In 2018, one of the biggest scandals in African football hit Ghana Football Association.
The then president Kwesi Nyantakyi was involved in an exposé that was orchestrated by journalists.
In that period, Ghana football was on the ascendency. Ghana 🇬🇭 had already made three(3) World Cup appearances, hosted the African cup and won bronze, we had already played Two(2) finals of the African Cup, played the finals of the Chan tournament in men’s football, played the Semi finals of the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2x and had won the U-20 fifa World Cup (being the only African country to do that) and also won the U-20 Wafu and African cups.
Our women’s football kept growing. Black Queens were winning African Games gold medals, Black Maidens were in the World Cup as well as the Black Princesses. We had big figures manning big positions at Caf and FIFA. Ghana 🇬🇭 football was the reference point in-terms of growth on the African continent but politics and hatred halted it all.
The Anas Exposé that was orchestrated by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas and supported by known and well celebrated journalists in this country made sure we were brought to ground Zero. Big institutions withdrew their support, potential clients and investors stayed back to protect their brand’s image, football in the country was halted, investments went waste, Ghana football Association’s office was raided, documents got missing, GFA office was a crime scene, players were left as orphans.. FOOTBALL IN GHANA 🇬🇭 WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED.
THE FAMOUS NORMALIZATION COMMITTEE
In August 2018, FIFA and CAF announced the formation of the Normalization Committee with specific duties. They were to formulate the smooth transition into office a new GFA President and it’s Exco… Until the election of a New GFA President and it’s Exco, they will steer the affairs of GFA on a daily basis and also ensure that the Statutes of GFA are reviewed. Their mandate was not to exceed March 31, 2019.
But as the saying goes, POWER CHANGE ALL THINGS, we saw a more destructive NC that is alleged to have looted the coffers of GHANA FOOTBALL. It’s can be recalled that series of media publications revealed that members of the GFA NC were paid $4000 monthly with the Chairman taking $6500. It is even on record that the chairman of the then NC Dr. Kofi Amoah said the $6500 reportedly paid him as monthly salary was a National Service money. The NC again reportedly received a sum of $1 million from the GLOBACOM… the interesting part of the whole saga was the manner at which the money was paid as the GFA had lawyers working on the money,NC engaged different lawyers without the knowledge of any of the stakeholders. After their tenure of office a $900,000 was handed to GFA with $100,000 used as arbitration fees. Again it could be recalled the government invested over $1.7m into Normalization as its on record that the chairman has asked for such amount in parliament. Fight broke out between members of the NC with the spokesperson DAN KWEKU YEBOAH deciding to resign and also on record to have said the Chairman and some members are doing things that doesn’t help the growth of football. The NC had even applied for an extension after staying over 14 months exceeding the period of their mandate but was rejected by both FIFA and CAF. The fiasco and the disgrace at the 2019 AFCON capped it all. We went into the tournament with a $6.3m and expended $4.5m exiting at the round of 16 stage. The funny aspect of the whole AFCON thing was the team Photoshoots(Players wrapped in flags with the images looking like was taken with a spoilt China phone😀😀😀😀😀)
During this period, the media landscape was divided. The reason was soo glaring, people that forced the destruction and the appointment of the bigger destroyers had lost their voices. They had realised that their deeds had led the country to its lowest and there was nothing to be done again… The Media once again has failed the country.
🔴🟡🟢 THE NEW ERA OF GHANA 🇬🇭 FOOTBALL🔴🟡🟢
In October 2019, the new GFA President and its Exco were elected into office signaling a new dawn of hope for all football stakeholders. Obviously it was not going to be easy knowing very well the lowest at which we found our game. The league was expanded from 16 to 18 teams meaning more matches and investments.
Sponsorships became difficult to get since image of the GFA was soiled and corporate Ghana was weary of the dangers associated with brands doing business with the GFA. Yet the GFA tried to make things work. Clubs were supported to begin preps for the new season. Financially it was difficult but we kept the faith. After a season we had sponsors coming on board. They were not headline sponsors but brought some kind of relief to the clubs. Then the famous football and boots for clubs policy, absorbing of officiating fees and host of other monetary benefits despite the financial challenges. Betpawa came along the line to be headline sponsor of our league.
But then, success should be seen on the field… The Black Stars has made it to the AFCON 2x but had to exit in the group stage, our women’s U-17 team were banned over age cheating of one player, U-20 failed to make it to the World Cup and boom the media rose again. They allowed hatred to coerce them into believing Ghana 🇬🇭 football is dead. They had obviously forgotten that the men’s U-20 had won the Wafu and AFCON tournaments. THE BUILDING THE FUNDAMENTALS slogan was taking shape. Today we can boast of our women’s football rocking shoulders with the best on the continent.
Ghana is dominant in the women’s Wafu club championships, both Hasaacas Ladies Football Club and Ampem Darkoa Ladies FC have played the finals and semi final of the women’s Champions League. The Black Queens are in the women’s AFCON and the Princesses going to the women’s U-20 World Cup after winning the Wafu girls cup and capping it up with a Gold medal in the African Games.
In men’s football, the Starlets are preparing for their U-17 qualifiers, Satellites just won Gold in African Games and the Black Stars in their worse form makes to World Cup. Dreams and Medeama make the CAF Confederation and Champions League group stages with Dreams making it to the knockout phase.
There are a lot to do to reach the top but NEVER AGAIN are we going to allow greedy and selfish agenda derail our progress. We will not allow politics by the media to bring our growth down again.
Enough is Enough.
The media has a role to play if our football will grow.
Let’s speak to the truth but don’t allow selfishness destroy the future we are building.
GHANA 🇬🇭 FOOTBALL WILL WIN AGAIN
I am #SOLOMONAMANKWAH
I AM #TheSuperman
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