No Way For 3rd Term: GFA Warned | Football/Soccer

The Chairman of the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA), Kudjoe Fianoo, has issued a stern warning to the Ghana Football Association (GFA), vowing to resist any attempt to amend its statutes to extend the tenure of the presidency from two terms to three.

In an interview with the Graphic Sports last Friday, Fianoo revealed that he had received reliable information suggesting that the GFA Executive Council (ExCo) was considering an amendment that would allow the current FA President, Kurt Simeon-Okraku, to run for a third term. 

This proposal, according to him, was being discussed even though Okraku is only one year into his second term.

Fianoo stressed that while he harboured no personal vendetta against Okraku, he could not sit idly by and allow what he described as a “power grab” to happen at a time when Ghana football was on the decline.

“Currently, the FA President is supposed to serve two terms of four years each, as stated in the statute. But I’ve been reliably informed that they are preparing to host a congress to amend that section of the statute. Given his performance so far, he doesn’t deserve it. If they proceed,

I will take every step necessary to stop it,” he declared.

The former Ashantigold CEO criticised Okraku’s tenure, citing poor performance by the national teams, especially the Black Stars. He warned that failure to qualify for the 2025 AFCON would be the final straw, and he would lead a campaign to remove Okraku from office.

“If we fail to qualify for the AFCON, it will confirm the decline, and steps must be taken to remove him from office,” Fianoo said.
 
The experienced administrator further argued that Ghanaians cared more about winning the AFCON than merely qualifying for the World Cup.

He dismissed the notion that previous World Cup qualifications could justify Okraku’s leadership, noting that Ghana’s early exit from the 2022 World Cup added no value to the country’s football.

“If you ask Ghanaians, they would prefer the Black Stars winning the AFCON over qualifying for the World Cup, where it’s mostly about money.

We went to the World Cup and didn’t even make it past the group stage, but people still found a way to share money,” Fianoo said.
 
Fianoo also lamented the deterioration of Ghana football, and highlighted the lack of sponsorship for the Premier League as evidence of poor leadership.

“Tell me, what aspect of Ghana football is progressing? Before he took office, at least we had some sponsorship or media rights, but today all that is gone. Our football has become unattractive,” he stated.

He also pointed out that despite rotating through six different coaches and various players under Okraku’s leadership, the national team has seen little improvement, indicating that the problem might lie with management rather than just technical staff.

Beyond that, Fianoo also criticised Okraku’s handling of the Black Satellites, questioning why the team was camped in Switzerland ahead of WAFU qualifiers scheduled to be held in Togo. He also expressed frustration that Okraku was with the Satellites in Europe while the Black Stars were playing a crucial AFCON qualifier in Libya.

“How do you justify being with the Black Satellites in Switzerland while the senior national team is playing an important match in Libya? These things reflect poorly on leadership,” he said.

He further emphasised that in any serious society, Okraku would have resigned by now due to poor performance. However, since the FA President has shown no intention of stepping down, Fianoo vowed to fight against any move to extend his tenure.

“In any civilised society, where success is measured by Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), such poor performance would have resulted in resignation. But if you’re not resigning and instead thinking of a third term, I will do everything in my power to resist it,” Fianoo concluded.