Ghana Soccer Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku is determined to be appointed as concept to be one of CAF’s fresh Vice-Presidents as the continental physique moves to restructure its management following closing month’s divisive elections.
Okraku’s drawing close elevation comes as CAF President Patrice Motsepe seeks to bear vacant Vice-President positions and restore cohesion within African soccer after a bitterly contested FIFA Council election. The appointments are expected to be ratified this day for the duration of a CAF Govt Committee assembly in Accra.
The reshuffle has change into major after four of CAF’s 5 previous Vice-Presidents left their roles. Augustin Senghor of Senegal resigned in relate, accusing Morocco of dominating CAF’s interior politics. Meanwhile, Ahmed Yahya (Mauritania), Waberi Souleiman (Djibouti) and Kanizat Ibrahim (Comoros) all secured seats on FIFA’s high governing physique, thus vacating their CAF Vice-Presidencies. Cameroon’s Seidou Mbombo Njoya, who used to be Fourth Vice-President, used to be also ousted after being dropped by his nationwide affiliation.
Okraku’s expected appointment is extremely important for Ghana â and Anglophone Africa â following the spicy decline in influence of veteran powerhouses like Nigeria, whose candidate Amaju Pinnick failed to sustain his FIFA Council seat.
With Ghana now essentially the most convenient Anglophone monumental declaring a foothold at CAF’s high desk, Okraku’s role will seemingly be serious in guaranteeing balanced representation in African soccer’s most practical likely constructions.
Motsepe’s fresh list of Vice-Presidents is moderately constructed to pacify rising tensions after the elections, which saw Morocco-aligned candidates dominate proceedings. Other nominees alongside Okraku encompass Mustapha Ishola Raji (Liberia), Kossi Gbezonde Akpovy (Togo), Wallace Karia (Tanzania), Mohamed Samir Sobha (Mauritius), Walter Nyamilandu Manda (Malawi), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon) and Bestine Kazadi Ditabala (DR Congo) for the females’s seat.
The selections intention to restore a tender regional and linguistic steadiness within CAF’s management â especially among Anglophone and Francophone federations who expressed frustration after the elections tilted heavily toward North African influence.
For Okraku, the appointment caps an everyday upward thrust during the ranks of African soccer governance since his election as GFA President in 2019. He has also served on CAF’s vital Govt Committee since March.
As CAF gears up for main projects, along with preparations for the expanded FIFA World Cup and the next Africa Cup of Nations, Okraku’s presence will seemingly be major in championing Ghanaian and West African pursuits at the coronary heart of resolution-making.
On the opposite hand, challenges lie ahead. Restoring concord within CAF’s management and navigating the transferring political alliances sometime of African soccer will check the fresh Vice-Presidents’ skill to work together.
For now, Ghana can take pride in Okraku’s continued ascent â a image of resilience and ambition as the country seeks to sustain its standing at the discontinue of African soccer.
