Koufie blasts Ghanaian football

Benjamin Koufie has lashed out at club officials, coaches and referees accusing them of corruption that now threatens the country's football.

In what appears to be his first outburst since his election to office a few months ago, Ghana's new FA boss met the Ghanaian football officials in Kumasi and delivered a speech on the state of football that sent the audience bowing their heads in deep reflection.

He said: "When you are in a situation where administrators are stealing money, coaches engage in taking bribes from parents before admitting their wards to junior national teams, and referees are taking bribes from club officials, then we have to admit that we have a problem on our hands."

It has been 19 years since the Black Stars, Ghana's senior national team, won their fourth and last African Nations Cup in Libya.

Since then, and despite several trophies in the World Youth Championship, the country's football has been plagued with corruption with FA bosses conniving with clubs to engage in illicit transfers of players abroad.

Only a few weeks ago, a former sports minister was jailed for stealing ?40,000 meant for players' match-winning bonuses.

At the meeting called to acquaint stake-holders in Ghanaian football with the new order at the FA, Koufie noted that most home-based Ghanaian players earn a pittance while their club officials accumulate considerable wealth.

"The players are not enjoying the fruits of their labour. Club officials are personally profiting from the gate proceeds while players suffer. This is unacceptable," he added, hinting that a blueprint aimed at dealing decisively with the problem has been submitted to the government.

On the Black Stars preparations for the forthcoming African Nations Cup in Mali, the new FA boss urged club bosses to cooperate with the GFA with a view to building a strong side for the tournament.