"Igniting passion and creating wealth", was the theme of Kurt Okraku's campaign ahead of the 2019 race to lead the Association.
With the message resonating with the electorates, clubs, much better than "Restoration, Revival and Redemption" of Kurt's main opponent George Afriyie, the mandate to deliver the 'wealth' Ghana Football has craved for was handed to the Former Dreams FC President.
Even before the Anass exposé brought Ghana football on its knees, the domestic game has been short of headline sponsors.
Admittedly, defunct Zylofon Cash signed a $10million headline deal for the Ghana Premier League(GPL) for five years in 2018 before the scandal hit the Association.
Even with the continuity and longevity of the erstwhile Kwesi Nyantekyi regime, securing headline sponsor was an herculean task.
Before the Zylofon deal, the GPL had gone three consecutive years without an headline sponsor.
Without doubt, the next President of the GFA had an arduous task of securing sponsorships for our local game because of the bad euphoria around Ghana football in general.
Ghana's top-flight football was on hold amidst the dissolution of the GFA by the Government, but with the launching of the Normalization Committee Competition to relaunch the local game, it gave it a footing.
The coronavirus pandemic worsen the resurgence of the local leagues, with the 2019/20 GPL season cancelled, extending the inability to complete a full GPL season to three years.
Acceptably, the clubs and connoisseurs alike are absolutely right to demand the fulfilment of the purpose of his reign 'creating wealth'.
The broadcasting right deal with Startimes - each club getting less than $50,000 - couldn't cushioned the club.
With the GFA elections next year, with all the inadequacies of this administration, lack of sponsorship for the GPL would have been its achilles heel.
The prevalence of match fixing dominating the local game made the job all the more daunting, especially with the sanctioning of Ashanti Gold and Inter Allies confirming the age old canker.
Opponents expected to be fronted by George Afriyie would have been given a free meal to devour.
BetPawa's $2million a year sponsorship deal ordinary would be considered meagre, but the history of the ditch Ghana Football is finding his way through makes it lucrative. A bumper one as such.
The groundbreaking deal with Malta Guinness for the Women's Premier league is historic and mouthwatering.
It shows how far women's football has come, and the potential it has if things are done right.
At least, these deals should serve as a strong base for the commercial emancipation of the local game.
Kurt Okraku couldn't have secured an headline sponsor later, with just a year to go to the polls again.
His defeat wouldn't have been predicted but confirmed even before the election because he failed to deliver his main promise 'creating wealth'.
Like Clubs fortunes changing with these headline sponsorship deals, 'The Gamechanger' Kurt Okraku's fortunes may be changed by BetPawa and Malta Guiness at the ballots next year.
By: Abdul Razak Salim
