Former Vice President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), George Afriyie, has explained that his decision to run in the GFA elections stemmed from his desire to succeed Kwesi Nyantakyi, given his contributions to the association and the progress made under Nyantakyi’s leadership.
Afriyie served as the GFA’s vice president from 2015 to 2018, until the association was dissolved following the Anas exposé. After the dissolution, he contested the 2019 GFA elections but lost to Kurt Okraku. In 2021, he was disqualified from the race.
Reflecting on his decision to run, Afriyie stated, “I don’t think there’s anyone who would work so hard to build a brand, become the deputy to the leader of that brand, and not want to succeed him, especially when you’ve contributed to the brand’s success,” he said in an interview with Michael Kofi Oduro on Metro TV.
“I didn’t take the decision to contest lightly. You’re aware of the fact that I’ve been involved in football in this country for many years. I served the Ghana Football Association with humility, dedicating my time and resources without pretense.
“If there’s anyone who has been truly dedicated to Ghana football, I can certainly count myself among them. I wasn’t pretending to know everything—I was ready to learn, and I was fortunate in that respect.”
Before the exposé, Afriyie had been widely expected to run in the 2019 elections alongside his boss, Kwesi Nyantakyi. However, when asked whether he would have contested the presidential position against Nyantakyi, Afriyie clarified that he had no intention of running against him, insisting that he wanted to succeed him not replace him.
