Post Number 12: Deceptive Angels Leading Reforms in Ghana Football
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| Thousands in attendance to watch #12 at AICC |
Africa, my continent, was without exception. In my country, Ghana, the sound of corruption in football on the lips of the citizens, was like a hit song from an A list artist, Sarkodie or Shatta Wale. Almost! Every day, you hear people talk about corruption in football not limited to sports broadcasters but on the lips of the public.
It was not seen as, joke anymore. Whenever corruption in Ghana football is heard, one name pops up, Kwesi Nyantakyi, the president of Ghana Football Association and first Vice President of Confederation of African Football. The allegations against him went on for years without hardcore evidence. The man who respects his high-earned reputation sued two multimedia journalists over the corruption allegations being spread against him. Before the lawsuit, Nyantakyi dared the sports journalists and that, whoever thinks, he is corrupt must come out with the evidence. He went further to promise a huge sum of money to whoever that can report referees taking, bribe, including the referees themselves reporting club administrators who would want to bribe them, with evidence. No sports journalist boldly came out with single evidence against him but the cry of corruption in Ghana football and against him went on.
This angered the tiger to strike. An investigative journalist, Anas Aremaeyaw Anas, took it upon himself to investigative corruption in Ghana football and the powerful man in football. The award-winning journalist and his team Tiger Eye PI released a documentary, ‘Betraying the game' which captured many football officials in Ghana and Africa. In a secret filming documentary, Nyantakyi was captured making eerie promises in, attempt to bag money. He acted as an agent to the FA to negotiate, contract in very damaging words. Nigeria's top football coach Yusuf Salisu was also filmed. The documentary also had Ghanaian and African referees, RFA chairmen in, bribery scandal.
On 6th June 2018, the much- anticipated documentary, ‘betraying the game' was shown for the first time at the Accra International Conference Center which recorded thousands of people in attendance. #12 did not hit the screens in Ghana alone, a bus in China also showed a live telecast of the video. BBC and various television channels in Ghana also premiered the video.
THE OUTCOME OF NUMBER 12.
After the video was premiered in the capital city of Ghana and some regional capitals, AnasAremaeyaw Anas, made the documentary available to FIFA and they acted on the video and temporarily banning Nyantakyi on 8th June 2018. This forced him to resign as the president of the Ghana Football Association. FIFA through its ethics committee extended the ban to extra 45 days on 10th September 2018. The final decision from the ethics committee came on 30th October 2018, where Nyantakyi was banned for life from all football-related activities.
The governing body of African Football CAF on 7th July 2018 also released a list of referees captured in the video and the actions taken against them in relation to football activities by CAF. An assistant referee from Kenya Marwa Range received a life ban, others received 10years ban and below whereas many were on suspension awaiting, final decision.
Anas Aremaeyaw Anas stepped into the feet of the Ghanaian sports journalists who continuously on air shouted ‘corruption in Ghana football and Nyantakyi as corrupt' yet had no evidence, provided the evidence, set those that were sued free. The work of an investigative journalist was duly executed, now those who saw corruption and the wrongdoings at the FA were left to normalize things but not Anas himself.
THE HONEST JOURNALISTS AND THE ANGEL TO NORMALIZE GHANA FOOTBALL
Right after the nationwide video premiering, corruption in Football disappeared, no broadcaster ever talked of corruption and the very journalists who continuously talked of it have now been silenced. Why? ‘The head and the root of corruption in Ghana Football were gone for good.' There was a need to normalize Ghana football and to bring back the love of the game. The government of Ghana in consultation with its' stakeholders decided to dissolve the GFA but lost the battle to the ‘football people' in argument and FIFA came in to normalize our Football. Verily! Verily I say to you, Football is different from politics.
The Normalization Committee was given three (3) key mandates in six months to fulfil in normalizing the game. The committee was chaired by Dr. Kofi Amoah but failed to normalize things and FIFA have extended their term to another six months. FIFA then brought former Black Stars defender and super sports pundit, Sammy Kuffour to replace Lawyer Dua Adonteng. They decided to organize a special competition to ensure that Ghana gets a representative in the CAF competitions next season.
Though the 2018 premier league could not end successfully, Kumasi Asante Kotoko SC through the rules of the game, challenged the normalization committee and represented Ghana in the CAF Confederations Cup. They performed better and reached the group stages where they were eliminated as a third-placed team. The government of Ghana gave the normalization committee $1million each to organize the special competition for both the women and the men. Whilst the men competition is still ongoing, Hasaacas ladies were the winners of the special competition, beaten Ampem Darkoa by three goals to two.
The normalization is ongoing but only to bring back the Ghana premier league and to get the crowd at the stadium for black stars games. The issue of grassroots football, the RFA's remains untouched. Officiating problems that caused many referees to be filmed by the investigative journalist remains a doubt if it has been eradicated. The special competition has seen some problems with officiating. Head coach for Aduana Stars, Tandoh on live television, warned the committee to look carefully into officiating if not, ‘it will be suicidal' to see any bad decision from a referee. Female referee Theresa Bremansu got her share of physical assault at Army Park a match between Prison Ladies and Ampem Darkoa. The person who assaulted the referee is walking freely.
‘Betraying the game' has served its purpose but the very people who branded themselves as angels, to lead Ghana Football to the promised land which the old administration failed to do have also failed. There is still a hope that football will return to its normalcy but when? A club owned by the former GFA president, have some outstanding matches to play in the special competition, whether they would play or back out is still unknown. Though former Black Stars defender John Paintsil issued a statement indicating a takeover of the club since the bankroller is banned for life by FIFA, the RFA chairman for Upper West, Alhaji Yahayahas stated, the RFA have not been officially informed, indicating that, the former GFA president still owns a Football club called WA ALL STARS.
WHO BETRAYED ANAS AREMAEYAW ANAS?
Anas as an investigative journalist who fearlessly executed his duty. His previous undercover works portray the pictures, that he paves the way for the honest people to clean the rot he has unveiled. Counting back to Malawi’s human harvest, Ghana in the eyes of God, orphans home of hell, abortion ’sex’ doctor, Ghana’s sex mafia, enemies of the nation, a spell of the albino, spirit child, Messiah of mentukwa, Kenyans Tickling Time Bomb, Nigeria fake doctors and so on. The people who saw themselves, to be honest, the lovers of Ghana football and the historians, the well-known individual and the can-do people are the ones betraying themselves. Anas remains Anas. The silence of the people is an indication that we do not use mouth and pull him down to run an entity. Recently the pro for the normalization Committee in audio stated, something has been destroyed for thirteen years by the old administration cannot be normalized in six months. Cameroon, Zimbabwe and other European countries were used as a case study. Logically, according to him, the normalization committee need not less than two years and not above thirteen years to normalize our football. Ghana football will be back but hopefully when every journalist have found their ’chop money.’
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