As 2007 draws to a close, the Executive Committee of the Ghana Football Association concludes its sitting for the year, looking at where they fell short in a rather successful 12 months in both sporting and in financial terms and plan for the challenges ahead.

President of the Ghana Football Association, Kwesi Nyantakyi gives a review of their final session of the year to www.ghanafa.org.


Decisions of the FA Executive Committee

When the renowned French Philosopher and Social Thinker, Montesquieu developed his famous treatise – the spirit of the laws – little did he probably know that he was laying down the standard for governance for human kind. Several years after Montesquieu, the world political economy has recognized the key departments of Government as being the Legislature, Judiciary and the Executive.

The management of football at the global level as well as our domestic milieu is founded on the theory of separation of powers as clearly enunciated in the treatise of Montesquieu. The law making functions of the football governing body are vested in the General Assembly or Congress.

The Judicial bodies exercise the judicial functions whiles the executive authority is vested in an Executive Committee.

As per Regulations of the Ghana Football Association, the 22 – man Executive Committee is required to meet every other month.

Effectively, the Executive Committee meets at least 6 times a year in ordinary sessions. The last of such meetings was held last Tuesday 4th December 2007.

The agenda was to consider and approve the minutes of the previous meeting, the budget and programme for 2008, an audit of the regional football associations, a review of the year’s activities, and a follow up on matters arising out of the previous meetings. After a long deliberation lasting about 5 hours, the Executive Committee took important decisions for the Association.

Highlights of key decisions taken may be presented below.

Extraordinary Congress

The Committee reviewed activities for 2007 and noted that one of the major obstacles that adversely affected the program for 2007 was the decision of some clubs and individuals to resort to the ordinary law courts as a means of seeking redress for perceived injustices against them.

The effect of such decisions on the program of the FA was incalculable. We suffered a delay in the start of the league and a disruption in our time-table.

To curb this malaise and also to serve as a deterrent to future offenders, the Executive Committee decided to convene an extraordinary meeting of Congress to consider the resort to the ordinary law court by members of the FA and the applicable sanctions relating thereto. The Meeting is expected to be held on 14th February 2008.

Budget for 2008

At the time of the meeting, all the inputs for the FA’s budget for 2008 had not been collated. Accordingly, the Executive Committee reviewed the situation and decided that the Emergency Committee should take the necessary steps to gather data and put together a budget for 2008 for its consideration and approval.

Audit of the Regional Football Associations (RFAs)

The Executive Committee recognized that the RFAs play a crucial role in the work of the Association in the regions.

They therefore needed to be resourced to function as such. In this regard, a team was set to carry out an audit of the RFAs to fully assess their resource needs and the budget required to perform satisfactorily.

Infrastructural Development

The Executive Committee recognized that one key component for grass root development of the game is the availability of the necessary infrastructure for the game.

These include facilities for accommodation, meeting, medical care, training fields, conference rooms, among others. The Committee therefore lauded the joint efforts of the FA and the Government to expand the facilities at the technical centre in Prampram.

The Executive Committee also congratulated the world football controlling body, FIFA, for the support provided through its Goal Projects to develop football in Ghana.

It is gratifying to note that the President of FIFA, Mr. Sepp Blatter is expected to inaugurate Ghana’s Goal Projects on 19th January 2008.

FIFA Goal Projects in Ghana are the Ghana Football Association’s secretariat in Accra, the artificial turf at the Tema Park and the technical centre in Prampram, the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence.

The Domestic Football Season

The Executive Committee noted that the 2007/8 Football season had finally taken off. Some observations were made with the view that the quality of the league will improve. The Committee applauded the injection of a huge financial sponsorship into the league. The clubs, supporters and the media were admonished to support the league and ensure that it is well managed.

The Secretariat

The GFA Secretariat has always been recognized as the fulcrum for the work of the entire set up of football in Ghana. Its activities have therefore been placed under regular review. Since last year, a number of changes were introduced into the structure and work content of the secretariat.

Though the changes have taken place, a lot is expected from the Secretariat. With the days rolling by, we expect the Secretariat to improve in efficiency and responsiveness to the needs of the clubs.

The African Cup of Nations

With barely 6 weeks to the African Cup of Nations, the Executive Committee expressed its interest in Ghana successfully hosting the Competition.

The Committee noted that though such Competitions are organized through Local Organising Committees the parent Football Association could still be held responsible for lapses in pure “football matters”.

The Committee advised that Football Associations are given a greater role in the organization of such competitions.

The Program for 2008

The Committee reviewed the FA’s program for 2007 and considered the program for 2008. There was a greater need to mobilize resources to be able to successfully carry out the up coming program in 2008. Some of the activities for 2008 are the competitions for Girls under 17 and under 20.


Sponsorship Relationships

Sponsorship was considered as a major ingredient for the successful implementation of the programs of the FA. The Committee expressed satisfaction with the recent efforts made to secure sponsorship from Nestle for juvenile football.

The Committee encouraged the FA to step up its efforts to finalise discussions for the sponsorship of the First Division and Women’s Leagues.

Greater Discipline

One canker that has recently reared its head within the set up of the Executive Committee and the football family is the fabrication and publication of untruths and outright lies about personalities and deliberations of meetings of the Committee by some members of the Committee. Such subversive behaviours can only be construed as intended to incite hatred, ridicule and dislike particularly for some members of the Executive Committee and the Football Association as a whole.

The Executive Committee has resolved to put an end to such practices by investigating all such complaints and ensuring that the relevant sanctions are applied.

Without prejudicing the outcome of the investigations, the Committee condemned the practice as being anti-productive and retrogressive to the development of football in Ghana.

Members of the Executive Committee must uphold the highest standards of Professionalism and desist from detestable behaviours that could undermine the Committee and the personalities within the FA.