Ben Koufie the dictator

At 69, the chairman of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Ben Koufie is not a new kid on the block. So why is he receiving such a “roasting from a section of the sports media” Roasting? The man does not think so, in fact he appears unruffled by all the media frenzy about his way of running the show at the highest level of Ghana football.

Sir, I asked him at a recent meeting, “Are you a dictator? It was as though he had not heard my question and instead, he began to search through a pile of documents on his desk. Was he trying to ignore me, or simply treat my question with contempt? Sir, Mr. Koufie, this time, he looked straight at me and said, “If you run the same old pattern, you are going to get the same old results.”

Oh, so he heard me, I thought, at least we are off the blocks. What was supposed to be a brief Friday afternoon interview appointment turned out to be a two-hour question and answer session with the GFA boss.

I cut no corners in order to get the answers many Ghanaians want answers to.

Quest. “Why have you flooded the technical teams of the various national teams with people who have been out of the game for so long?”

Answer. To get new results in the game, we must be highly motivated to change, but if we keep doing the same things, running the same inappropriate patterns, our lives are not going to change, and all we’ll experience is more and more pain and frustration.

Question. What about the people he had chosen for the various tasks ahead, are they not yesterday’s men?

Answer. Have you ever seen a fly that’s trapped in a room? It immediately searches for light. So it heads for the window smacking itself against the glass again and again, sometimes for hours. In Ghana’s case, we’ve been trying to escape from our cycle of disappointment for years. Have you ever noticed people doing this? They are highly motivated to change: they have intense leverage. But all the motivation in the world won’t help if you try to get outside through a closed window. You’ve got to change your approach.

The fly stands a chance only if it backs off and looks around for another exit.

Question. Sir, I don’t think you have quite answered my question. I am talking about the people to implement your five-year-development plan, may people believe they do not have what it takes.

Answer . Let’s wait and see, and besides it is not too late to make some changes here and there.

Question: Did you consult your management board before making the appointment?

Answer: I am surprised when I heard people suggesting that I can just get up and take decisions about Ghana football without consultations. After all who brought me here? It is only a fool that does not ask for a second or third opinion and a bigger fool who would not change his mind.

Question: So you will change some of the appointments then?

Answer: We are building a team and team building takes time, changes are inevitable.

Question: What was the state of the GFA financially when you took office?

Answer: Under normal circumstances, I would not have answered this question but the truth will come out sooner or later. If only you know the amount of money that has been stolen from the Ghana Football Association over the years…. you will weep.