Next GFA president must be of highest integrity, unifier – Coach Sarpong

Even before the starter’s gun goes for an expected hot race for the Ghana Football Association (GFA) presidency, veteran coach Josef Emmanuel Sarpong has admonished delegates to choose only a candidate with the capacity to display the highest level of integrity, maturity, selflessness, and be a unifier for the highest office of Ghana football.

“We expect delegates to elect a president who will display a high level of integrity at all times, a unifier who will bring all stakeholders on board, transparent in dealing with his executive council members, and also committed to raising the standard of local football to the highest level,” Coach Sarpong told the Graphic Sports Online in an interview.

So far, as many as eight aspirants have either confirmed their interest in running for the top job or have been strongly linked to the vacant position which will be contested for on October 25.

Football administrators expected to pick nomination forms for the contest are Messrs Kurt Okraku, Winfred Kweku Osei (Palmer), George Afriyie, Fred Pappoe, Kudjoe Fianoo, Kwame Kyei, Dr Toni Aubynn and Nana Yaw Amponsah.

For Coach Sarpong, the collapse of juvenile football even placed a bigger responsibility on the delegates to scrutinise the candidates well, check their backgrounds and elect one who would guarantee the restoration of juvenile football, which is the backbone for football development and a conveyor belt for talents for clubs and the national teams.

“Juvenile football is the watershed of football in Ghana but it has been totally neglected over the years, hence the need to revive it so it becomes the breeding ground for the senior national team,” explained the coach with previous stints with many of Ghana’s elite clubs.

The straight-talking tactician also expects the next FA president to take a critical look at the Disciplinary Committee which has often created a lot of problems for the football governing body over the years.

He expects the FA boss to assemble competent, independent minded and committed people who will adjudicate cases with speed and in a manner that does not undermine the development of the game.

“ As an important arm of the GFA, the committee should sit on cases promptly and without favour in dealing with would be offenders with the speed it deserves. It should be a fair minded committee because their actions and inactions can determine the quality of our league.”