Accra, May 6, GNA - Congress, the highest decision making body of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has adopted the mandate of extension proposed by the federation's Executive Committee by a further twelve months.

Congress voted overwhelmingly to adopt by consensus to ensure the extension of the tenure of President Kwasi Nyantakyi and the Executive Committee to run till 2011 instead of the mandated 2010.

The extension means Article 30.1 of the GFA Statutes which states "the length of mandate of the President and members of the Executive Committee shall be four football seasons," has been amended.

The 123-member body of the GFA chaired by Nyantakyi that converged at the "Football House" for the Extraordinary Congress deliberated extensively on the issue before putting it into vote.

The Committee had pushed for an extension of its mandate from 2010 to mid 2010 citing the amount of work required in qualifying the senior national team, Black Stars for the South Africa 2010 World Cup.

It was argued that holding elections anytime contemporaneous to the World Cup or African Cup of Nations could pose grave consequence to their campaign with reference to the 25th MTN African Cup of Nations, Egypt 2006 where the Stars bowed out at the first round.

Nyantakyi also mentioned the need to have enough time for audited accounts after the World Cup as among the reasons for the extension of the mandate.

He said the FA required not less than six months to prepare the financial statements and submit it for auditing.

The President had emphasized that holding elections on odd years was not out of place and alluded to similar practice with the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The move means Nyantakyi and his Executive Committee's mandate inclusive the Regional Football Associations, District Football Associations and other constituent bodies runs till July 2011. Meanwhile, the ordinary congress is scheduled at the end of the season.