Ghana FA’s election for the football governing’s Vice President take place on Tuesday when the Executive Council (ExCo) meets after the event was brought forward by two days.
The race for the second man in Ghanaian football is tricky as the 11 voters have closely guarded the candidates they would vote for despite heavy predictions by the media.
The event was originally scheduled to take place on Thursday but an Exco member’s important engagement abroad has forced the body to change the date.
This is Executive Council (ExCo)’s first major task since they took charge last week after the Presidential election.
Unlike in the previous administration where the president had the powers to appoint a vice, the new GFA statutes make it the responsibility of the ExCo to elect one of its members to that position.
Among the front-runners are corporate executive, Dr. Toni Aubynn, experienced Exco member Randy Abbey with the dark horse being businessman Mark Addo who has surprised pundits in the recent Division One Election.
Manager of Asamoah Gyan, Samuel Anim Addo and Kotoko CEO George Amoako have also come up as one of the dark horses but talented AshantiGold CEO, Frederick Acheampong, has declined to contest for the position.
Of the five tipped to run for the post, the top three candidates are: Randy Abbey, Toni Aubynn and Mark Addo.
Randy Abbey
Abbey is touted as one of the most experienced brains in the game having spent some time in the Kwesi Nyantakyi administration on the Executive Committee and Emergency Committees.
Abbey will be battling for his doctorate degree this week as he defends his thesis with a Swiss-based university and his academic experience will come in handy for the new GFA.
His work as a TV presenter, political consultant and experienced football administrator will also help the federation.
His recent interventions for the clubs at both the extraordinary congress – which saw the football community adopt its new statutes – and the elective congress – which agreed to a proposal of playing an 18-team league next season to accommodate Accra Great Olympics and King Faisal – some believe he should be the second in command.
A section of the football community also thinks he is emotionally intelligent and has the personality to help President Kurt Okraku.
Dr. Toni Aubynn
Dr. Aubynn serves as Board Chairman for top-flight side Medeama SC, and his vast experience in management roles in Ghana and abroad has translated to the club’s enviable position as arguably the most stable and well-run football team in the country.
Consistently finishing in the top six positions in the league, winning the FA Cup in 2013 and 2015 and winning the 2015 Super Cup are accolades achieved by Medeama through the direction of Dr. Aubynn.
His leverage of influence in football dates back to the ground-breaking $1.5 million a year deal with the Black Stars in 2006.
The Ghana FA will be counting on Dr Aubynn to broker such deals for not only the Black Stars but the domestic leagues to put football in the country on a strong footing.
Mark Addo
For Mark Addo, who is the Director for second-tier side Nzema Kotoko, he has quietly spent the past 20 years in football administration by owning Accra-based Mandela Stars since the 1990s before switching to take Nzema Kotoko.
The unassuming Addo has 18 years of progressive experience as a global business executive in the Mining, Information Technology, and Manufacturing Industries globally having been educated at the highly regarded Ivy League school Columbia University in New York where he had his MBA.
He was the recent Vice President at the Endeavour Mining Corporation, a mid-tier West Africa focus gold mining entity where he was responsible for Business Sustainability that included management of HSE, Business Development, Corporate Affairs, and Government Relations.
His contacts and knowledge in the business world would be needed to bring the needed traction to draw corporate sponsorship for football in Ghana.
The new Ghana FA administration was ushered last week Friday after Okraku was elected as President of the association. This administration will serve for four years.