Kwesi Nyantakyi prevented me from interfering with player call ups - George Afriyie

Published on: 14 March 2023

Former Vice president of the Ghana Football Association [GFA], George Afriyie has revealed that former president Kwesi Nyantakyi cautioned him to desist from interfering with Black Stars call-ups.

The current football administration led by Kurt Okraku has come under pressure over allegations of influencing call-up to the senior national team.

During the Nyantakyi administration, Mr Afriyie claimed that it was difficult to persuade any coach to select specific players because his boss, Kwesi Nyantakyi, would never allow it.

“I was the chairman of the national U20, the Black Satellites. Maxwell Konadu [the then-coach] submitted a list[squad] for a game against Uganda," he told 3Sports.

"In the list, I questioned Maxwell on why player A wasn’t in the squad at the expense of another player. I tried to push further by suggesting to Maxwell whom to select but he reported me to Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi (The then-GFA president).

“Kwesi Nyantakyi called and told me the job of a management Committee chairman was not to impose a player on a coach which I tried to challenge due to the calibre of players I was making a case for.

“However, he[Nyantakyi] told me it wasn’t my job to do that but to rather allow the coach to do his job independently so that he can be fired when he fails. I never commented on a player since then,” he added.

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