George Afriyie explains circumstances behind 2023 GFA election disqualification

Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) presidential candidate George Afriyie has opened up on the circumstances surrounding his disqualification from the 2023 GFA presidential election.

Afriyie explained that his endorsement was obtained from a director of a club listed on the GFA’s official website, insisting that there was nothing illegal about the process.

Speaking in an interview with Sporty FM, he said the GFA’s Election Committee later disqualified him on the grounds that the person who endorsed his candidature was not a signatory to the club’s ownership documents.

“I went to a club. I know the club owner who lives in Germany, so I called him. I said I wanted him to endorse me. He asked me to go to Fifi. Fifi is a director of my club. I went to the GFA website, checked the directors, and his name was there. Then he signed for me,” Afriyie explained.

He argued that his decision to obtain the endorsement from Fifi Benson was based on information available on the GFA’s own website, where Benson was listed as a director of the club.

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According to Afriyie, the technical committee subsequently relied on the fact that Benson was not a signatory to the club’s registration documents in disqualifying his candidature.

He questioned the consistency of the decision, citing the case of Aladji Akambi, who was also disqualified from a previous GFA election after obtaining an endorsement from Dr Tony Hobbin, then a member of the GFA Executive Council and chairman of Medeama.

Afriyie said Hobbin was reportedly disqualified as an endorser because he was not a signatory to Medeama’s registration documents.

However, he noted that Hobbin later became chairman of the Ghana Premier League Board, despite the earlier issue surrounding his status as an endorser.

Afriyie said he had previously chosen not to speak extensively about the circumstances surrounding his disqualification but has now decided to explain his side of the story.

He maintained that he acted in good faith and relied on information published by the GFA when seeking the endorsement.

George Afriyie opens up on the circumstances that led to his disqualification from the 2023 GFA presidential election.#SportyDrive pic.twitter.com/Xw25xicnqN

— SportyFM Ghana (@SportyFM_) August 17, 2026