Kwesi Nyantakyi, former President of the GFA
Former President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kwesi Nyantakyi, has revealed that he has no intention of returning to football administration even after his ban is lifted, citing the traumatic experience he endured.
FIFA initially handed Nyantakyi a lifetime ban from all football-related activities following an explosive investigative documentary by journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
The documentary, which premiered in June 2018, aimed to expose alleged corruption within Ghanaian football and showed Nyantakyi accepting $65,000 from an undercover reporter posing as a businessman.
However, Nyantakyi appealed the ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which reduced his ban to 15 years. This led to speculation that he was seeking a way back into football administration.
Despite this, in an interview with Kessben TV, the former CAF Vice President admitted that while he still loves football, he has no desire to return.
“Although I still have a passion for football, I am not interested in becoming FA President again or taking up any other administrative role. The fear of going through a similar ordeal will always be there,” he stated.
He further explained that even if the ban had not been imposed, his experience after the documentary completely deterred him from considering a return. He described the situation as an attempt on his life.
“Honestly, even if I hadn’t been banned, I wouldn’t have returned. That experience showed me that they had the power to harm me because it felt like they wanted to kill me. Not many people can survive such an ordeal,” he added.
Nyantakyi served as GFA President from 2006 until his resignation in 2018. His tenure saw Ghana qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 2006, marking a historic milestone for the nation.
He also oversaw the country’s participation in the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, as well as the Black Satellites’ FIFA U-20 World Cup triumph in 2009.
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FKA/MA