Abedi Pele damns Nyantakyi’s administration of Ghana football

Soccer legend Abedi Pele has criticized the leadership style of Kwesi Nyantakyi, President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), saying Ghana football is dying under his administration.

According to the Ex-captain of the Black Stars, who spoke in an exclusive interview in the AfricaWatch Magazine, even though Nyantakyi recently won an Executive CAF post, his organization, efficiency and hard work performance on the local terrain have been poor and he judges the performance of the GFA boss by his achievement locally and not what the foreign based players have achieved at the World Cup.

“You judge it by what someone has achieved locally and not what the foreign based players of the Black Stars achieved in the 2010 World Cup”, Abedi Pele told the magazine’s 2011 March edition when asked how he sees Nyantakyi’s performance.

“We look at organization, efficiency and hard work at all levels. All these things in the local terrain have been poor and for me that’s the way I judge, and that’s what I see”, he added.

He told the publication that it baffles him when some people say Ghana football is doing well when the “local league is in shambles” and the ripple effect was what happened at the CHAN Tournament where Ghana couldn’t even win a single match. Now the attendance at local matches is terrible, Abedi says.

“Just look at the performance of Ghana at the just ended African Nations Championship (CHAN). That gives a clear indication that our football is in shambles and very gloomy in the future”, the former Olympic Marseille Champions League winner lamented.

He added: “But if Ghanaians are happy with Kwesi Nyantakyi’s performance, so be it.”

Abedi Pele, also known as the Soccer Maestro, revealed to Africawatch that he is not interested in running for president of the GFA.

“Not at all. It is something that has never caught my interest. I am not interested and I will never be interested.”

Even though Abedi said he is not interested in the GFA presidency, he said through the formation of FIFPRO headed by Tony Baffoe, an association of retired footballers which is affiliated to FIFA, he can contribute to the development of football in the country since FIFA will force the GFA to accept the association.

On the investigations of the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) on the GFA which some people claim to be governmental interference, Abedi said the criticisms on the EOCO were appalling since even FIFA boss Sepp Blatter was investigated by the Switzerland’s Serious Fraud Office.

“I was with Blatter when the SFO of Switzerland called him to answer questions”, he said, adding “So if it is happening to the FIFA boss himself, who is above the law?”

According Abedi, Blatter has indicated that there is no room for corruption in the organization of football.

By Ekow Quandzie