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Bringing Kwesi Nyantakyi Down Destroyed Ghana Football – Alban Bagbin
Ghana’s Speaker of Parliament Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin says ‘bringing down former FA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi meant bringing down Ghana football’.
The Rt. Hon. Babgin says Mr. Nyantakyi was right at the top of global football and needed cushion nor crucifixion.
Speaking on Ghana’s qualification to the World Cup and other football matters Bagbin said, “It is good, there is no doubt about being investigative but when we brought down Kwesi Nyantakyi, we also brought down Ghana Football, he was one of the brightest spots at FIFA.”
He added that “When I met the Executives of FIFA and said I was the Speaker of Parliament of Ghana, they said what happened? Why did you people do that?
Touting the global stature of the former FA chief, the Ghana third-in-command believes it will take time for the country to return to the apex of African football.
Nyantakyi is serving a 12-year ban after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned FIFA’s decision to hand him a life-time ban for breaking bribery and corruption rules.
The former CAF Executive Council member, who was one of Africa’s most powerful figures, was pictured taking $65,000 (£48,000) cash gift from an undercover journalist.
Since the documentary by journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas and Nyantakyi’s subsequent ban, football has been on a rapid downturn after the country recorded its worst ever performance in the Africa Cup of Nations after exiting the group stage in the last edition in Cameroon without a win.
The Black Stars managed to secure qualification to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after a spirited away goal rule win over regional rivals Nigeria.
“When we were able to bring down Kwesi Nyantakyi, we also brought down Ghana football. That’s one of the brightest spot at FIFA,” he said
“When I met the Executives of FIFA and said i was the Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana, they said what happened? Why did you people do that?
“He was a dynamic addition. The value that get carried at their meetings. He was highly respected, he was very influential and Ghana football was up there.
“We thought we were handling Nyantakyi but we didn’t know we were handling the whole of Ghana.
Following the well-hatched exposé, Nyantakyi resigned his Caf and Fifa posts and has insisted the footage had been doctored to falsely incriminate him.
