George Afriyie vows to oppose Kurt Okraku’s bid for third term as GFA president

Former Vice-President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), George Afriyie, has strongly opposed any attempt by GFA President Kurt Okraku to seek a third term in office.

Afriyie, who lost to Okraku in the 2019 elections and was disqualified from the 2023 presidential race, has vowed to petition the government if Okraku attempts to amend the GFA statutes to allow a third term.

In an interview with Asempa FM, Afriyie remarked, "You’ve won, you are in charge, you are the President of the FA, but if things are not going well, that is not my fault."

Afriyie stated that while he is willing to support Okraku’s success, he strongly rejects any effort to change the statutes for a third term.

“I truly want to help him [Kurt] succeed. I’m fully prepared for him to complete his term, but he should forget about the proposed amendments for a third term,” Afriyie emphasized.

He further noted, “The biggest financier of the GFA is the government of Ghana. I will personally submit a petition to the government of Ghana. The government has a stake in this,” Afriyie added.

Okraku, who took office in 2019 after the Normalisation Committee assumed control following the removal of Kwesi Nyantakyi, has faced significant scrutiny during his tenure.

This scrutiny intensified after the Black Stars' underwhelming performances, including two consecutive group-stage exits at the Africa Cup of Nations and the failure to qualify for next year’s tournament in Morocco, marking Ghana's first absence in 20 years.

Despite these setbacks, Okraku celebrated the Black Stars' qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. 

Additionally, he has overseen notable progress in women’s football, with the Black Queens securing a spot in the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations for the first time since 2018.