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Ghana president John Evans Atta Mills has admitted that his government was wrong to have ordered the naming of Abedi Pele as a candidate for vacant Caf Executive Committee slot even though the Ghana Football Association had named its leader to contest the vacant position.
But the former Hearts of Oak boss insists he enjoys a perfect relationship with the hierarchy of the GFA and praised the federation for its work.
Prof. Mills slammed members of his government who have been hounding the GFA, using the name of the presidency.
He was addressing news editors in the country.
The decision to name the three-time African Footballer of the Year caused massive embarrassment to his government drawing intense criticism of his leadership style.
The decision nearly led to a Fifa ban which was averted by assurances from his office that they were not interfering in the administration of the sport in the country.
Ex-sport minister Akua Dansua ordered the GFA to name Abedi even though the GFA had earlier informed her of Nyantakyi’s candidature.
Prof Mills implied that he was not informed by the GFA’s decision to name Nyantakyi for the post – resulting in the misunderstanding.
It seems Dansua, who was booted out of the sports ministry on Tuesday, paid the price for her decision not to inform government of her decision to bless Nyantakyi’s candidature.
Under Fifa rules, national football associations must not be subject to government control.
Similar actions by the governments in Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Kenya have resulted in bans from international football.
Ghana's last executive committee member was the late Sam Okyere but it has been more than two decades since.
Abedi Pele lost in his bid to get on the committee in 2004 when he lost to the Nigerian Amos Adamu.
The latest directive is likely to increase growing tensions between the sports ministry and the GFA over what executives of the football association feel is undue interference from government in the way they run their affairs.