Former Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association, Randy Abbey says the verbal altercation that has ensued between the President of the FA and the Chairman of the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA), Kudjoe Fianoo is unfortunate and gives credence to those who say there are deep cracks with the top brass of Ghana Football.
Speaking on the Joy Sports Link on Joy FM, Saturday, Randy admonish for cool heads to prevail as all stakeholders attempt to arrest the rapidly deteriorating state of Ghana football.
“I think that kind of thing deepens the cracks in the football association and I think that Mr Fianoo despite being upset about the state of affairs in our football perhaps could have use a better adjective to make his point that saying that the GFA President travels more than a pilot. However, I also think in responding to Mr Fianoo, Nyantakyi went overboard and the use of words such as small minds and all that was unnecessary. Even I find Nyantakyi’s post a bit contradictory because he claims small minds discuss people and yet in the final paragraph of his Facebook which I read he ends up talking about Fianoo”,.
Last week, the president of the Ghana Football Association, Kwesi Nyantakyi hit back at GHALCA boss Kudjoe Fianoo after the latter accused him of not having the interest of Ghana football at heart.
Kudjoe Fianoo in an interview with Accra-based Asempa FM launched a scathing attack on Kwesi Nyantakyi calling him a “selfish’ leader who is only obsessed with his personal interest and not that of the association he oversees.
He accused the leadership of the FA of travelling unnecessarily, stating that ‘Kwesi Nyantakyi himself travels more than a pilot”.
“The current Ghana FA leadership have no interest in Ghana football again. The FA president [Kwesi Nyantakyi] himself travels more than pilot,” Fianoo told Asempa FM.
“Things must be done to improve the state of football for a proper development in the future. Also, we must tell ourselves the truth,” he added.
But in a sharp rebuttal on Facebook, the GFA boss described Fianoo as a man with a “small mind” who is not well abreast with modern management practices.
Kwesi Nyantakyi cautioned the Fianoo to desist from instigating hatred against and him focus on his mandate as the Chairman of the Ghana League Clubs Association.
Below is Nyantakyi’s post
“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” These thoughts from Mrs Eleanor Roosevelt aptly apply to the circumstances of Ghana football today because of some pathetic and unfortunate comments by people who ought to know better.
The chairman of Ghalca, Mr Fianoo is reported to have said that GFA President and his Vice travel more than pilots while making some other disparaging and degrading remarks about the Chairmen of our Regional Football Associations.
Its a notorious fact that the Presidency of the Ghana Football Association is not an executive position that requires the daily presence of the leader to implement decisions taken by its competent bodies. Even when I am in Accra duty does not require my presence in office on a daily basis. Where my presence is necessary I have made myself available. Modern management practices have allowed authority to be delegated for designated schedules.
Full time administrators and staff have been employed to implement decisions taken by the Executive Committee. So to twists the facts with the main aim of deceiving the masses, is a crude attempt to sow seeds of disaffection for elected officials.
My duties at CAF have never conflicted or disabled me from discharging my duties at the GFA. The two roles are inextricably and interwovingly connected. Just yesterday the UEFA congress passed a new amendment that makes it mandatory for members of the UEFA executive committee to hold active positions on their federations as president, vice president, general secretary or chief executive officer. My last trip to the CAF exco meeting in morocco and being part of the CAF delegation to the UEFA congress in Bratislva offered the GFA, CAF and other African FAs direct benefits through my presence.
Trips abroad for meetings, seminars and workshops are a part and parcel of work ethics of every FA president and other executives. The trips are not for holidays.
Our cherished Regional FA Chairmen are engaged in the hard task of developing the game in every nook and cranny of the country and the least we can do for them is to ensure that they can reach the hinterlands where many venture not to go.
We are determined to do our best for football in our country and continent. We wish to assure all that such comments won’t discourage us from delivering on our mandate of developing Ghana football and taking it to greater heights.
Mr Fianoo should kindly concentrate on his job as GHALCA chairman and desist from instigating discontent, hatred, opprobrium and dislike for me".
Former Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association, Randy Abbey