Ghana soccer vow to tackle corruption

Accra – The Ghana Football Association (GFA) yesterday pledged to tackle corruption after an explosive undercover investigation alleged referees took bribes and the head of the governing body received kickbacks.

A long-awaited documentary was shown in Accra on Wednesday night to diplomats, lawmakers, government ministers and members of the public. It purports to show referees apparently taking as little as $100 (R1 288) each to rig matches.

It also charges that GFA president Kwesi Nyantakyi – a senior member of world governing body Fifa and the Confederation of African Football (Caf) – requested $11 million from undercover reporters posing as investors to secure government contracts.

He also apparently tried to profit personally from a $5 million-a-year, five-year sponsorship deal with GFA in what the expose said was a “clear breach” of ethics.

GFA said it had not seen the documentary, which has sparked concerns about media freedom after the journalist responsible received death threats.

But it said in a statement: “We view the allegations circulating in the media very seriously and would wish to take immediate steps to address them.”

It added: “GFA wishes to place on record that there will be no attempt of a cover up or to shield any of our members caught in alleged acts of corruption. GFA wishes to assure all that as an institution it does not condone any manner of corrupt practices.”

The governing body said it had previously acted swiftly against claims of match fixing.

In 2014, Britain’s Channel 4 television and the Daily Telegraph newspaper claimed Nyantakyi agreed a $170 000 deal for Ghana’s national side to play in a friendly organised by match fixers. Nyantakyi denied signing any contract.

Football is the national sport in Ghana but they did not qualify for the World Cup finals. At the last tournament, in Brazil in 2014, the government chartered a plane to send more than $3 million in cash to players in a row over appearance fees. The decision, inevitably, caused a scandal.

Football fan Simon Gyamfi said afterwards it was a “wake-up call” for the national game, adding: “There is so much corruption in the system ... the entire Ghana FA executive must be scrapped. What we have just seen is a total disgrace to the beautiful game.” –

GFA wishes to assure all that it does not condone any manner of corrupt practices.