GFA Boss To Face Sanction?

The incumbent Chairman of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Mr Ben Koufie, is in danger of being sanctioned by the Executive Council if he fails to respond appropriately to questions relating to his call for the abolition of that FA body.

Anytime soon Mr Koufie will be called upon by the Executive Council to explain what he meant when he advocated the abolition of the body last week. According to the Chairman of the Executive Council, Mr Yusif Adam Ibrahim, Mr Koufie will be notified in writing to explain himself to the members of the council after which the necessary action would be taken.

Speaking to the Graphic Sports last Wednesday, Mr Ibrahim disclosed that members of the council were alarmed by the GFA chairman's declaration since they had provided the present management board the necessary co-operation throughout its tenure.

Mr Ibrahim who described Mr Koufie's stance as unfortunate hinted that he would be challenged to state any occasion where the decisions of the management board were torpedoed by the council.“This is one FA management which has enjoyed maximum support from the Executive Council”, he pointed out.

He noted that though members of the council were very much incensed by last week's publication, they had to resist the temptation of reacting immediately in order to avoid any conflict.According to him the council was introduced in 1991 to replace the previous order where the FA chairman exercised excessive powers.

“If congress decided to review the previous system, why then do we go for it again?” he asked in reference to the situation where the FA chairman exercised full executive powers without any checks.

He said the Executive Council therefore serves as a check on the GFA chairman and his management since the allegiance of the chairman who is nominated by government would naturally be to the Sports Ministry.

While denying Mr Koufie's claim that the executive council as a body is not part of soccer structure anywhere in the world, Mr Ibrahim stated that though the structures may differ from one country to another, some African countries have similar bodies who serve as checks on the FA management board.

He, however, emphasised the need to maintain the council since all the 37 members constituting it are stakeholders in Ghana Football who have the interest of the game at heart.Last week, Mr Koufie called for the abolition of the GFA Executive Council with the explanation that it does not allow the management board a free hand to take its own decisions.