Vincent Sowah Odotei says he is not currently interested in becoming president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), despite increasing calls for a change in the way football is run in the country.
The Interim Management Committee member of Accra Hearts of Oak has been linked with the next GFA election as frustration grows over the national teams’ disappointing results and concerns about the condition of the domestic league.
However, the experienced administrator said he had no plans to contest the association’s top position at this stage, although he left open the possibility of changing his mind in the future.
“ In terms of contesting for the FA President, definitely no. But as Margaret Thatcher said, a day in politics is another time,” Odotei told JoySports Link last Saturday.
The 58-year-old previously stood for the GFA presidency against former president Kwesi Nyantakyi. With the tenure of incumbent president Kurt Simeon-Okraku expected to end in October next year, attention has already turned to possible candidates for the next election.
Odotei, who is a former Deputy Minister of Communications and Member of Parliament for La Dadekotopon, said his immediate priority was his work at Hearts of Oak.
“As we sit here today, I would say not really. Having now taken charge at Accra Hearts of Oak, I am deeply worried and concerned about the state of the game,” he said.
His comments came as sections of the football fraternity called for a new direction following a series of underwhelming performances by Ghana’s national teams and wider questions about the future of the domestic game.
Although he has ruled out entering the presidential contest for now, Odotei said he remained willing to help improve football administration in Ghana.
He said he would prefer to contribute by offering advice and sharing his views from outside the main decision-making structure, drawing on his relationships with those currently responsible for running the game.
“Knowing who I am, with some of the issues, maybe I’ll communicate them differently compared to when my brother was in charge. But there’s certainly a way that I’ll make my views known so that our friends who are in charge take note, so that we can improve the game,” he added.