GhanaFA

Nyantakyi denies agreeing match fixing contract

9 years ago
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Ghana Football Association President has denied allegations carried in a British newspaper that he agreed for the Black Stars to take part in international football matches organised by match fixers.

The Daily Telegraph and Channel 4's Dispatches programme allege a Ghanaian club official and a Fifa agent said they could arrange the rigging of matches involving the national team.

Kwesi Nyantakyi has given his response about the allegation published on Sunday.

"The report of the newspaper or the media house is entirely not accurate," Kwesi Nyantakyi told www.ghanafa.org.

"There is a representation of half-truths and half-lies. It's not true that we have agreed with match fixers or people who intend to organize matches of convenience between the Black Stars and any opponent in the future.

"The claim now been made is that, they got me to agree to offer them the right to organize matches and determine the outcome of these matches. I have still not received the response of the [GFA] Legal Committee which response was suppose to be forwarded to the Executive Committee for consideration and possibly approval or decline.

"There is really no cause for alarm as far as I am concerned because nothing untoward has happened involving me or the Federation and all the noise been made is of no consequence."

The Ghana Football Association issued a statement on Sunday confirming it had reported the matter to FIFA and CAF as well as the Ghana Police Service to investigate two men - Messrs Christopher Anton Forsythe and Obed Nketiah - over match-fixing claims.

"They [two men] never told me that they were interested in fixing any game of the Black Stars. They presented a business proposal that sought to buy the rights. I understood it in the context of what Kentaro used to do for matches involving Brazil. I said because it is a novelty, we need to take it to the Executive Committee.

"But never did I think that they had a premeditated plan to sell matches of the Black Stars which are gradually evolving from the reports that we are hearing," the GFA President said.

"I told them I had not even read the contract. If I had agreed, I would have signed the contract. I did not agree and that is why the contract was unsigned and remains unsigned up till today.

"The truth of the matter is that I did not consider it a matter of urgency. I didn't see any real business interest that required the immediate attention of the FA. I pushed it over that the Legal Committee should to look at it.

"The Legal Committee would have then forwarded their comments or recommendations which will be discussed by the Executive Committee and a decision taken.

"So the fact that I didn't sign means the GFA has not agreed and the fact that I didn't sign also meant that a definite position had not been taken."