Nyantakyi

A friend namesake goes by a truncated Nyang. It's a disappointment for me; for reasons far from the mobbing go get him self-righteousness people perhaps, without or within the motherland. I have heard firsthand stories of bribery in football. FIFA's corruption rot at its highest levels is common knowledge. The infamous demotion of Italian club Juve must be familiar with the clean football desirous.

My personal regret is that, since the forced departure of Ohene Djan from result yielding football (sports) administration, this is the football leader with not one, not two, but three solid World Cup appearances. Germany was astounding; South Africa was almost okay, but Brazil was a disaster. Like Cameroon caving in so easily in their debut despite the Roger Milla miracle, I believe the Black Stars would have gone far, further than they did, had Essien not been red-carded during the penultimate match to the Brazil meet.

Ohene Djan went only as far as to CAF management. Kwesi Nyantakyi went all the way to become FIFA executive member. I have always seen him as having enough potential to lead the continental effort and become a key player at the FIFA level. However, frankly, I had been somehow suspicious of what I saw as his obsession with foreign coaches. It was so antithetical to the Osagyefo promise of the Black man managing his own affairs.

Osagyefo had put effort where his mouth was by lifting the legendary C.K. Gyamfi to a coach of winning calibre. I still remember CK's “Before ansana wo be tu foul no” instruction as he took a few steps back and kicked turning the foot in some special direction. The scene was at the Prempeh College sports field in early 1960s. CK seemed to have been on a tour which took him to some schools where he gave lessons on football skills development.

That was the era of the Academicals brain cum football development experimentation. There were the 'colts' teams which used to open play before league matches. The big teams had their grooming teams. Hearts had Argonauts and Kotoko had Great Ashantis. That's how players were nurtured and mentored.

A feast of skills to thrill spectators would be an apt description of Sunday at the various sports stadia. The Black Stars-Real Madrid match continues is fresh in my mind for its pulsating action for all three matches that day; two colts and the big one. One colts player played so much like captain Aggrey Fynn who was to follow in the adult game. Black Stars 3, Real Madrid 3 it ended; Edward Acquah scoring all three goals.

My compatriot football lovers, female and male, are heartbroken. The pain gets worse when they begin to feel bribery could have been partly responsible for our failure to qualify for Russia. When this name came up in match fixing stories sometime last year, I kept hoping it wouldn't be true. Apart from my preference for winning by ourselves without aid from foreign coaches, I thought he has always meant well.

In 2006 when everything went so well, the motherland was led by a government of the least corruption in the Fourth Republic. In the 2010 judgment debt chopping spree and lifting of congress boys and girls, we saw the near disaster. Then Brazil, infamy and desecration of a brand congresspeople pretended never existed and therefore created a whole office to create.  Who's forgotten kenkey costing US$300 and US$3 million cash flying from Accra to Brazil for football?

Corrupt governments corrupt football and its administration. Very corrupt governments corrupt more. When the sports people see how public funds are looted, buying 'suya' and pampers, they would be tempted to take care of themselves. If they wouldn't get from the public funds, they would find other ways to cheat.

Football is a sport of bribery which no holier-than-thou can cure. People may attempt, for public good or for a combination of self-fulfilment, self-promotion and money making money. Our struggle is for the high moral ground in which cheating in private or public is not acceptable. Nyantakyi may not have stolen public funds, but alleged influence peddling will not morally exonerate him, even as a private and public figure.

Any diversion, yes diversion, from retrieving the stolen public funds (2009-2016) by focusing on him cannot be in the NATIONAL interest. I just read a deputy minister in the Mahama administration paid US$3 million in cash for two East Legon houses. Congress built a headquarters for US$20 million. Some took double salary. All when schools for children with disabilities were closed for want of public funds. Retrieve the GH¢51 million public money that was paid to one person; if you care, if you seek convergence of the public interest and the national interest. It should at all times.

By Kwasi Ansu-Kyeremeh