RFAs Choose Reps Tomorrow

Electing people to fill the positions in the restructured Ghana Football Association (GFA) Executive Committee took off in earnest last week.

The various constituencies began their selection process with the premier clubs choosing their representatives. Tomorrow, across the country, the Regional Football Associations will be holding their elections to choose their representatives to the Committee.

And anyone who wins the chair joins the Executive Committee.In Brong Ahafo, the firebrand Kofi Manu, the Accra representative of Berekum Arsenal, has his eyes on the chair while Mr M.N.S. Doe, the incumbent chairman is going for re-election in the Central Region.

Last week, Mr Manu, who vied for election in the premier level, stepped down after being tied with Mr Jones Alhassan-Abu.

While the Central Region election is likely to go in favour of the incumbent, there will be no such thing when Greater Accra goes to the polls at the Methodist Hall.

Already intense lobbying has begun, though the campaign is being done on the quiet.Among contestants eyeing the chair of the RFA and membership of the Executive Committee is Mr Frederick Debrah, who has stepped up his campaign as the election date approaches.

According to Mr Debrah, with his long association with football, he has what it takes to transform the RFA to be better than what it is at the moment.

In a campaign message to the electorate, Mr Debrah said Ghana's qualification has brought a lot of opportunities and attention to football and it was therefore right for the RFA to take advantage of those opportunities and improve upon the sport in the region.

He said there had been the wrong assumption that clubs in Greater Accra enjoyed better deals than those in the regions and thus they had not attracted the desired help.

He mentioned lack of sponsorship for the clubs, organising the various leagues better, as well as giving attention to juvenile football as a few of his plans to enrich the RFA.

His first association of organised football and the GHALCA began as the representative of Obriditoy Football Club, then a division three side.

The club's name was later changed to De Gaulle Stars which earned eventual qualification to play in the Division One League.

Elected as an executive member of GHALCA, Debrah held on to his post for eight years and during those years also served as a member of the defunct Executive Council.

He also served as a member of the Management Committee of the Under-20 side, the Black Satellites in 1993, and in 1999 was the welfare officer of the Satellites that won gold in the African Championship under coach Dossena and reached the quarter-finals at the World stage.

Mr Debrah's nomination is proposed by Ernest Jascot Ampadu, a former chairman of Okwawu United, and now chairman of Interports Football Club.

He is supported by Zurak FC's director, Tahiru Kuka and Isaac Crenstil , chairman of Star Track FC.