Nyantakyi never interfered in player call-ups; leave Akonnor alone – George Afriyie tells Kurt Okraku

Former Vice President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) George Afriyie wants Kurt Okraku’s administration to desist from interfering in player call-ups to the senior national team, Black Stars.

“CK Akunnor must have his peace of mind to work,” Mr Afriyie said in an interview with JoySports.

In the Black Stars’ last 2021 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe, media reports alleged that the GFA leadership imposed players on the technical team headed by Charles Kwabla Akonnor.

President of the Ghana FA, Kurt Okraku denied the allegations, saying, ‘no one imposes players on CK Akonnor,’ when he was questioned on JoySports Link early this month.

However, his denial appears not to have sunk well with the former Black Stars management committee chairman, who has made a clarion call for Akonnor and the team to work independently.

He claims favouritism will not help the team to succeed.

“…We should take away favouritism [in player call ups]. This one belongs here so we’ll not call him, that one belongs here so don’t call him. This will not help the Black Stars,” he noted.

Allegations of management determining call-ups to national teams, Afriyie claims, is the reason why many prefer expatriates to handle the four-time AFCON champions.

“These are some of the reasons why people will call for a white man to coach the Black Stars, but since we have opted to go for one our own [CK Akunnor] to coach the Black Stars let us leave him to work. 

“Let’s give him all the needed support for him to work. That is all I’m calling for,” he appealed.

“If he fails, we will all see that he has failed,” the Okyeman Planners owner continued.

During Kurt Okraku’s interview on JoySports Link, the Dreams FC shareholder emphatically stated ‘gone are the days someone will bring a list and I will give it out to be published.’

This, Afriyie claims is a testimony of how the football governing under Kwesi Nyantakyi never interfered on who should be invited to the national team.

“One of the things I can boast of is that during my time with Kwesi Nyantakyi we never interfered with national team call ups.

“We believed that the coaches were capable and competent so we should allow them to do their work,” he concluded.

George Afriyie was removed as Vice President of the Ghana FA in April 2018 after declaring his intent to contest the association’s 2019 Presidential elections, which he lost to Kurt Okraku.