The President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kwesi Nyantakyi, has declared his intention to become the next African football boss when incumbent Issa Hayatou finally takes a bow.
A confident Mr Nyantakyi dropped the hint of his ambition to contest the Confederation of African Football (CAF) top post during his final day of testimony at the Justice Dzamefe Commission at the packed Media Centre of the Accra Stadium yesterday.
The FA president broke the news at the climax of his enthralling three-day evidence, when Moses Foh-Amoaning confronted him with the tough question as to whether he had any interest in succeeding Camerounian Hayatou, who has been at post as CAF president since 1998.
“Issa Hayatou and I have a very close working relationship. I’ll support him as long as he remains the CAF president.
“I’m sure when he leaves the scene I could be a potential candidate,” Nyantakyi announced, drawing wild cheers from the audience in the process.
Moments earlier, the ever-smiling CAF executive committee member had pontificated that he was not going to vacate the GFA seat anytime soon.
Asked again by Mr Foh-Amoaning as to whether he was not tired as the GFA president after serving two terms, Mr Nyantakyi said he was not tired just like FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, and Hayatou.
“If you ask Issa Hayatou he will tell you he is not tired, just said Blatter who, will be going for another term from 2015 to 2019,” he the FA boss who will be seeking a third term at next year’s FA elections.
He described the football system as being similar to the Parliamentary system of government whereby Members of Parliament continue to serve as long as they perform well.
“The football system is like the Parliamentary system of government; as long as you perform you will continue. There are MPs who have been MPs since 1992.”
“We have to respect the sovereignty of the sport. You are not there because of your might or your handsomeness or your wealth. You are there because of your performance,” Mr Nyantakyi emphasised.
“It’s better to keep somebody who is performing than to bring somebody who will come and do guess work. I know that at the right time I’ll leave.
“It is the sport that has put me there, and when my time comes, I’ll let you know,” he concluded with prolonged laughter.
Mr Nyantakyi took over from Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe in 2005 and has steered the Black Stars to three World Cups appearances since then.
