Owner and bankroller of Division One side King Faisal FC, Alhaji Abdul Karim Gruzah has dropped his interest in contesting for the Ghana Football Association (GFA) presidency.
Gruzah intends to compete for a slot on the 12-member Executive Council instead — another position he has never occupied.
The veteran administrator had consistently expressed interest in leading Ghana football since Kwesi Nyantakyi was ousted after the Anas exposé last year.
In July 2018, Gruzah declared in an interview with Happy FM:
“I am the right person to be the next GFA president. I am the only one that save the game. Just give me 4 years and I will turn around the game for the best. I will change a lot of things when I am the next GFA president.
“Insha Allah, I will contest for the GFA presidency in 2019. I am not joking. SWAG president Kwabena Yeboah will be my special aid to help with his big English.
“The only thing that will prevent me from contesting next year is sickness.”
But with just days to going to the polls, Gruzah says he has had a change of course.
“Yes, I declared I was going to contest but after consultations, I will no longer go for it,” he told Asempa FM Wednesday.
“My sons and vice-chairman [at King Faisal] advised that I should switch from chasing the presidential seat to the board [Executive Council]… coupled with many other considerations, I have accepted that and would not run for GFA presidency.
“The development of Ghana football is all I want so I pray Allah helps us choose the best leader.
“Now, I would want to take up one of the three Division One slots on the next Executive Council but even that, it is not a do-or-die affair…” Alhaji Gruzah added.
With the Normalization Committee for the Ghana Football Association set to roll out a roadmap for the pending elections, some prominent administrators like Wilfred Osei, George Afriyie, Fred Pappoe, Nana Yaw Amponsah, Kudjoe Fianoo, Kurt Okraku and very recently Dr. Toni Aubynn have thrown their hats in the ring for the topmost position.
