Leading the Black Stars to their first-ever World Cup appearance is, according to former Ghana Football Association president Kwesi Nyantakyi, his greatest achievement as president of the GFA.
Ghana reached the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany thanks to Nyantakyi’s guidance, which was a historic accomplishment for the national team.
The Black Stars showed their promise in the group stage, as they defeated both the United States and the Czech Republic, even though they were eliminated at the Round of 16.
Nyantakyi proceeded to supervise Ghana’s involvement in the following World Cup competitions, such as the 2010 competition held in South Africa and the 2014 event held in Brazil.
When Nyantakyi looked back on his time there, he made it clear that his favourite memory was qualifying for the World Cup in Germany.
In an interview with Bola Ray on Starr FM, he stated, “My greatest achievement was qualifying for the World Cup in Germany.”
Following the release of Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ investigative documentary “Number 12” in 2018, Nyantakyi resigned from his roles at the GFA and CAF and was banned by FIFA.
The GFA President participated in influence peddling using the president’s name, according to Deputy Chief of Staff Samuel Abu Jinapor, who verified the president’s order for Nyantakyi’s arrest in an interview with Dan Kweku Yeboah on Peace FM. “The video indicated that Kwesi Nyantakyi used the name of the President to defraud some people; constituting defrauding by false pretences…” Jinapor stated.
Jinapor claims that after viewing the film, the President was compelled to order the Ghana Police Service’s Criminal Investigative Department (CID) to provide an arrest warrant for Kwesi Nyantakyi.”He gave the CID the order to arrest him so they could help with the investigation. After that, we’ll take it from there.” The president is impartial and serves as the law’s keeper. He will turn you over to the law if you are wrong, no matter who you are.
Jinapor observed, “He has proven his unwavering resolve to combat crime and corruption. Given that the GFA is thought to be autonomous, he was questioned about the President’s direction.
In answer, he stated: “GFA is not an island when it comes to Ghanaian criminal laws, thus action can be taken, and that is exactly what has been done. No one found guilty will be spared punishment.”
On June 8, 2018, Nyantakyi resigned from his position as president of the Ghana Football Association due to the accusations and problems surrounding him. Following a Ghana Football Association executive committee meeting, the regrettable occurrence was reported.
It is thought that Nyantakyi’s resignation was brought about by a 90-day interim ban imposed by the FIFA Ethics Committee’s adjudicatory chamber chairwoman. Nyantakyi’s ability to participate in football at the national and international levels is anticipated to be limited as a result of the ban.
Nyantakyi has held a number of football-related international jobs. His assignments span sub-regional, regional, and global domains. He held positions like the president of the West African Football Union Zone B, Member of FIFA Associations Committee, Member of the FIFA Council, Vice President of the Confideration of African Football and many more.
Kwesi Nyantakyi no doubt was one of the promising GFA president in Ghana but unfortunately, things didn’t turn out to be good for him in his latter days in office. His passion for the sports especially football and his hard work earned him much respect in Ghana and Africa. His relationship and how he used to communicate with the black stars players showed his effort to try and strengthen Ghana Football in particular.
Despite Nyantakyi’s setbacks, he still has a legacy in the football world that cannot be written off completely.
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