ACCRA: FIFA gave Ghana three days to end government interference in soccer or its national federation will be referred to its emergency committee and possibly banned from international competition.
FIFA said Thursday in a statement to The Associated Press that it was informed by the Ghana Football Association of a raid on the GFA headquarters by the country’s economic and organized crime agency.
According to FIFA, the raid Tuesday forced the GFA “to stop all its activities, including the running of the league and other football developments.”
Ghana’s domestic soccer league was suspended on Wednesday.
FIFA said it sent a letter to the GFA on Thursday, stating “if the Ghanaian authorities did not stop their direct intervention and allow the GFA to work again before Sunday, the case would be referred to the FIFA emergency committee.”
Ghana’s government has denied involvement in the raid by the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), which resulted in removal of eight computers. GFA officials were prevented from entering the building.
Youth and sports minister Akua Sena Dansua called EOCO “an independent organization.”
“For FIFA it is not acceptable if the GFA is not in a position anymore to exercise the core of its mandate, which is to run football in the country, because of government intervention,” the statement read.
GFA spokesman Randy Abbey said the association received the letter, and was “waiting on reaction from the government.”
In its own statement, EOCO said the GFA failed to provide requested documents—a charge denied by GFA president Kwesi Nyantakyi. EOCO said its officials raided the GFA offices and took away computers and documents to help it investigate allegations of tax evasion, fraud and other offenses.
“FIFA hopes that the Ghanaian authorities will reconsider their actions and thus avoid the deepening of a crisis which will only bring adverse consequences for the football lovers in Ghana,” FIFA’s statement concluded.
Ghana was Africa’s most successful team at the World Cup in South Africa, reaching the quarterfinals. It was the only team from the continent that made the knockout stages before eventually losing to Uruguay on a penalty shootout.
It also reached the final of the African Cup of Nations. Ghana is the under-20 world champion.
