Former Ghanaian defender Joe Addo has backed comments made by Senior Minister Hon. Yaw Osaafo Maafo on corruption and bribery practices in the Ghana Football Association (GFA) that are affecting the progress of football in the country.
Former Sports Minister Yaw Osafo Maafo says the Ghana Premier league has grown unattractive over the years because of corruption within the rank and file of the League management.
Speaking at a forum to launch this year’s national anti-corruption and transparency week in Accra, the Senior Minister, who is credited for his role in Ghana’s first World Cup qualification in 2006, recounted his experience with corrupt officials and in the wake of reforms after Ghana FA summit in Cape Coast.
Speaking on the ‘Football Legends Night’ Show on GHONE TV, Joe Addo, an ex-Accra Hearts of Oak player, said people have lost interest in the local leagues because of bribery and corruption that have characterized the FA.
“There is so much corruption in Ghana’s football, it’s unfortunate but its true and am not the only one who knows, a lot of people know that and I think we have to do something about it so am very happy Hon. Osaafo Maafo voiced it out” Addo said
“For instance, many people don’t understand what indemnity means but in actual sense it means bribery or ‘ways and means’, there are so many things in football and there are many that are left unsaid. Many Ghanaians eyes are wide opened, everybody wants to know about every single thing that happens in our football, it is not like the past, and it’s killing our game,” he added.
He called on all stakeholders in the football industry to find a way, if not eradicating it, minimising it for the uplifting of football in the country.
“It’s very difficult to eradicate bribery and corrupt practices, even the professional leagues in Europe find it difficult to fix them but we should find a way to fix or kill it if we are really serious about,” Addo added.
