From grace to rags: How praise singers led Kwesi Nyantakyi into eternal disgrace

Kwesi Nyantakyi saw his 'end' coming at him but his few praise singers lured him to embrace it instead of advising him to seek for refuge.

The 49-year-old was arguably Ghana's all-time best football admnistrator after ascending the Ghana Football Association throne in 2005 and led the country to three consecutive Fifa World Cup tournaments.

Along the line, especially after 2014 World Cup, his fame began to diminsh rapidly following the over $3 million sent to Brazil to settle agitated players who had sworn Heaven and earth not to honour the last group game against Portugal if their appearance fees weren't paid.

He was fingered as one of the main brains behind this plot and the Commission of Inquiry set up by President John Dramani Mahama through their reports revealed how hundre thousands of dollars were siphoned by Nyantakyi and his cohorts ahead of the tournament during preparations. Many Ghanaians wanted his head but he was adamant to their calls to change his ways or leave the stage.

Soon, former Caf president Issa Hayatou was voted out of office for Ahmad Ahmad, after reports suggested that the former had mismanaged funds meant for the development of the game on the continent and Nyantakyi was the brain behind the plot.

One of his arguments was that Hayatou had been in office for almost three decades and needed to leave for fresh ideas to take over.

When addressing journalists in the past, Kwesi Nyantakyi advised everyone at the gathering not to be power corrupt and should leave the stage at a point because anything contrary to this, may result in disgrace.

However, he was facing same charges back home but probably got ill-advised by close associates and instead of them prompting him on the looming storm, they rather continued to shower him with praise, just to fill their bellies at the detriment of his success and relevance in the future.

So, I ask myself, what prevented him from seeing the signs on the wall after speaking about it?

"When change is coming, nothing can stop it, there's nothing. No man or woman, born of a woman can stop it and that is what happens," Nyantakyi said in the past.

"The wind came like a hurricane and if you stop it or you try to stop it, you'll be carried off your feet.

"And the lesson we should all learn is that when you are in leadership, a time will come that you'll have to move on. If you don't move on, you'll be moved away and it is for all of us, including me. If you don't move, the wind will be so strong that it will move you away," embattled Nyantakyi added.

Today, he has been banned for life by Fifa, following bribery and corruption charges as well as his intention to rake in a 25 per cent of a supposed Ghana Premier League sponsorship amount.

Although, he has revealed his intention to contest the ruling of Fifa at CAS, his greediness should be a thing of the past in his life, if he's lucky and the punishment is reduced.

To all, I will end with this Bible quotation from Ecclesiastes 4:13.

"Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king, who no longer knows how to heed a warning"