Chief Executive Officer of Karela United, Elloeny Amande, has expressed his personal opposition to the recent Congress decision to extend the term limit for the GFA presidency and Executive Council members from two to three terms.
Speaking after the 31st Ordinary Congress, Amande revealed that despite voicing his concerns in the days leading up to the event, 91% of delegates eligible to vote backed the amendment, leaving only six members opposed and three abstentions.
My position has always been clear ; I don’t think this is what we have to do. But 91% of the people present and eligible to vote have voted in favour, so who am I? The people want this, so this is what has to happen
CEO of Karela United, Elloeny Amande speaks after 91% of Congress voted in favour of extending the GFA Presidential term limit, despite his own opposition to the motion.
Amande noted that while the GFA General Secretary provided the rationale for aligning the statutes with global football governance practices, he and a handful of others felt the justification was insufficient. Nonetheless, he accepted the outcome as part of democratic decision-making.
The Executive Council member also touched on another matter ; the Ghana Football Association’s involvement in player contracts.
While appreciating the role of the Professional Footballers Association of Ghana (PFAG) in advocating for player welfare, he warned against what he termed “significant overreach” by the federation in dictating contract terms between players and clubs.
We can provide guidelines and principles, and even create a pool of lawyers to assist players, but we cannot go into stipulating contracts that employers must use. It’s not done in any industry.
The Congress decision means both the GFA President and Executive Council members can now serve for up to 12 years if re-elected, a move that has drawn both support and criticism within the football community.
