2023 GFA Elections: Kurt Okraku to go unopposed after George Afriyie's disqualification

Incumbent president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Okraku is set to go unopposed in the upcoming GFA Elections.

This follows after George Afriyie’s disqualification appeal was dismissed by the Appeals Committee of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) on Monday.

Afriyie, who is a former vice president of the Ghana FA was hoping to unseat Mr Okraku after losing out four years ago.

After his nomination to contest for the GFA seat earlier in September, Afriyie was disqualified by the Elections Committee, citing that he (George Afriyie) failed to provide the required number of GFA members to endorse his candidature.

The Committee said he used an unqualified person – Jeffrey Asare – to endorse his nomination forms and it was later found out that Asare wasn’t a Director at Victory Club Warriors FC as he had claimed on the forms.

The football administrator went on to lodge an appeal, arguing that the Committee breached some articles in disqualifying him.

He argued that he had six GFA members to endorse his form and that the Committee didn't apply Article 8(3) of the FA regulations on elections, adding that there were six-panel members during his vetting instead of the mandated five.

However, the Appeals Committee still upheld his disqualification, clarifying only five endorsements were allowed on the form and that the sixth member he cited was not part of the panel and was just an in-house lawyer providing administrative assistance to the Committee.

George Afriyie was the only other contender in the GFA presidential race and his disqualification means Okraku will now contest unopposed, with his chances of getting a second term at an all-time high.

The 2023 GFA Elections have been scheduled to take place September 27.