Nyantakyi was so powerful; he knew the hour EOCO would raid GFA – Arhinful

Former Black Stars striker, Augustine Arhinful has disclosed that the former President of the dissolved Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kwesi Nyantakyi, was very powerful to the extent that he knew when the Economic and Organized Crimes Office (EOCO) would raid his office.

Speaking to Nana Prempeh (British Man) on Power Sports on Friday, Arhinful, a former member of the GFA’s Technical Committee, stated that Mr Nyantakyi has been a subject of ridicule because he was power drunk.

To him, Nyantakyi was full of charisma hence he got the protection he needed from the people who were around him, making him feel “whatever he did was right. ”

Kwesi Nyantakyi, a former Vice President of the Confederacy of African Football (CAF), resigned from his post as the President of GFA following Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ exposé that was premiered on Wednesday June 6 in Accra.

He was caught on camera in the latest investigative piece of the undercover journalist, collecting $65,000 from supposed investors to influence the president, Nana Akufo-Addo and his vice, Dr Bawumiah to get them contracts.

The GFA was subsequently dissolved in less than 48 hours after thousands thronged the Accra International Conference Centre to watch what would become the fall of the once Powerful football administrator in Ghana.

But Augustine Arhinful who had worked with Mr Nyantakyi observed the Executive Committee Members could have saved the former FA president from his humiliating end “if they had told him the truth.”

Arhinful stated that Nyantakyi took advantage of the loyalty of the people around him and never thought of exiting power.

He went on to say the EOCO’s raid on the office of Nyantakyi in December 2010 was disclosed to the FA president before it happened.

“Let me tell you this. I was asleep about 1 AM when someone called me,” he said to Nana Prempeh, explaining how someone called and asked him to inform Mr Nyantakyi that EOCO would raid his office in search of some documents following allegations of financial malfeasance at the FA.

It will be recalled that EOCO obtained an ex parte motion to obtain some documents from the GFA in 2010, that led to the raid of Mr Nyantakyi’s office.

Arhinful who did not reveal the person who gave him the information, indicated that what he was told to tell the FA boss happened exactly as he was told.

“I wasn’t there alone when I told him.” He said former Black Stars players Tony Baffoe, Kwame Ayew, and Osei Kuffour were all there when he informed him of the intended raid.

He said the people around Mr Nyantakyi might have saved him from several embarrassment moments, stressing it could be the reason Nyantakyi became power drunk and powerful.



“He’s my brother, I respect him a lot but I can disagree with him,” the former Borussia Dortmund player said while blaming the EXCO members of the FA for Mr Nyantakyi’s fall.

He said he was blunt at all times when he served on numerous committees at the GFA but was taken off those committees because he spoke the hard truth to power.

He continued that “inasmuch GFA is autonomous” Nyantakyi should have known better to serve the interest of the country than seek his personal welfare.

“I’m sad for what has happened. Sometimes you have to do what is morally right,” he noted.

To him, people were eager to watch the exposé because they were fed up with the administration of Nyantakyi.