FIFA blames GFA for Frimpong nationality switch delay

Fifa has blamed the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for the delay of the nationality switch of Arsenal midfielder, Emmanuel Frimpong.

The world’s football governing body told the GNA in a communique that the process has been held up due to the unavailability of documentation from the GFA required to decide the status of the 20-year-old Ghanaian-born midfielder.

The revelation by the games governing body absolve it of any form of blame, leaving the matter at the doorsteps of the GFA to answer for the delay in the process which has lasted almost 12 months.

Fifa catalogued the progressions reached on the issue, which has become a subject of discussion in local football circles. Frimpong is eligible to play for Ghana, despite representing England at the youth level.

“On 13 December, 2011, FIFA received a formal request dated 21 November, 2011 from the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for the change of association of the player Emmanuel Frimpong. FIFA thereupon requested the GFA the standard documentation needed to process such a request,” the Fifa correspondence to the newswire said.

According to Fifa, “to date the GFA has not yet provided Fifa with a complete and updated file reflecting the current situation of the player, although Fifa has always immediately answered to all correspondence of the GFA and informed the latter of the necessary documents still needed.”

“Moreover, on November 1, 2012; FIFA confirmed to the GFA that once in possession of the respective documents, it would immediately proceed to submit the matter to the deciding body,” Fifa stated.

Frimpong played for the England Under-16 and U17 between 2007 and 2009, but pledged his future with the Black Stars on September 6, 2011 after a meeting with GFA president Kwesi Nyantakyi in London.