Sports News of Thursday, 22 March 2018

Source: footballghana.com

Former deputy sports minister Joseph Yamin backs George Afriyie for FA presidency

Joseph Yamin Joseph Yamin

Former Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Joseph Yamin has thrown his support for George Afriyie to succeed Kwesi Nyantakyi as FA president.

The Vice President of the Football Association, George Afriyie declared his intentions of contesting for the position of the head of Ghana's football last Friday at his 50th birthday celebrations.

This comes after President Kwesi Nyantakyi stated on radio who was not going for re-election in 2019, after being in office for 12 years.

Joseph Yamin, who was deputy sports Minister during the Mahama regime, says the right person to succeed Nyantakyi is George Afriyie and he supports his candidacy.

“My first engagement with George was during the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey. I became the deputy sports minister and it was my first assignment. It was there that I apreciated his level of expertise in football matters and for me George is more than capable of succeeding Nyantakyi,” Yamin told Kumasi-based Metro FM.

The Kwesi Nyantakyi-George Afriyie led administration has been heavily criticized with many pointing out that if the former All Blacks chairman succeeds his boss, it will make no difference.

However, Joseph Yamin says those analysis don't make a reason to justify Afriyie's performance.

“If my son is one day set to become the sports minister and somebody makes the argument that ,I, his father was once a sports minister and so my son should suffer because of my weaknesses shown whilst in office, will that be acceptable? I don’t think so. George is George. Nyantakyi leads the association and I don’t think this should be a problem at all” he explained.