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GFA Plaque Wrong: Here are the heads of Ghana Football Association since 1950

Renowned football Historian and Statistician Thomas Freeman Yeboah after the Ghana Football Association (GFA) presidency that brought Kurt E.S Okraku to power as the new president has sighted an erroneous list of past presidents of the GFA and the year they assumed office which is reported to be an authenticated record on a plaque at the GFA Secretariat.

GFA heads

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) is the successor to the Gold Coast Football Association, which used to be the governing body for football in Ghana and was one of the oldest football associations in Africa.

The first attempt at forming a football association was made in 1925 by Mr. Semmer Wilson, District Commissioner of Sekondi-Takoradi when he formed District Football Association. It later became the Western Region Football Association.

However, the move for a national football body was still far from fetch as some members split up and this resulted in two main football associations in the country.

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Mr. Akwei became the president of the Gold Coast Football Union. The other, dubbed the Gold Coast and Ashanti Union had Mr. John Darkwa of Kumasi as chairman, with Mr. A.W. Mills of Accra as secretary.

They decided to merge to form one body in 1950 to form United Gold Coast Amateur Football Association and John Darkwah emerged as its first Chairman and Richard Akwei as Vice Chairman.

Despite the union, peace didn’t reign and in 1951 a fresh election was held. Richard Akwei was voted chairman of the Union at an election in Accra and that was to mark the beginning of a new crisis in the country’s soccer administration.

Akwei led administration saw a great deal of confusion in the running of football in the country. Akwei was accused of maladministration and questioned his ability to help grow Ghanaian Football. For a sustained period, a relentless battle was waged to remove Richard Akwei from the seat of Ghana football power.

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The culmination of these efforts came on September 8, 1957 when, at a general meeting of the Ghana Amateur Football Association held at Legion Hall, Accra and presided over by Sir Leslie McCarthy, chairman, of the Ghana Amateur Sports Council, Mr. Akwei resigned.

Mr. Akwei was made special Life Patron of the Ghana Amateur Football Association due to his great contribution of the Ghana football. Thus ended one era, and thus began another, to be dominated by one man, Ohene Djan!

Thirty-three years old, full of fresh ideas, dynamism and enthusiasm, Mr. Ohene Djan stepped into the shoes of Mr. Richard Akwei as the unanimously elected Chairman of the Ghana Amateur Football Association (GFA).

Ohene Dajan reign as the chairman of the Ghana Amateur Association was from 1957-1960. He was elevated in 1960 to the position of the Director of Sports in 1960 by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and doubled as the Executive Secretary of the Ghana Amateur Football Association (GAFA). As the Executive Secretary, he was in charge of football administration in the country.

Hon. Kojo Botsio, the Minister of Education during the reign of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was, however, named the Chairman of the Ghana Football Association which was more like an honorary position (he was like a board chairman).

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Ohene Djan led the GFA during the six-year tenure of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and he was removed from office after the coup detat that toppled Osagyefo’s government.

Here is the correct list of the past leaders of football leaders and their tenure (from Gold Coast time to date)

John Darkwah: 1950 (United Gold Coast Amateur Football Association- first united or nationwide football association)

Richard Akwei: 1950-1957 (United Gold Coast Amateur Football Association and also served for a while after independence)

Mr. Ohene Djan 1957–66 (First as Ghana Amateur Football Association (GAFA) Chairman and later as Director of Sports cum Executive Secretary of (GAFA))

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Mr. H. P. Nyemitei 1966-1967

Nana Fredua Mensah 1967-1968

Mr. H. P. Nyemitei 1968-1971

Mr. Henry Djaba 1971-1972

Maj. Gen. R. E. A. Kotei 1972–73

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Col. Brew-Graves 1973–75

Maj. George Lamptey 1975–77

Maj. D. O. Asiamah 1977–79

Mr. I. R. Aboagye 1979

Mr. Samuel Okyere 1979–80

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Mr. S. K. Mainoo 1980–82

Mr. Zac Bentum 1982–83

Mr. L. Ackah-Yensu 1983–84

Mr. L. T. K. Caesar 1984

Mr. E. O. Teye 1984–86

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Mr. Samuel Okyere 1986–90

Mr. Awuah Nyamekye 1990–92

Mr. Joe Lartey 1992–93

Mr. Samuel Brew-Butler 1993–97

Alhaji M. N. D. Jawula 1997–2001

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Mr. Ben Koufie 2001–03

Dr. N. Nyaho-Tamakloe 2004–05

Mr. Kwesi Nyantakyi 2005–2018

Mr. Kurt Edwin Simone Okraku October 2019 - date

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