U19 Head Coach Karim Zito has clarified that the Ghana Football Association President, Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, does not interfere in the selection of players for the national teams.
Zito, who maintains a longstanding working relationship with the Ghana FA chief, reiterated his approach to player call-ups and dismissed any suggestions of external meddling.
As quoted by Graphic Sports, Zito remarked,
“I can swear to you that sometimes Kurt doesn’t even know the players we pick. When I qualified for the AFCON, he called me to his office and asked how I saw my team. He never told me which players to select but only asked if I wanted to strengthen the squad.”
He explained that the GFA President merely encourages coaches to choose the best available talent. Zito further stated,
“Due to that encouragement, I considered adding three foreign-based players to the squad. However, one couldn’t play due to COVID. This is why I can confidently vouch that the FA president has no influence on player selection,”
Kurt Okraku has also reiterated that his role as GFA President is to provide leadership and support to the national teams and technical staff without interfering in technical decisions such as player selection. This approach is designed to ensure transparency, trust, and professionalism in the management of Ghanaian football.
