Nyantakyi leads FIFA delegation to Sierra Leone

The president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kwesi Nyantakyi will arrive in Sierra Leone today as the leader of a FIFA delegation to resolve the current problems between the Sierra Leonean Football Association (SLFA) and the League clubs.

Mr Nyantakyi is expected to leave Accra for the Sierra Leonean capital of Freetown for a scheduled meeting with SLFA officials, the league clubs and the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Mr Ernest Bai Koroma.

The delegation to Sierra Leone, which includes Primo Corvaro, an official from the FIFA’s Department of National Associations, will seek to resolve the power struggle and the protracted impasse among rival factions at the FA aimed at ousting the Isha Johansen led SLFA Executive.

World football body FIFA swiftly rejected the unauthorised Congress held on December 20, 2014 by Johansen’s rivals and threatened to suspend the country from international football unless they reversed their decision.

The stand-off has led to a confusion in the status of the league and its matches which is threatening the very foundations of football in Sierra Leone.

This led FIFA to send its delegation of experienced men to find a lasting solution.

He will travel to Sierra Leone on Thursday and hope to find a solution by Saturday night.

The Ghana FA boss has been landed the latest big FIFA assignment after he led another delegation of the world governing body to broker peace in Kenya football in March

Previous FIFA-led mediation efforts in Kenya fell apart before Nyantakyi was called to restore unity.

The latest appointment is a ringing endorsement of the Ghana FA president’s work in Kenya.

Nyantakyi, whose stature in the world game will certainly be enhanced if the deal sticks, has vowed to follow up on the issues agreed in order to ensure they are implemented.

Mr Nyantakyi recently led a delegation that successfully resolved the Kenyan football crisis and FIFA has once again tapped into his leadership and negotiation skills to bring a lasting solution to Sierra Leonean football.

The GFA president is expected to return to Accra on Sunday 30.