Wilfried Osei Palmer offers coy response on GFA Presidential elections

President and owner of Tema Youth FC, Wilfred Kwaku Osei (Palmer), has hinted that he will not contest in the upcoming Elective Congress slated for October.

The renowned and respected football administrator contested for the Ghana Football Association (GFA) presidential seat in 2019 but was disqualified by the Vetting Committee of the Normalization Committee chaired by Mr Frank Davies Esq.

Palmer was disqualified on grounds of his club’s failure to pay 10 per cent of Joseph Paintsil’s transfer fee of 3 million euros from Hungarian side, Ferencvárosi Torna Club, to Belgian club, KRC Genk.

However, his appeal for a stay of execution of the GFA presidential election at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) until the determination of the case was dismissed, paving the way for the election, which was eventually won by Kurt Okraku.

Speaking to Graphic Sports in an interview, Palmer who served in several roles during Kwesi Nyantakyi's administration hinted that he had not even given the GFA elections a thought yet this time around.

“I’m feeling better now but as for the GFA elections, I have not given it a thought yet,” the former Executive Committee member affirmed.

It is not clear whether Palmer’s decision has anything to do with his recent ill health, but he told this paper that he was enjoying a clean bill of health now.

Meanwhile, Tema Youth is currently threatened by relegation to Division Two following an order by the GFA Player Status Committee asking the club to settle their indebtedness to Young RedBull FC in respect of the onward transfer fee of Joseph Paintsil.

The outcome of Tema Youth’s appeal, which is pending before CAS, will determine their fate in the Division One Zone Three league after finishing bottom in the 2022/2023 league due to a points deduction.