Ex-Ghana defender John Paintsil says Kwesi Nyantakyi's exemplary leadership of the Ghana FA is the best in the history of football in the country, insisting this has led to the nation's recent successes in global football.
The South Africa-based defender played for the Black Stars for over ten years and was also part of the 2001 U20 team that finished second at the World Cup in Argentina.
The Maritzburg player has worked under three different GFA presidents including Ben Koufie, Nyaho Tamakloe and Kwesi Nyantakyi.
Paintsil was a key part of Ghana's squad to its maiden appearance at the World Cup in 2006 and also played in the competition four years later in South Africa under the Nyantakyi administration.
The defender insists that Nyantakyi's administration stands tall from all the other previous administrations.
“I played under the Ben Coffie administration before playing under the Nyantakyi administration and I think the Nyantakyi era is better," Paintsil told Sports Crusader.
"Uncle Ben Coffie built a youthful policy which took us to the U20 World Cup finals in 2001 in Argentina for Nyantakyi to continue.
“When he came, the Black Stars have qualified to the World Cup three times and we have won the U20 World Cup. Every country that plays football now knows Ghana and I think Nyantakyi and his people are the reason”, he added.
Paintsil is impressed that apart from the successes on the pitch, the Nyantakyi led administration also helps the Black Stars players on how to manage their lives even after football.
“They have made the national team like a club. They are like club managers who offered us investment options and advise us as to how to spend our monies. So for me, they are always the best when I compare them to the previous administration,” he concluded.