Ghanaians demonstrate against poor management and call for change and accountability within GFA.
A “SAVE GHANA FOOTBALL demonstration was attended by hundreds of Ghanaian citizens, sought reforms in football administration and the revitalization of the Black Stars. However, what started as a peaceful protest turned chaotic as enraged demonstrators confronted Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Evans Opoku Bobie, and top officials of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) at Independence Square, where they intended to address the crowd after a three-hour march.
The crowd's hostile reaction prompted swift police intervention, leading to the removal of the deputy minister, GFA General Secretary Prosper Harrison Addo, and GFA Executive Council member Oduro Sarfo to prevent any escalation of violence. This abrupt turn of events marked a stark contrast to the initial intentions of the demonstration, which was organized under the theme "Save Ghana Football" to pressure the government and the GFA into finding solutions to the sport's declining state in the country.
Organized by a group of sports journalists including Saddick Adams, Patrick Osei-Agyeman (Countryman Songo), Dan Kweku Yeboah, and Veronica Commey, the protest was triggered by the poor performance of the Black Stars in the recent Africa Cup of Nations tournament. The demonstrators marched from the Obra Spot at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange through various streets of Accra, wielding placards addressing issues such as football infrastructure evaluation, the separation of football from politics, and the need for reinvestment of World Cup revenue into the sport's development.
Despite heavy police presence along the route, confusion arose near the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection when the police redirected the demonstrators away from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, where they had initially planned to submit a petition. After persuasion from one of the conveners, Patrick Osei-Agyeman, the demonstrators agreed to redirect to Independence Square, where officials were stationed to receive the petition.
At Independence Square, the conveners were advised to forward the petition to Parliament before addressing the gathering, which they complied with. Demonstrators, including veteran football administrator Alhaji Karim Gruzah, voiced concerns over various issues plaguing the sport, such as mismanagement of national teams, lack of infrastructure, and allegations of personal gain by FA leadership at the expense of the sport's growth.
Alhaji Gruzah accused the President of the GFA, Kurt Simeon-Okraku, of neglecting court orders and overseeing the deterioration of football in Ghana. Other participants, like sports journalist Ohene Brenya Bampoe, echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing the urgency for change and accountability within the GFA.
Co-convener Kweku Yeboah highlighted the significance of the protest as a demonstration of public demand for positive change within the FA and government. The demonstration aimed to convey to football authorities that Ghanaians are passionate about the sport and expect better management for its advancement.
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