Kwesi Nyantakyi is a Ghanaian lawyer, banker, and a former football administrator. He was the president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the first vice president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Kwesi Nyantakyi served as the Vice-Chairman of the Ghana League Clubs Association(GHALCA). This position automatically made him the Vice President of the GFA and before ascending to the throne as the President through elections.
Kwesi Nyantakyi was born on October 27, 1968, to a ‘waala’ mother and an Akan father. He grew up in WA, the capital city of the Upper West region. He holds Ghanaians citizenship and he was a Christian before converting into a Muslim after 47 years.
Kwesi Nyantakyi was one of the power football administrators and leaders until an investigative documentary brought him to zero in football. His administration was tagged the ”corrupt and bribery” administration for years. Television sports talk show ”Fire For Fire” on Adom Tv continuously called him corrupt to the level that Kwesi Nyantakyi charged sports journalists to bring evidence of corruption against him for a sum of $20,000 and he even sued the host, Patrick Osei Agyemang who is popularly known as Countryman Songo.
This continued until Tiger Eye PI lead by the fearsome investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas released an undercover documentary in 2018 dubbed ”Number 12: ’Betraying The Game” which covered corruption scandals in Ghana football and some parts of Africa. Kwesi Nyantakyi was fingered collecting a bribe of $65,000 by acting as an agent for Ghana Football Association to strike a deal with the leader of undercover reporters who posed as foreign investors from Dubai, H. H Sheikh Hammad Al Thani.
On June 8, 2018, the chairperson of the adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee provisionally banned Nyantakyi from all football-related activities for a duration of 90 days, pursuant to art. 83 par. 1 and art. 84 par. 2 of the FIFA Code of Ethics. On October 30, 2018, the adjudicatory chamber found Kwesi Nyantakyi guilty of having violated Article 19 (conflict of interest), Article 21 (Bribery and corruption) and Article 22 (Commission) of the FIFA Code of Ethics, banned him for life from all football-related activities and also fined him 500,000 Swiss Francs.
Kwesi Nyantakyi denied wrongdoing but resigned from all his positions in football. He resigned as the President of the Ghana Football Association, FIFA Council Member, First Vice President of CAF, Member of FIFA Associations Committee, and President of West African Football Union Zone B. After his resignations, he presented his case before the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) for consideration. CAS is yet to publish it ruling on the case between Kwesi Nyantakyi and FIFA. However, our sources have confirmed that Kwesi Nyantakyi admitted to having breached several codes of Fifa’s ethics when his appeal was heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). He accepted collecting bribe from the undercover reporters and pleaded for the court to have mercy on him by reducing his lifetime ban. CAS heard his appeal and has reduced his lifetime Fifa ban from football-related activities to 15 years and the $500,000 to $100,000.
Kwesi Nyantakyi Net Worth
Kwesi Nyantakyi has an estimated net worth of $10 million. His fortune comes from his career as the football administrator and lawyer. He was the owner of the defunct Wa All Stars now called Legon Cities Football Club.
Kwesi Nyantakyi Wife
Kwesi Nyantakyi is married to a second wife, Mariam Nyantakyi. She is a 23-year-old graduate of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology(KNUST). Mariam Nyantakyi is a player agent who is active in football despite her husband serving a lifetime ban from FIFA. Mariam Nyantakyi is an accredited FIFA player agent who has the right to recruit, buy and sell players locally and at the international level.
Facts About Kwesi Nyantakyi
- Kwesi Nyantakyi is a professional law and Banker.
- Kwesi Nyantakyi was the owner of Wa All Stars Football Club based in WA
- Kwesi Nyantakyi has two wives, Mariam Nyantakyi and Christine-Marie Nyantakyi
- Kwesi Nyantakyi was the president Ghana Football Association from 2005-2018
- Kwesi Nyantakyi was the first vice president of the Confederation of African Football
- Kwesi Nyantakyi was the Vice-Chairman of the Ghana League Clubs Association(GHALCA)
- Kwesi Nyantakyi was a FIFA Council Member.
- Kwesi Nyantakyi was a Member of FIFA Associations Committee.
- Kwesi Nyantakyi was the President of West African Football Union Zone B
- Kwesi Nyantakti qualified Ghana to FIFA World Cup in 2006, 2010 and 2014
- Kwesi Nyantakyi signed Glo sponsorship deal of $15millio without a third party
- Kwesi Nyantakyi was ordered to refund a sum of $1 million to the state for taking double payment to organize International friendly games