BY Issah Olegor
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has officially extended the presidential term limit from two to three terms, allowing a president to serve for up to 12 years instead of the previous eight.
The decision was taken at the Ordinary Congress held on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram, after a vote by delegates.
While the move has attracted mixed reactions from football stakeholders and fans, former GFA Communications Director, Ibrahim Sannie Daara, has strongly defended the change, arguing that eight years is too short a period to create lasting impact in football administration.
Sannie Daara, who currently serves as Senior Media Officer at the Confederation of African Football (CAF), explained that football governance, especially at the continental and global level, requires time, consistency, and long-term strategic positioning.
He noted that securing influence in football’s highest decision-making bodies is a gradual process that cannot be fully achieved within two terms.
“During the era of the Normalisation Committee, there was a rush to enact new laws aimed at completely undoing the legacy of Kwesi Nyantakyi.
The truth is, if you truly understand football administration, you know that positioning your country to benefit from global football structures cannot be done in eight years,” he told Sporty FM.
He also pointed out that in CAF’s Executive Council, most members — aside from CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe — are currently serving their fourth terms, which gives them significant influence in policy-making and decisions that shape African football.
According to him, maintaining experienced leadership over a longer period helps countries secure advantages in international football governance.
The change in the football leadership structure follows a turbulent period in the GFA’s history.
In 2018, the association was dissolved after an investigative exposé by journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas implicated several officials in corruption, leading to the appointment of a FIFA Normalisation Committee to run Ghana football until fresh elections.
The committee introduced the two-term limit as part of reforms aimed at restoring credibility.
Kurt Okraku, elected GFA President in 2019 and re-elected in 2023, is seen as a key beneficiary of the new amendment, as he now has the potential to serve until 2031 if re-elected for a third term.
Supporters of the decision say it will allow him and future presidents to complete long-term projects without the pressure of a short tenure, while critics fear it could entrench power and reduce accountability.
The GFA has yet to release an official statement addressing public concerns, but the defence by prominent figures like Sannie Daara suggests the association will frame the extension as a strategic move for continuity and international competitiveness in football governance.
