Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) president, Kwesi Nyantakyi has sparked fresh debate with a recent statement proclaiming he reached the highest point of his career in sports.
Nyantakyi’s tenure as GFA president was marked by both success and controversy, culminating in a high-profile corruption scandal that forced his resignation in 2018.
In a recent interview with Captain Smart on Onua TV, Nyantakyi claimed that “I have excelled in sports. You can’t name three or four people who have done well in sports in this country without me so I have reached the pinnacle of my career in sports”.
He also added that, “apart from Ohene Djan, I’m not sure anybody reached my level by making it to the FIFA Council. Aside, Ohene Djan, no Ghanaian has gotten to my level”.
Nyantakyi’s ascent in Ghanaian football administration was undeniable. He became GFA president in 2005 and oversaw a period of relative on-field success for the Black Stars, including appearances at three FIFA World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014), with the 2006 edition being Ghana’s first ever appearance at the mundial.
He also played a key role in securing Ghana’s rights to host the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.
However, Nyantakyi’s reputation was severely tarnished in 2018 when he was filmed in an undercover investigation by Anas Aremeyaw Anas appearing to accept a cash bribe.
The expose led to his resignation from the GFA presidency and a lifetime ban from football by FIFA.
The former GFA president has declared his political ambition and he is set to contest in the upcoming bye-election in the Ejisu constituency in the Ashanti region.