Posted by Ghana Football Association boss, Kurt Okraku, has clarified a statement he made at the recent 26th Ordinary Congress.
Last Tuesday at the GFA’s 26th Ordinary Congress, the President in an emotional speech accused some unnamed stakeholders of the sport of tarnishing the image of the federation.
“I must say that it is football that brings all of us together as a country,” he said at Congress.
“Let’s come together and build our football. This is the sport that has made me who I am today. This is the sport that brings the country together.
“Despite the hard work done by the GFA, a few of us do not think about this family; there are a few of us, who perhaps only think about their personal interest; there are still a few of us who do not think about the total good of our football,” an emotional Okraku noted.
“There are a few of us who continuously go out of this family and go out to the public space to malign your product, my product, your business. We must reject these people,” he admonished.
“If I go to corporate Ghana on daily basis preaching Ghana football and yet some of us, just a few of us, continuously damage the image of the product we intend to love, that we spend our money on, we need to reject these people; we must say no to such people.
“Again, football is the only sport that brings all of us together. Football cuts across all religions, all political divides.
“There’s only one football family; there cannot be two, we must always have one.
“We will disagree on issues, we will disagree on how I should work, but let’s think Ghana football first,” he added.
The GFA president’s comments didn’t go down well with most people, with lots having the believe that it is an attempt to gag dissenting views.
Speaking subsequently, he has explained that his speech at Congress was never an attempt to attack anyone.
“I am not trying to gag my colleagues both in football and in the media. What I have said is that let’s always, at all times, think about Ghana football. We are one family.
“We may be different in opinions on how we think the game must be administered but in the end, we are the same people; you have given an opportunity to some of us to lead the family. Yes, we may have divergent views, but we have good platforms that we can share our divergent views,” he said.
“All I am saying is that, let’s keep to our divergent views but let’s hold on to occasions like this [congress] where, as a group, we come together and dissect our football business and speak about issues that affect us in common and find very good solutions to our problems. We shouldn’t resolve to the public space,” he added.