Sports News of Wednesday, 30 January 2019

Source: ghanasoccernet.com

'Autocratic' Nyantakyi was not my friend - George Afriyie

George Afriyie was removed as GFA Vice President by Kwesi Nyantakyi before the Anas expose George Afriyie was removed as GFA Vice President by Kwesi Nyantakyi before the Anas expose

Former Ghana FA vice president George Afriyie says he would not consider his former boss Kwesi Nyantakyi as a friend and labelled the disgraced administrator as autocratic.

Afriyie has twisted further into the man he fell out with in April 2018 and got removed as the second-in-command of Ghana Football.

The former Liberty Professionals director lamented how he had little out-of-the-office interactions with the former CAF 1st vice president.

Afriyie revealed he did not visit Nyantakyi’s home for more than four times during the 13 years they worked together.

“A friend is someone you constantly visit, share ideas, both families have some level of ties, to call someone a friend is so deep, but for me he was boss and we enjoyed a very good working relationship, that is how I want to put it, because the one I call my friend the minimum times I visit his house in a year is not less than 10 times, but for Mr. Nyantakyi throughout my association with him when I knew him in 2003, 2004, I have been to his house a maximum of 4 times,'' he said on Citi TV’s Face to Face program.

“The truth is, I will die for anything I believe in. At the time Kwesi Nyantakyi came into power, at the time I saw his vision, zeal, vim and everything, I was ready to do anything, no doubt about that. It was about his vision. He was a good listener at that time.

“'It is normal with every leader, it gets to a point where you become too corrupted with power because the last days of Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi I feel so sorry because you could see it coming.

“I wouldn’t want to say things about a man who won’t be here to defend himself, but the truth is that circumstances leading to my removal as GFA Vice-President is clear and out there for everyone to see, these are so fresh in the minds of a lot of people in the country.”

Afriyie has reaffirmed his intentions to contest for the GFA presidency when nominations open.