FIVE-POINTER: The GFA ExCo Members Much Is Expected Of

A place at Ghana football’s high table has always been coming for 74-year-old Atta, a pioneer and long-time advocate of women’s football in Ghana. Years after she founded Kumasi-based Fabulous Ladies — one of the country’s better-known women’s club sides — Atta now has a chance to make an even greater impact, hopefully amplifying the feminine voice that has largely remained muted. See, she isn’t just the sole female on the newly constituted ExCo; Atta is also the oldest of the lot, and her experience would count heavily in decision-making, even beyond her own subset of the beautiful game. That she beat off much younger candidates to the sole slot — by a single vote, admittedly — gives no small hint of her influence.

Also known as Asamoah Gyan’s business manager, Addo campaigned mainly on his record of activity in grassroots football, and he would be expected to deliver on that promise. The popular opinion is that the recent failure of Ghanaian clubs and national teams at the highest level springs from the weakened base of our juvenile football, and Addo — owner of Division One side Young Apostles FC and also instrumental in Gyan’s annual ‘Baby Jet U-16 Tournament’ — believes he is the man to reconstruct that foundation. Securing more than twice the votes of the legendary Alhaji Gruzah — a figure more renowned in the realm of youth football — Addo would be held to high standards, his work cut out.

In hindsight, it does make sense that Aubynn chose to seek a place on the ExCo, rather than pursue his initial bid for the GFA presidency itself. His chances were always brighter with the former, anyway, but it was still a bit of an upset that he outmuscled the more soccer-savvy Albert Commey (of Aduana Stars) and Hearts of Oak CEO Frederick Moore for one of the five Premier League seats — and with the most votes, too. Aubynn would be key if the GFA is to rebuild its brand and gain the trust of prospective corporate partners, following the huge hit the organization took after last year’s crippling corruption exposé. A vice-presidential role is already being mooted, and Aubynn – Board Chairman of Medeama but more of an authority in Ghana’s mining industry — wouldn’t be a bad fit.

Acheampong’s rise to become one of Ghana’s top football administrators — also a high-ranking CAF match commissioner — from roots in journalism has been remarkable. His mind, young and ripe with ideas that would help bring the Ghanaian game into sync with modernity, is one the ExCo could do with. And where the erstwhile GFA hierarchy got increasingly disconnected with the media and the public, ‘Achie’ — CEO of Obuasi-based Ashantigold — could play a significant part in pulling the strings back into place.

Ah, Randy — the good old voice of reason! With his nous and expertise, it’s hardly surprising that Abbey is regarded as another who could operate well as Okraku’s No.2. Even without that position, however, there is still a lot that Abbey can offer — we know what he’s capable of, after all. For those who need a reminder, though, rewind to how well — at last week’s decisive Congress — he argued the case of including lower-tier King Faisal and Great Olympics in the upcoming Premier League season. Enough said.

NY Frimpong — Daily Mail GH