Nyantakyi to step down Thursday

Ghana football’s top executive will hold an important meeting tomorrow which is expected to see major changes to the management structure of the national teams, with FA president Kwesi Nyantakyi stepping down as head of the Black Stars Management Committee.

Following criticisms that he had taken too much responsibilities, having assumed the management of the senior national team, in addition to his job of running the day-to-day affairs of Ghana football, Mr Nyantakyi saw wisdom in calls for him to take a back seat, and eventually agreed to relinquish the Stars job.

Mr Nyantakyi’s leadership of the team came under criticism in recent months, following the breakdown of discipline in the Stars camp during the World Cup in Brazil as well as other problems relating to the payment of appearance fees to players, creating mistrust between the playing body and team officials, which led to a physical confrontation between Sulley Muntari and a management member, Moses ‘Mospacka’ Armah.

GFA spokesperson, Ibrahim Sannie Daara, confirmed to the Graphic Sports that the FA’s Executive Committee members would discuss, among other important things, changes in the management setup of the national teams with new appointments at tomorrow’s meeting in Accra.

It remains uncertain who is likely to succeed Mr Nyantakyi at the top job, particularly with a new technical head in place following the appointment of Israeli coach, Avram Grant. 

However, there is speculation that former FA vice-president, Fred Pappoe, who was head of the team’s management during Ghana’s successful World Cup campaigns in 2006 and 2010, could return to the role he handled during which time the team recorded their best achievements in Africa in decades and at the global stage.

Even though the FA had previously stated that Coach Maxwell Konadu -- who was assistant to former Stars coach Kwasi Appiah for the last two years -- would retain his position under Grant’s tenure, there is speculation that the FA’s executive committee could tinker with the team’s technical team. 

Already, media reports suggests that the team’s goalkeepers’ trainer, Nasamu Yakubu, whose job has been criticised by goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey, is likely to be reassigned and his place taken by one-time national goalie, Abubakari Damba.