Value of Ghana football fully restored by President Simeon-Okraku – FIFA Council Member Amaju Pinnick

FIFA Executive Council Member Amaju Pinnick has commended President Simeon-Okraku for restoring Ghana Football within a very short period of time.

President Simeon-Okraku assumed the presidency at a time when Ghanaian football was facing significant challenges, including the fallout from an investigative exposé a Normalization era and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite these challenges, Simeon-Okraku's leadership has worked around the clock to revive the domestic game. His tenure began with the U-20 WAFU B and Africa Cup of Nations crowns in 2019/2020, the FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup qualification in 2022, the Championship of African Nations tournament in 2022 and coming off a dreadful Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Cameroon to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Ghana has also witnessed an uninterrupted domestic calendar ranging from Colts football, the Women’s Premier League, the Division One League and Premier League for three consecutive seasons.

The Ghana Football Association will go to the polls on Thursday to elect new Executives to steer the affairs of the Association for the next four years.

Aside the position of President, delegates will elect representatives of the Premier League, Division One League with Dr. Gifty Oware Mensah going unopposed as representative of Women’s Football on the Executive Council.

The contest will spread through the 10 regions where regional delegates are expected to elect their Chairmen after which two will be elected to serve on the Executive Council.

‘’I am here on behalf of CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe and FIFA President Gianni Infantino to monitor what would happen on Thursday. I have already met with the Minister of Youth and Sports Yussif Mustapha (Hon.) and Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture Kwaku Agyenim-Boateng (MP) and one thing that runs through our conversations is the passion and desire to help build and develop the game’’ President Pinnick said.

‘’I will do my best to make sure that there is peace before I leave because I need to report back to CAF and FIFA’’.

‘’What President Kurt has brought to global football and African game is amazing. There was a time after what happened in 2018 - that Ghana lost respect at the continental level and at FIFA. But the value of Ghana football is now fully restored’’

‘’The kind of respect that he has in CAF and in FIFA is the reason why I am here. He has built so much respect within a very short time and we are all pleased about it’’.

He commands a lot of respect, when he speaks everybody wants to listen. He has done exceedingly well after re-launching the respect that Ghana command in World football’’ he added.

The Elective Congress is the first of its kind in Ghana Football since the Normalization Committee handed over power to the current administration led by Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku.

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