Accra, Aug. 14, GNA - The Federation of International Football (FIFA) has directed the Ghana Football Association and government to fashion out a proposal to allow for public participation in the running of football in the country while ensuring the independence of the FA. The two are to have a protocol arrangement to draw the limit of the GFA-government relationship while a special committee on the FA is to be formed to cater for the interest of the public and make the FA more accountable to it.

A two-member delegation each from the GFA and government led by Mr O. B. Amoah, a deputy Minister of Education and Sports were in FIFA's head quarters in Zurich last Friday to lobby the federation for government to have a say in the running of football in the country. FIFA wrote to the GFA a couple of months ago demanding that the FA was restructured in conformity with other associations while frowning on government interference.

Subsequently, a five-member committee chaired by GFA vice Chairman Kwesi Nyantekyi was formed by Congress, the highest decision- making body of the GFA to undertake the necessary restructuring process. The committee gave government one slot through the National Sports Council but this was rejected by FIFA necessitating Friday's meeting. Mr Amoah told the GNA Sports on their arrival on Saturday that the meeting chaired by FIFA President Joseph Sepp Blatter with support from Ghana's Abedi Pele and FIFA's General Secretary was fruitful. "FIFA sympathises with Ghana but was very cautious not to open the floodgate for other African countries facing the same problem to take undue advantage," the deputy Minister told GNA Sports.

One of the areas tasked by FIFA for the team to look at was the possible role of the National Sports Council (NSC) in sports without endangering the independence of the FA.

The two parties are to collaborate to develop football at the schools and youth level.

Although FIFA did not set any time limit for the submission of the proposals, the four-member delegation agreed to fashion out a policy within two weeks.