The long-running power struggle over who controls amputee football in Ghana has been decisively settled after the High Court ruled in favour of the National Sports Authority (NSA) and the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) Ghana.
Justice Jerome Noble-Nkrumah, JA, sitting at Commercial Court 6, dismissed in full the case brought by the Ghana Amputee Football Federation (GAFF) against the NSA and others, and upheld the counterclaims filed by the NSA and NPC Ghana.
In a judgment expected to shape the future administration of the sport, the Court confirmed that the NSA and NPC Ghana hold the lawful authority for the governance and recognition of amputee football within Ghana’s national sports framework.
The Court also ordered GAFF to pay costs of GH¢60,000 each to the NSA and NPC Ghana. The two institutions had originally asked for GH¢250,000 and GH¢200,000 respectively, but the Court awarded lower amounts.
Key figures barred from amputee football
One of the most far-reaching elements of the decision is a set of perpetual orders directed at GAFF and a number of named individuals.
Under the ruling, the Court granted reliefs that include permanent orders affecting GAFF and Francis Adjetey Sowah, Charles Narh Teye, John Kuku Dsane, Philip Cecil Richter and Benjamin Charles Armah. In line with the judgment, they are not to associate themselves with amputee sport in Ghana.
By issuing those orders, the Court has drawn a firm line under a dispute that has overshadowed the administration of amputee football in the country for more than 13 years.
Justice Noble-Nkrumah held that the case presented by the NSA and NPC Ghana was “more probable” than that advanced by GAFF, and therefore rejected all the federation’s claims while granting the reliefs sought in the defendants’ counterclaim.
Dispute dating back to 2013–14
Court documents, official letters, witness evidence and institutional records examined during the proceedings show that the conflict can be traced back to 2013–2014.
At that time, disagreements emerged over which body had the lawful mandate to run amputee football in Ghana. What began as a dispute over recognition and authority evolved into one of the country’s most entrenched sporting governance battles.
Over the years the row has involved multiple legal actions, rival institutional claims to legitimacy, interventions by government officials and exchanges with international sporting organisations.
At the heart of the litigation were questions about which institution legally administers amputee football in Ghana, the status of competing organisations, the validity of their governance structures and elections, and the scope of the powers held by Ghana’s national sports institutions under the national sports governance framework.
Throughout the process, the NSA and NPC Ghana consistently argued that amputee football sits squarely within Ghana’s recognised national sports governance architecture and therefore fell under their authority.
Court-sanctioned roadmap for World Cup participation
While the substantive case remained before the Court, the Commercial Division of the High Court instructed the then Ministry of Youth and Sports to devise a mechanism to ensure Ghana could continue to take part in international amputee football competitions.
Following submissions from the Ministry, the Court approved a structured roadmap designed to allow Ghana to compete at the Amputee Football World Cup without prejudicing the ongoing case.
That roadmap, implemented under the supervision of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, set out defined roles for the Samson Deen’s led NPC Ghana within the temporary administrative arrangements.
The process enabled Ghanaian amputee footballers to appear on the international stage while the Court considered the deeper questions over governance and recognition.
New chapter for amputee football governance
The judgment is being viewed as a defining moment for sports governance in Ghana, closing a chapter of institutional uncertainty that has lingered for more than a decade.
By confirming where authority lies, the ruling is expected to bring greater administrative clarity, strengthen Ghana’s overall sports governance framework and give stakeholders the stability to prioritise athlete development and international competitiveness.
With the legal battle now concluded, the focus is likely to move away from legal arguments and towards rebuilding the sport domestically, consolidating governance structures and establishing a unified platform to improve opportunities for Ghana’s amputee footballers at home and abroad.
A more detailed analysis of the written judgment and its wider legal implications for sports governance in Ghana is expected once the full decision has been studied.
