Clubs in Africa must be supported – Nyantakyi

President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kwasi Nyantakyi, says clubs participating in CAF organised competitions in African should receive unconditional funding from government every year.

He told reporters that even though such a proposal has not been sent to government yet, the suggestion was made at the last congress held by the GFA.

“Now the new request made at the last congress of the GFA is that we should ask the state to set up a fund and not demand a refund so it will look like every year, government will have to set aside money for that. We haven’t yet presented the proposal to government,” he explained.

Nyantakyi disclosed that a revolving fund was initially set up by the GFA with support from the government to assist such clubs, with the condition that clubs who reach the money zone would refund the money, but the likes of Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak failed to refund such monies.

“Not long ago, government used to do it then it moved away from there to a stage where a revolving fund was set up to support club participation in Africa and the terms were that clubs would access the fund and if you manage to get to what we popularly call the money zone, then you would repay the investment that was made to you.

“So I think in 2007 or so, when King Faisal, Berekum Arsenals, Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak went to Africa, Berekum Arsenal and King Faisal could not reach the money zone so they were not asked to refund the money but Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak reached the money zone and up to now, they’ve not refunded it and so that revolving fund could not be sustained,” he added.

Nyantakyi noted that had the monies been refunded, less financially endowed clubs would progress further in continental competitions.