Sports News of Saturday, 23 June 2018
Source: 3news.com
2018-06-23
FIFA and the Ghana FA are in talks to bring an end to the impasse on the Association
A government delegation is expected to travel to Zurich, Switzerland for the second leg of discussions to affirm powers it invested in a 5-member interim management committee for the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
This follows a “fruitful” meeting on Friday June 22 at the offices of the Youth and Sports Ministry between a FIFA delegation and government representatives in Accra.
The meeting was however held without officials of the GFA.
A joint statement signed by Ghana’s Minister of Information Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and FIFA Director, Africa & the Caribbean, Veron Mosengo-Omba, which announced the Zurich meeting did not however state when.
Already battered by a series of corruption allegations, a latest exposé by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas detailed inherent corruption in the FA after several senior level officials were caught on camera allegedly accepting bribes to compromise their positions.
This necessitated the move by government to go through the necessary processes to dissolve the GFA, which the GFA and government are currently battling it out in court.
The President of Ghana Football Association Kwesi Nyantakyi and his representative in the northern sector Abu Imoro who were implicated in the exposé have so far resigned.
The world football governing body, FIFA, has over the years demonstrated a strong disapproval against government’s direct involvement in football administration.
This prompted FIFA to intervene in the brouhaha raging in Ghana.
After Friday’s meeting with FIFA delegation led by Veron Mosengo-Omba, the joint statement said after the deliberations, it was agreed as follows:
1. Both FIFA and the Ghanaian government have a zero tolerance for corruption, criminality and all other forms of illegality.
2. The government of Ghana has the right to enforce its national laws against criminal conduct and illegality.
3. FIFA in consultation with the Ghanaian government will put in place interim measures to allow for the continuation football in Ghana.
4. The Ghana government delegation will continue discussions with FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland, for the purpose of finalising interim arrangements regarding football in Ghana.