While Board Members of Football Clubs in other jurisdictions are completely invisible to the media, the situation is the opposite in Ghana where people who should ideally be behind the scenes tend to dominate the news.
The conduct of these controversial figures tend to overshadow the performance of their players who are the main actors of the game.
Daniel Afriyie Barnieh is arguably the most popular player in the Ghana Premier League but the number of media mentions that Board member of Accra Hearts of Oak, Dr. Nyaho Tamakloe alone has gotten in the month of July 2022 will be 10 times that of the player.
Today we bring you a list of 5 Board Members known for their controversial take on issues.
Alhaji Akanbi - Hearts of Oak
Known as the right-hand man of Togbe Afede XIV and the 'de-facto' Managing Director of Accra Hearts of Oak, barely a week goes by without Alhaji Akanbi being discussed on media platforms.
Sometimes, it is difficult to tell who is the Communications Director between him and Kwame Opare Addo because he has been seen explaining issues in the club in the media space than the known spokesperson.
Dr. Nyaho Tamakloe
Board Members as we have seen in other jurisdictions communicate their positions on internal matters at Board meetings but the former GFA chairman has resorted to using the media space in the last couple of weeks.
Dr. Nyaho Tamakloe went on a whole media campaign for more than a week explaining why he thinks Accra Hearts of Oak coach, Samuel Boadu is not the right fit for the club as they prepare for the 2022/2023 CAF Confederation Cup.
His most recent controversial statement was his outburst against former Team Manager W.O Tandoh.
Joseph Yaw Adu
The former Sports Director of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology is the spokesperson of the Asante Kotoko Board since his appointment by club owner Otumfuo Osei Tutu II in 2020.
In less than two years, Joseph Yaw Adu has become more popular in the media space than some of the notable players in Asante Kotoko namely Augustine Agyapong, Maxwell Agyemang, and striker Samuel Boateng.
He acted as an interim Chief Executive Officer before the appointment of Nana Yaw Amponsah in August 2020.
Dr. Kofi Abban
As a businessman, Dr. Abban was renowned in his field but his appointment to the Board of Asante Kotoko has made him a household name in the media space.
His social media engagement has increased tremendously since his association with. Barely a week ago, he shut down the media space and became the most discussed man on Monday, July 25, 2022, after making a post on social media calling for the sacking of coach Dr. Prosper Narteh Ogum.
Board members of big clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, and others do their possible best to stay off the radar but Dr. Abban and some of his colleagues have shown that they crave it.
Vincent Odotei Sowah
The former Member of Parliament for La Dadekotopon is another whose place in the hearts of Accra Hearts of Oak supporters is controversial.
In a recent demonstration by Hearts of Oak supporters, he was the target of some inscriptions on placards as the supporters believe he was driving the club into a ditch.
Author: Joel Eshun
Also, watch this week's episode of the GhanaWeb Sports Debate in the post below:
A photo of Dr. Nyaho Tamakloe, Alhaji Akanbi, Dr. Kofi Abban, Odotei Sowah and Joseph Yaw Adu