September 3 – Ghana’s President John Evans Atta Mills (pictured) has sought permission from Sepp Blatter to set-up a special enquiry to investigate how the Ghana Football Association (GFA) uses funds given it by the Government.
Mills plans to launch a commission to investigate the GFA but does not want to fall fouls of FIFA’s draconian rules over Government’s interferring in the running of a country’s football association and raised the matter with President Blatter during a visit to meet him in Zurich.
Mills claims that Blatter gave the go-ahead for the inquiry because “demanding accountability from the GFA did not amount to any interference but rather strengthened the Government’s resolve to ensure transparency and accountability in the various national teams”.
Ghana became only the third African country to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup in South Africa earlier this year before they were knocked out controversially on penalties by Uruguay.
Mills claims he wants to investigate the GFA so he can ensure that conditions are right for Ghana to do even better at the next World Cup in Brazil.
Mills said: ”We’re proud of the team which represented our country.
“In four years’ time, the players will have more experience and confidence, and at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, we will be aiming for the trophy.
“Let other countries be warned.”