Today marks the first anniversary that the foundations of Ghana football was shaken to its core.
On 6th June 2018, thousands of Ghanaians trooped to the Accra International Conference Centre to watch the masterpiece by ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas dubbed Number 12, when greed and corruption become the norm.
The documentary highlighted the level of corruption in football in football in Ghana. Several match referees were caught receiving bribes in order to favour certain teams.
In many instances, match officials and football administrators engaged in match-fixing deals and influenced who was called to feature for the national team or who got to play in a particular match. In all, 77 Ghanaian referees and 14 Ghana Football Association officials were caught in various acts of corruption.
The aftermath of the documentary.
The Government of Ghana took steps to dissolve the GFA while Kwesi Nyantakyi was under investigation for defrauding by false pretence.
A statement signed by Police Director of Public Affairs DSP Sheila Kessie Abayie-Buckman stated that her outfit needs the premises closed to allow investigations.
"As a result, the premises and offices of the GFA have been sealed off and remain inaccessible to the staff of GFA and the public until further notice," the statement said.
Further former GFA Capo Kwasi Nyantakyi resigned from his position as the president following his earlier 90 days suspension by FIFA to investigate the alleged by bribery and corruption act.
On August 27, FIFA in conjunction with the Government of Ghana appointed a Normalisation to steer the affair of Ghana football.
The four-member committee includes Dr Kofi Amoah, Vice Lucy Quist, Duah Adonteng and Naa Odofoley as members and their six months mandate was to run the GFA’s daily affairs and cooperate with the special task force once it has been set up by FIFA, CAF and the Government of Ghana, to review the GFA statutes and to organise and conduct elections.
On October 30, 2018, Kwesi Nyantakyi was banned for life from all football-related activity by the adjudicatory chamber having found him guilty violating art. 19 (Conflicts of interest), art. 21 (Bribery and corruption) and art. 22 (Commission) of the FIFA Code of Ethics and was additionally fined CHF 500,000.
The Dr Kofi Amoah led committee mandate was extended for a further six months after failing to complete the teak given them.
The Normalisation Committee disagreements with the clubs over a proposed Special Competition finally came to an end and on March 25 2019 launched the novelty Competition to keep clubs busy while the reformation of Ghana football continues.
Vice chairperson Lucy Ouist has however resigned from her position leaving the interim GFA members to only 3.
The Normalisation Committee nonetheless have barely 3 months to finish their mandate and over the weekend travelled to Switzerland to furnish FIFA with the progress of their work.
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