FIFA Issues Life Ban For Ghana Football Boss Over Corruption

One of African football’s most powerful figures has been banned from the sport for life for breaking bribery and corruption rules.

Ex-Ghana Football Association president Kwesi Nyantakyi also broke conflict of interest rules, FIFA said, BBC Sport reports. Football’s world governing body launched an investigation after Nyantakyi was pictured taking $65,000 from an undercover reporter.

FIFA fined Nyantakyi 500,000 Swiss francs (£390,000). Nyantakyi was also vice-president of the Confederation of African Football and a member of the FIFA Council.

He stepped down as GFA president in June after film of him allegedly accepting a “cash gift” was made public. The film was captured by journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas and BBC Africa’s investigations unit, Africa Eye, received exclusive access to the footage.

Nyantakyi later resigned his CAF and FIFA posts but claimed the footage had been doctored to falsely incriminate him. The adjudicatory chamber of FIFA’s ethics committee said the ban for life applied to “all football-related activities at both national and international level”.

According to a FIFA statement, Mr Nyantakyi was notified on Tuesday about the ban. This brings to an end the career of the man considered as the most successful GFA president in the history of Ghana football.

Nyantakyi reigned as GFA president for 13 years and helped Ghana’s Black Stars to qualify for three successive FIFA World Cups (2006, 2010 and 2014).

He rose through the ranks to become the Vice President of the Confederation of African Football. He was highly tipped to take over from current CAF president Ahmad Ahmad in the near future.

Nyantakyi was initially suspended on June 8 for 90 days by the adjudicatory chamber of FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee. The ban was later extended for an additional 45 days on September 6.