National Team Reforms Underway - GFA President

Ghana Football Association President Kwesi Nyantakyi is confident that their stated mission of introducing reforms in the management of national teams will improve performances and build strong brands. In the wake of Ghana's exit from the World Cup in Brazil, lots of focus had been fixed on team discipline and the mode of remuneration for players. With some railing against some of the previous practices, the GFA has made the most impact in its bid to bring about improvements by introducing cashless payments ahead of a new campaign in the qualifying for the 2015 Africa Nations Cup this weekend as the Black Stars start off with a home opener against Uganda. "There were a number issues that we discussed with the players. One is about the code of conduct and contract with players, mode of payment of monies, we are moving from the payment of cash. We settled on the payment through the cheque system. We looked at other issues arising from the World Cup and the need to rededicate and recommit ourselves to the cause of the country," Kwesi Nyantakyi told www.ghanafa.org after their meeting with players of the Black Stars on Tuesday. "I believe the meeting was a very good meeting and we engaged players and also got them to commit themselves to doing very well for the country." Nyantakyi says the measures already under way, would ultimately lead to helping the team to improve their performance. "We are going to continue the good management practices that we have shown towards the players. "As human beings, there may have been one or two shortcomings. Some of the recommendations we have come up with to make the Association and the team a better one is the introduction of contracts with players," he said. "The mode of payment is changing and everyone has agreed to that. We are also improving or enhancing the code of conduct. We have put new arrangements in place in terms of the size of hotel we are staying in, in terms of the number of the members of the delegation, in terms of attitude and people coming around to visit the players. "All this things have been reviewed and revised with the view that things will be better for the players to perform above optimum. We hope that all of us, including players have learnt useful lessons from the episode in Brazil so we build a stronger brand for the Black Stars." Encouraging transparency, according to the GFA President blanked any possible trait of mistrust between players and management as meeting was done in such an environment. "It [meeting] was [successful]. They [players] really expressed themselves. They told us their views and opinions on some of the issues and they welcomed the suggestions we put across which in their opinion will make them better or stronger persons. "They also made contributions and said that they will look at the contract that we will give to them and if they have any comments or suggestions, they will put them across before each of them signs or puts his signature to it. "We will usually want to carry players along with each good step we want to take. We don't impose our views on them. We try to explain and convince them to move along with us because decisions taken for them are usually done in their best personal interest. We do our best to explain," said Nyantakyi.