King of sports. Man of double power. Reject one and accept another. De facto leader of football. If the above perfectly suits an individual in Ghana currently, then it is the Minister of Youth and Sports, Isaac Asiamah.

In April and May, 2018, Mr. Asiamah rejected a recommendation to make Kurt Edwin Simon Okraku as Vice President of the Ghana Football Association. He’s been accused of running a one-man show and even got to loggerheads with Normalisation Committee President, Kofi Amoah, whom sources say, accused him of usurping the powers of the interim FA boss, and this people claim, led to the two visiting the Jubilee House to have their powers defined.

To give credence to the Honourable Minister attempts to run a one-man show, his Deputy, Perry Okudzeto, who was named Deputy Black Stars Interim Management Committee Chairman for AFCON 2019, played his role in Ghana whilst his boss was in Egypt.

It seems, what appears to be allegations against a Minister who undoubtedly, since heading the office of the Sports Ministry, has taken steps to renovate all nearly dead sport facilities and constructing about 10 multipurpose sports facilities across the country to benefit young talents, is gathering momentum.

Muftawu Nabila Abdulai can exclusively reveal that, the Member of Parliament of Atwima Mponua constituency has advised Chairman of the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA), Kudjoe Fianoo to drop his interest in occupying the position of President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA).

Mr. Fianoo, a known figure who touted himself a ‘liberator’ of Ghana football, has been marketing himself ‘silently’ to fill the role as head of the football governing body in the country.

But it seems he has lost out on the will of government’s choice as he was invited to the Sports Ministry and told to join hands with Nana Yaw Amponsah of Phar Rangers who has the backing of the Minister to succeed Kwesi Nyantakyi.

Muftawu Nabila Abdulai enquired from the Minister, who has declined to respond to messages sent to him. Mr. Kudjoe Fianoo on the other hand, in a WhatsApp message at about 19:52 GMT Monday evening, denied receiving an advice of such from the Sports Minister.

Nana Yaw Amponsah in a telephone call declared untrue the information, saying “I have not held meetings with anyone. These are just rumours expected at this time so I don’t know where this rumour is coming from.”

Mr. Amponsah added that, the claims of winning government’s support are figment of someone’s imagination.

“It is probably someone’s figment of imagination but there’s nothing I can do about speculations, thank you!” he concluded.

Nana Yaw who granted this publisher the permission to record him to say the above, said he was curious to know the person who came out of the meeting to give him the intel because he quoted the person verbatim. Muftawu denied quoting anyone, and Mr. Amponsah advised that the person he paid for the intel lied and he/she should be disregarded.

Muftawu took exception to that but he said it was not a crime to pay for information. Upon realising Muftawu was angry and asked him to withdraw, he laughed over the comment and tagged it as one made on the ‘lighter side’.

It is unclear if Mr. Fianoo who was named in the first ever five-member Interim team put together by government on June 13, 2018 after the premiere of Number 12, and has played a great role for the Normalisation Committee, a commitment that led to a near impeachment from football people as GHALCA boss, will accept the advise.

Kudjoe Fianoo described the Normalisation Committee as “strangers” who have taken over the “birthright” of football people during Dreams FC’s 10th anniversary launch and counselled that, “without unity of purpose, we cannot get to where we want to arrive at.”
It is unclear if comments like the above led to him fallen out with powerful politicians who have infiltrated football administration in Ghana that led to him reportedly visiting Togbe Sri III and Okyehene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin to court for their support to influence government’s choice of who should lead football after Normalisation.

The former, Muftawu Nabila Abdulai understands led him to the Jubilee House, but it is inexact the discussions they had. Mr. Fianoo declined to confirm or deny when contacted by Muftawu.

Fianoo has been on the tangent of liberating Ghana football since exiting the Ghana FA Executive Committee in 2015. He was often in war words with former GFA President Kwesi Nyantakyi. The famous one was one he characterised the then CAF 1st Vice President as one who “travels more than pilot”, leading to a pamphlet-like reply from Kwesi on Facebook labelling his decision to talk about him on radio as “small minds discuss people.”

A day or two after the premiere of Tiger Eye PI’s investigative piece on alleged corruption and match-fixing, the former AshGold Chief Executive Officer (CEO), in a conversation with some people at GHALCA office, revealed that he called his GHALCA 2016 candidacy race campaign manager, Kofi Manu affectionately called ‘Blue Boy’ to desist from hopping from radio station to the other to defend the GFA or Kwesi Nyantakyi.

Blue Boy confirmed this, when Muftawu contacted him recently upon receipt of the intel of the meeting with the Minister.

The Liberation team as captured in the Facebook two paragraphs above, had planned to take over the administration of football in the country the following Monday, where Kudjoe Fianoo by virtue of being GHALCA top boss would be made interim head of the football association, and he would convene Congress but government’s decision to seize power, curtailed the perfectly arranged plan. Some members of the football liberators, however denied the orchestration.

It would be a huge blow to Fianoo who has nurtured his ambitions of being the first citizen of Ghana football, working tirelessly to ascend to the throne, only to be told his dream should be dropped for the young football kingpin.

By Muftawu Nabila