K.K. Sarpong quits GFA sponsorship committee

Finder Sports can exclusively reveal that the board chairman of the sponsorship committee of the Ghana Football Association, Dr Kofi Kodua Sarpong, has resigned from the position following alleged disagreements with FA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi.

Dr Sarpong, who is also the board chairman of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, is allegedly angry with Kwesi Nyantakyi because the FA boss has unilaterally agreed a deal with telecom giants Globacom to extend Glo’s sponsorship deal of the Ghana Premier League, which expires at the end of the next football season, for another three years at a reduced fee.

According to Finder Sports sources, Dr K.K. Sarpong is not only peeved about the extension of Glo’s sponsorship of the league but feels disrespected because Mr Nyantakyi did not involve the sponsorship committee of the FA in the negotiation process. Dr Sarpong is said to feel disrespected since his position as board chairman of the sponsorship committee permits him to be privy to such matters. Dr Sarpong is also said to be against the GFA extending its sponsorship deal with Glo because of the inconsistent manner and undue delays in the disbursement of the money to the clubs.

It would be recalled that Glo Mobile Ghana, a subsidiary of Globacom International, began its five-year partnership with Ghana football in December 2008 at $3 million per year. There were problems with the payments of the money and calls have come from some quarters that the deal should be abrogated when it expires next year, but Mr Nyantakyi is adamant and has agreed in principal to extend the deal at a surprisingly lower rate of $2 million per year.

Some members on the sponsorship committee believe other companies are willing to offer a better deal to become headline sponsor of the Ghana Premier League and thus do not understand why Mr Nyantakyi is determined to continue the relationship with Glo.