Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) president Kwesi Nyantakyi has said he was on the brink of becoming president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) before his sudden exit from football administration in 2018.

Speaking in a recent interview, Nyantakyi reflected on his rise within African football politics, revealing that he had secured significant backing across the continent and was widely viewed as a leading contender to succeed Ahmad Ahmad at CAF.

“At that time, everything was aligning,” Nyantakyi said. “I had the support, the structure and the confidence of many colleagues across Africa. Becoming CAF president was a real possibility.”

Nyantakyi was one of the most influential figures in African football, serving as GFA president for more than a decade and as a CAF vice-president. His career came to an abrupt halt in 2018 following the airing of an investigative documentary that led to his resignation from all football-related positions.

His comments offer a rare insight into how close Ghana came to producing the head of African football’s governing body, a position last held by a Ghanaian in the 1960s when Ohene Djan served as CAF president.

Since stepping away from football administration, Nyantakyi has largely remained out of the public eye, though he has continued to deny wrongdoing and has occasionally spoken about the personal and professional toll of his exit.

The CAF presidency has since been held by South Africa’s Patrice Motsepe, elected unopposed in 2021, as African football continues to grapple with governance reforms and efforts to restore trust in its leadership.

Nyantakyi’s remarks are likely to reignite debate in Ghana and beyond about the lost opportunity, and the wider impact of the events that brought one of Africa’s most powerful football administrators to a sudden end.