Don't Go Near 'Toddlers' League' - Nyaho-Tamakloe Wants 'Bribe-Taking' Referees Fired

Former Chairman of the Ghana Football Association, Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe is calling for an immediate suspension of ongoing Ghana Premier League after dozens of match officials were caught on video taking bribes in various forms.

Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe also wants all the officials caught on tape, particularly match referees, banned as a first step towards reorganising the sport.

“The league they are playing now must be suspended, it should be totally suspended…All referees caught on the tape must be fired immediately. They should have nothing to do with football not even for toddlers,” an enraged Nyaho-Tamakloe stated on the Super Morning Show Thursday.

The suspension of the league, he told host of the Show Daniel Dadzie, will enable a reconstitution of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and allow reforms.

His comments come one day after the premiering of a damning documentary showing how some GFA officials and officiating referees took money – including some collecting as little as GH¢200 ($42) – to influence the outcome of games even before the players marched onto the field. Some of the referees received sheep, goats and food items.

Kwesi Nyantakyi took $65,000
President of the GFA, Kwesi Nyantakyi, was not left out in the explosive exposé as the FA chief was captured on tape taking $65,000 cash from a supposed "investor," who turned out later to be agents of undercover journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas and his Tiger Eye PI team.

He further demanded payments of monies ranging from $1 million to $5 million to President Akufo-Addo; Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia; Roads Minister Kwasi Amoako-Atta and his Deputy Anthony Karbo respectively, for contracts to be awarded to the supposed investor, who unknown to Nyantakyi, was an undercover journalist with the TigerEye PI.

Commenting on the documentary titled “Number 12: When Misconduct and Greed become the Norm,” Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakle himself, a former Chairman of Accra Hearts of Oak, also wants immediate sanctions imposed on the officials for their shameful conducts who “should see their way out of the FA.”

“From what we have seen so far, it is very damaging, very, very damaging. Nyantakyi should be advising himself now…if he fails to leave, there are provisions in the FA constitution that should be applied to push him out,” Nyaho-Tamakloe, a soccer maniac stated.

Ghana’s image
Dr. Nyaho-Nyaho Tamakloe , medical doctor and politician, says the development has in no doubt cast a dent on the country's image by virtue of the rise of Kwesi Nyantakyi to the FIFA Council, the highest decision-making body of world football and his position as the 1^st Vice President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Ghana, he said, has over decades, built a strong image in the world, but noted with regret that “this has been destroyed.”

“It will take some time for a Ghanaian to rise to the level Kwesi Nyantakyi got to” he observed, adding “these are very, very important positions in football.”