To be remembered for “what you did for an institution or organization is to associate ones name with all the good things that happened during the time that individual had a romance with the institution whilst to be remembered for “what you did to an institution or organization is to align ones name to all the negative things that occurred during ones marriage with that particular institution or organization”.
On May 4, 2005, Dr Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe furiously resigned from his post as GFA capo following a court ruling that the football association could go ahead with their intended Congress to impeach the FA gaffer.
Thereafter, Kwesi Nyantakyi Esq, being the Vice Chairman then, assumed post as Acting GFA Boss until December 30, 2005, when he won an election to be the substantive FA President. Since then, he has been in charge of the association as its leader until, Friday, June 8, 2018 when he officially resigned from his post as GFA capo. He is the longest ever serving GFA boss (13yrs).
Some remarkable achievements chalked during his tenure includes, the Black Satellites being the only African Team to win the FIFA U-20 World Cup since its inception in 1977, Black Meteors winning and Black Queens winning All African Games titles, Black Maidens being crowned Bronze Medalist in FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, Blacks Stars qualifying for three successive world cups including a quarterfinal berth in 2010, a Ghanaian football administrator (Nyantakyi) rising to the level of 1st Vice President of CAF and FIFA Council Member, appointment of several Ghanaians unto CAF and FIFA Committees, among others.
However, his reign also witnessed some setbacks and here are a few: Starlets were banned from participating in 2015 Africa U-17 Championship in Niger for fielding an over aged player in a qualifier against Cameroon, CAS reverses FA’s Appeals Committee decision and subsequent dissolution of the committee in Tema Youth’s Case, the association’s General Secretary and EmCo member were suspended by FIFA for sexual harassment, collapse of domestic league, the Midsea saga, shame and disappointment Black Stars brought to us as a country during 2014 world cup in Brazil, the Police describing the premises of the FA as Crime Scene, Ghana government branding the FA as an obscene emblem of scandal, corruption and illegal enterprises thereby taking steps to dissolve the association, FIFA pronouncing a 90-day provisional ban on an FA official (Nyantakyi), inter alia.
Putting these pros and cons on a beam balance, together with what you will add or subtract, which one will be weightier???
On this note, I ask, will President Nyantakyi be remembered for “what he did for the FA” or “what he did to the FA”???
*Join this academic debate.
By: Moses Antwi Benefo (PJ Mozey)
