ExCo members must go! New Eduabiase boss fires
The bankroller of Division One League (DOL) side, New Edubiase United, Abdul Salam Yakubu, has called for an outright rejection of the current Ghana Football Association (GFA) Executive Committee (ExCo) as the football fraternity storms the Great Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi on Monday for its 29th Ordinary Congress.
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He said the slump of the various national teams in international competitions in recent times, coupled with the poor standard of the local leagues, was enough testimony of the failure of the Kurt Okraku administration.
He also urged Congress delegates to reject the proposed GH¢50,000 filing fee being demanded from candidates who are interested in the GFA presidential elections, insisting that it was too exorbitant since the position only offered allowances other than salary.
Speaking to Graphic Sports about his expectations of today’s Congress, the New Edubiase boss said the only thing that could restore the country’s pride of place on the international stage was a complete overhaul of those at the helm of affairs to allow for fresh ideas to change the direction of Ghana football.
“In my opinion, our industry is coming down and our football is not developing, so I think we need a change. At the Executive Committee, we need a change because it’s been four years now and our football is not developing.
“Our football is coming down, especially the national teams and the qualities of the Premier League and the Division One League are all coming down. Maybe if we can have some competent hands managing it, we can restore the lost glory,” he said.
He former footballer and sprinter in his heyday noted that the last four years of the Kurt Okraku administration had not introduced anything positive to transform the fortunes of the game; hence, allowing them to continue could spell doom for the game.
The outspoken Yakubu said because the league was without sponsorship, the only way for clubs to raise revenue was through the export of talents, adding that the ability to sell players hinged primarily on the performance of the national teams.
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The New Edubiase boss noted that whenever national teams perform poorly on the international stage, it rubs off negatively on the football business, making it difficult for foreign clubs to express interest in local players.
“We need a change in both the presidency and some of the executives because, in the last four years, they have not added anything positive to the game. Everything is declining.
“My worry is that I’m doing football and we don’t even have good sponsorship. If I’m not making money, these are some of the players I have to sell and make money to take care of my club, but if the national teams are not performing, nobody will buy a player from Edubiase or any team,” he bemoaned.
He alleged that it was difficult for all local clubs to sell players of late and even when such requests came through, foreign clubs often asked that the player went for talent development or on loan, a situation which he described as worrying and affecting not only players but club owners as well.
He also described some of the leaders of the FA as greedy for trading the selection of the right players to the national teams with their personal gains to the detriment of the nation’s fortunes.
“What I’ve noticed is that our leaders now are very greedy. They don’t even choose the right players for the national teams but those they have an interest in. Only those they have interest get to play in the national team,” he alleged.
