GHALCA polls close to call... but it appears like Fianoo
The Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) reaches decision time tomorrow as delegates go to the polls to elect new executives to steer the affairs of the clubs' welfare body for the next four years.
Advertisement
Currently at the crossroads, members of GHALCA are looking for a vibrant, effective leader who has what it takes to lift the association from its current distress to a more influential position in Ghana football.
Four club men — Kudjoe Fianoo, a former Administrative Manager of GHALCA, and current CEO of league champions Ashgold, Isaac Koomson, the incumbent vice chairman of GHALCA as well as Kofi Poku, an Executive Member of GHALCA, as well as Nana Safo Oduro, a management member of Berekum Chelsea, are the men vying for the mandate to lead the association in the nine-man Executive Committee.
Incidentally, they are the candidates challenging for the chairmanship slot as all the other contenders are going unopposed for the various positions.
Ahead of the election which takes place at the Media Centre of the Accra Stadium, with 110 delegates expected to cast their votes, Fianoo seems to have received an overwhelming endorsement from most of the club owners who believe he has what it takes to make GHALCA work again. Top officials of Premier League sides like New Edubiase United and Accra Hearts of Oak, Division One League (DOL) sides such as Tema Youth, King Faisal, Berekum Arsenal and Guan United are all lending their support for Fianoo and insist he should be allowed to continue from where he left off 10 years ago as the Administrative Manager to assume a new role as Ashgold's CEO.
"He is a tried and tested man. As the Administrative Manager who was in charge of the day-to-day running of GHALCA, Fianoo gave the association a healthy legacy. He made the association one that commanded respect and was very relevant in the scheme of Ghana football.
“The same cannot be said of the association today, and we need him to come back to get things running again," Abdul Salam Yakubu, the president of New Edubiase told the Graphic Sports.
"Of all the four men vying for the position, who is better qualified than Fianoo? Look, when Joao Havalenge was leaving FIFA, his General Secretary, Sepp Blatter, took over because he knew exactly what was to be done. Having been there before, I believe giving the mandate to Fianoo to lead GHALCA is a step in the right direction. GHALCA has lost its respect and relevance. We need people who are their own men who can partner the FA and not people who make it look as if the association is rather dependent on the FA," the outspoken Alhaji Gruzah also emphasised.
All four men have promised massive reforms at the association if they get the mandate. Fianoo told the Graphic Sports that having served as an Administrative Manager for the association for over a decade; he knew just what was needed for GHALCA to reclaim its vibrant place in Ghana football.
"My vision is to expand the frontiers of GHALCA and give more recognition to particularly the lower division clubs, which seem to be left out of the actitivities of the association.
Also, I will strive to lead the GHALCA to partner the GFA in further developing Ghana football, instead of the current situation where it seems it's only the FA that is relevant in playing that role."
However, Koomson believes having served as the vice chairman in the current executive, he has gained enough experience to enable him to rebuild the association as he has first-hand knowledge of the challenges confronting the association and has already mapped up some strategies that will help resolve them.
Isaac Koomson
Safo Oduro's vision is to rebrand the association, with plans to restructure the secretariat, secure sponsorship for its various programmes, as well as push for the revival of the WAFU competition.
Nana Sarfo Oduro
Ultimately, he intends to lead GHALCA to undertake a commercial project that will be a regular source of revenue for the association by putting up a 35-bedroom hotel/hostel facility with football fields that will be rented out to the various clubs and national teams, as well as other visiting teams.
For Kofi Poku, sponsorship is key to his objectives as GHALCA had failed to be what it had to be due to lack of financial strength.
"Everything hinges on finances and GHALCA has struggled in the past few years due to lack of sponsorship for its various programmes. If given the mandate, my focus will be not just to rebrand the association, but also lead it to secure the needed sponsorship to support its existing programmes for the member clubs and even roll out new ones to include our members who feel left out.
"I also want to build the capacity of club administrators to make the running of the game more efficient and effective to meet the professional standards we all desire to see in the local game," Poku told the Graphic Sports.
Kofi Opoku
Whoever wins the chairmanship slot will lead a new executive team that will also have Alex Ackumey of New Edubiase as the vice chairman, George Amoako as treasurer, while George Ofosuhene (WAFA) and John Ansah (Ebusua Dwarfs) represent Premier League clubs. Barima Boadaa Otuo-Acheampong, also known as ‘Sometimer’ of Asokwa Deportivo will fill the Division One League clubs' slot, with Samuel Aboabire, popularly known as Kataah, representing the Regional Football Associations (RFAs). Amoako and Ansah served on the outgoing executive team led by Alhaji Ali Raji.