CAF Gives Reprieve To Ghana

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has given reprieve to Ghana and nine other countries to compete in the novelty African Nations Championship (CHAN), a competition for only local-based national teams to be staged next year. Ghana has therefore been asked to forward its application confirming the nation’s participation in the competition to the CAF Secretariat by noon today. CAF’s decision to re-admit Ghana and the other late entrants follows an intervention from the Government of Ghana which had sought to utilise the good rapport created between the two parties especially because of the 2008 African Cup of Nations. Sources close to the government said after several discussions between Ghana and the continental football governing body, the President, Issa Hayatou, saw reason to give Ghana a reprieve to enable it participate in the qualifying series for the 2009 event to be staged in Cote d’Ivoire. However, in so doing CAF did not want to be seen as treating Ghana as a special case and thus allowed nine other countries who missed the deadline to also submit their applications . This latest development saves the dream of Ghana’s local stars whose hope of playing in the newly-introduced competition was almost dashed because the Ghana Football Association (GFA) failed to meet the deadline for the submission of its application. Earlier this week, CAF confirmed to the GFA that Ghana’s omission from the list of contestants for the qualifiers was not an oversight but that the nation did not apply to compete after the GFA had sought clarification from the Cairo-based body over the issue. Though local club officials accused the GFA for negligence of duty, they agreed that the GFA investigates the issue and take the appropriate measures against those whose negligence had cost the nation to book. The government, eager to get Ghana take part in the competition, took advantage of its established relationship and had direct talks with the CAF hierachy, the result of which proved fruitful. The source confirmed to the Daily Graphic “After the calls were made to CAF, President Hayatou got back to us this afternoon to break the good news that Ghana will be allowed to participate in the competition.” Calls made yesterday to GFA officials before press time for their reaction were not returned.