Football administrator and former chairman of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Herbert Mensah has damned the current state of football administration in the country. According to Herbert Mensah, the Kwasi Nyantakyi-led Ghana Football Association has set a rather low and mediocre standard only to glorify their success. “They do a disservice to football and the running of football here. It is very easy for some of us to be cynical and say that the members of the FA are happy to look for per diem and travels around the world without understanding the sense of responsibility,” he charged. He was speaking to Joy Sports’ Ridwan Ibrahim Asante on the maiden edition of the 2010 World Cup Diaries. His criticisms, he said are not borne out of an amateur person making an observation, but coming from an experienced marketer who has a glowing track record and achievements with Kumasi Asante Kotoko to refer to. Herbert Mensah said the current premier league is grossly under-funded with the amount paid to the winners of the title less than disgraceful. He minced no words in his criticism that the FA has failed to maximize the benefits of Ghana’s qualification to the World Cup. He said Ghana will not reap the full benefits of participating in the World Cup just by being “one of many countries there”, but by putting in comprehensive strategies to position the country on the minds of businesses and business men across the world. The administrator said part of the problem is the non-existence of a comprehensive business plan to regulate the running of football in the country. He rubbished the current four-year business plan by the FA as lacking the requisite business acumen. He said Ghana, even though belated, must strive to win off the field as she goes to the World Cup. But Randy Abbey, spokesperson for the Football Association says Herbert Mensah is entitled to his opinion but he disagrees with him, "respectfully." On the issue of a low cash injection into the premier league, Mr Abbey noted that the state of sponsorship is always an index to the performance of the country’s economy, explaining South Africa has a bigger sponsorship sum because their economy is relatively stronger than that of Ghana. Touting the achievements of the Kwesi Nyantakyi-led administration, Mr Abbey said the FA has been able to strike a juicy deal with Puma the kit sponsors of the national teams, something that was non-existent prior to the coming into office of Mr Nyantakyi. Even though he admitted the FA could do a lot better, he noted, the premier league teams now earn ten times more than they earned three years ago. He said the FA welcomes constructive criticism with an alternative adding the achievement of the the current FA cannot be underestimated. Play the attached audio for excerpts of the interview with the two gentlemen Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana