Boye Sowah enters race For GFA chairmanship

THE fierce run-up towards the determination of the next candidate to fill the Ghana Football Association's top seat has literally drawn the elections closer and keener than otherwise expected.

As it is permanent feature, the race for the GFA Chairmanship continues to be brisk by the week with various contenders making clear their ambitions every now and then and this generates rapid interest among the Ghanaian soccer populace.

About five contenders have so far emerged out of the blue to indicate their intentions to assume the FA's foremost position.

Latest to emerge from the constant twists and turns to join the bandwagon is Mr. Boye Sowah, founder of Zebi FC.

When the Chairman of the Greater Accra division two side went on air to declare his intentions of contesting for one of the hottest seats on the land a couple of weeks ago, many were those who might have taken it for granted.

But to further underline the seriousness of his ambitions, Boye Sowah stormed the Graphic offices yesterday to announce why he should be given the ministerial nod to contest for the chairmanship.

The 52-year-old sports administrator, however, took the opportunity to showcase an impressive C.V about his long romance with the game which was quite convincing enough to win the hearts of many a soccer fan.

As a former footballer and a businessman, Boye Sowah believes he knows the terrain better and possesses the magic wand to turn round the fortunes of the nation's foremost sport.

With his 24-year stay in football administration which saw him serving on the Elias Teye administration as a member from '83-'85 as well as being the first chairman of the Black Satellites Management Committee in 1984, he thinks he is the right man to fill what he described as a gap in the local football administration to provide the necessary boost for Ghana soccer.

"I possess the charisma and my keen interest and, long involvement in the game from the grassroots to the top puts me ahead of the others", he stressed.

He said he offered himself for the job out of his passion for the game and is hoping for the Sports Minister, E.T Mensah's nomination in order to contest the post and restore Ghana soccer to its glorious past.

Boye Sowah's rich background includes winning a special double award from the Sports Writer's Association of Ghana (SWAG) in football and boxing in 1985 whilst producing numerous national soccer stars and coaches.

Among them are Nii Adu Sackey of Okwawu United, Sillas Tetteh of Liberty Professionals and Feyenoord Salgado's Ben Kayode.

As a player, he was captain of Accra Hearts of Oak in 1972 and retired from active soccer three years later to serve as team manager and director of the club back in the years.

According to him, he was a member of the Hearts squad which toured Great Britain in 1969.

An all-round sportsman as he is, he promoted the maiden boxing bout at the Kaneshie Sports Complex involving heavyweights Adama Mensah and Joe Kalala for the African title which the former won.

Boye Sowah also promoted and managed Amon Neequaye to win the African supper flyweight title in 1989.