No automatic third term for Kurt Okraku: Oduro Sarfo insists
Ghana Football Association (GFA) Executive Council stalwart. Nana Oduro Sarfo has mounted a staunch defence of the decision to extend the presidential term limit from two to three, insisting the change was about constitutional alignment rather than entrenching Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku’s reign as FA chief.
At the 31st GFA Congress at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence on August 12, delegates voted 114–6 in favour of the amendment, which has generated a lot of controversy in football circles, with critics suggesting it was changed to give the incumbent GFA chief a third term in office.
While the amendment has been presented as a matter of consistency, the debate over its timing and impact continues to divide opinion, with supporters pointing to reforms and investment, and critics warning of unchecked presidential power.
However, Mr Sarfo dismissed suggestions that the move was crafted to benefit the current president, whose second term runs until 2027.
“We have not approved a third term for the current GFA President; we have approved a third term for future GFA presidents,” he told the Graphic Sports.
The veteran administrator argued that the revision simply corrected an inconsistency. While Executive Committee members were permitted three terms, the president had been restricted to two – a rule introduced by the Normalisation Committee.
“The Presidency and ExCo are all one body; they work together,” he explained. “It only made sense to make the terms uniform.”
Drawing an analogy with national politics, Mr Sarfo added: “President Kufuor built Jubilee House [Ghana’s seat of government], but he never lived there.
Kurt Simeon-Okraku may have extended the GFA President’s mandate to three terms, but he might not even go for it. What if he rises to be CAF President, or if he fails as GFA boss – can he contest?”
Critics, however, view the amendment as a vehicle for the FA president to extend his stay in office until 2031. Having first been elected in 2019, he is currently midway through a second term.
FA’s achievements highlighted
Mr Sarfo, though, insists the focus should be on the “real gains” being made in Ghanaian football under Mr Simeon-Okraku’s leadership.
“We should be talking about the GH¢1 million for each Premier League club, GH¢2 million for the winners, GH¢120,000 for Division One clubs, and all the investments in women’s, youth and grassroots football – even incentives for referees,” he stressed.
He further highlighted the creation of a girls’ U-15 league set for the 2025/26 season as a landmark in youth development.
“Everything that is happening today is the best,” he concluded. “We pray the next Congress will be even better.”
