by government to
present Abedi Pele as a candidate for a Caf executive committee position.
The GFA has reported the latest development to football’s world governing body, Fifa and Caf.
The GFA chose its president Kwesi Nyantakyi three months ago to contest next year’s elections.
Nyantakyi filed his nomination papers and has been confirmed by Caf to contest the post.
But in a dramatic twist of events, the Ministry of Sports wrote to ask the GFA to name the ex-Ghana captain for the position.
But a stern reply from the GFA, signed by all the 22 members of its executive committee, told Sports Minister Akua Sena Dansua that her directive will not be carried out.
“The executive committee of the Ghana Football Association finds this latest twist as unfortunate and clearly confusing,” the statement signed by the general secretary of the Ghana FA Kofi Nsiah read.
“We write to inform you that the Executive Commitee of this FA is unable to act or take any further action on your request.”
Making its case on the independence of football associations from governmental interference, the GFA quoted Article 18 of the Caf statutes to buttress its point.
“The decision of the GFA is in pursuant of Caf statutes that state that names of candidates for membership of Caf and Fifa executive committees shall be submitted by the relevant national associations,” the statement added.
Under Fifa rules, national football associations must not be subject to government control.
Similar actions by the governments in Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Kenya have resulted in bans from international football.
Ghana’s last executive committee member was the late Sam Okyere but it has been more than two decades since.
Abedi Pele lost in his bid to get on the committee in 2004 when he lost to the Nigerian Amos Adamu.
The latest directive is likely to increase growing tensions between the Youth and Sports Ministry and the GFA over what executives of the football association feel is undue interference from government in the way they run their affairs.
Thursday, 11 November 2010
BBC Sports
