Ghana cricket is standing at a crossroads. On October 24, 2026, the Ghana Cricket Association (GCA) is scheduled to hold its Elective Congress to elect new officers to run the affairs of the association for the next four years. But the build-up to the polls has been anything but smooth.
Petitions, claims of constitutional breaches and concerns over the composition of the voting delegates list have turned the run-up to the congress into one of the most contentious governance episodes in the history of the sport in Ghana. At the centre of the storm is the current GCA executive committee, whose tenure expired on September 10, 2026.
The officers affected include President Emmanuel Owusu Ansah Asare, Vice President Oscar Nii Adza Provencal, Treasurer Angela Cassandra Allotey and executive members Vinod Nabugri (Punnackal), Francis Nii Okine and Douglas Djarbeng. Petitioners argue that under International Cricket Council (ICC) and Africa Cricket Association (ACA) governance standards, an expired board possesses no executive legitimacy. They contend that rather than preparing for a seamless transition, the affected officers have continued to occupy office and supervise the election process.
The claims are contained in correspondence and petitions copied to relevant bodies.
The delegate dispute
Under the GCA Constitution, the proper constitutional constituencies and their designated delegate quotas are clearly laid out: Clubs (3 delegates), Schools and Colleges (3 delegates), Umpires and Scorers (1 delegate), Players (1 delegate), Retired Players (1 delegate), Coaches (1 delegate) and Expatriate Communities (1 delegate).
Petitioners allege that instead of writing to GCA-recognised constituent bodies, including clubs, to democratically nominate and forward their chosen representatives, the executive committee bypassed that communication channel and handpicked delegates. They claim that group communication platforms where official notices and updates are regularly broadcast to stakeholders exist but were deliberately avoided when it came to the delegate nomination process.
The petitions further allege that active GCA employees, workers and appointees have been placed on the official voting delegates list. Among those named are Williams Kanchoba, who is said to be employed as a coach is slotted under an entity described as “Obuasi CC”; RP Sharma, who is employed as the men’s coach; Obed Harvey, who is in employment as the women’s coach; and Dennis Amoa-Ababio, who serves as team manager for the senior national team and also holds the position of head of the GCA Ethics Committee.
The petitioners argue that these individuals, appointed directly by the overstayed administration seeking re-election, are being placed in a position to sit as “independent” judges of their employers’ stewardship. The claims have not been independently verified by this reporter, and the named individuals retain the right of reply.
Another concern raised is that of executive board candidate Devasia Shijo, has been listed simultaneously as the voting delegate representing Rana Motors Cricket Club. Critics say this amounts to dual-hatting and violates fundamental rules against conflict of interest and fair play.
Petitions and calls for intervention
Stakeholders, including former national captains, players, retired players and clubs, have lodged formal petitions with the GCA Election Committee and the Disciplinary/Appeals Committee. They are demanding the suspension of the expired board and the purging of the delegates list before the October 24 congress.
As the congress approaches, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Sports Authority, the ICC and the ACA are being urged to intervene. The petitioners argue that Ghanaian cricket cannot be held hostage by a faction willing to trample on the constitution to cling to power. They insist that true democracy must prevail or the nation’s cricket administration faces total ruin.
A sport with deep roots
Cricket has a long history in Ghana. The country, then known as the Gold Coast, played its first recorded international match against Nigeria in Lagos in 1904, winning by 22 runs. Annual fixtures between the two nations resumed in 1947 and helped expand the sport through schools and colleges in regions including Greater Accra, Central, Western and Eastern Ghana.
The GCA has been formally affiliated with the ICC since 2002 and is also a member of the African Cricket Association. The association oversees both men’s and women’s teams, domestic leagues and grassroots programmes across the country. Ghana’s national team made its debut in the ICC Africa World Cricket League Division 3 in 2006, finishing third, followed by victory in the 2008 edition that promoted the team to Division 2.
The ACA has also adopted a new Memorandum of Incorporation setting out a legal and operational framework aligned with global best practices designed to ensure transparency, inclusivity and sustainability.
The road ahead
The October 24 Elective Congress will test the GCA’s commitment to transparency and constitutional governance. If the petitions remain unresolved, the outcome of the congress could be contested in the law courts raising the possibility of further intervention by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Sports Authority, the ICC and the ACA.
For now, all eyes are on the GCA. The coming days will determine whether Ghanaian cricket can resolve its internal differences peacefully and democratically, or whether the sport will be dragged deeper into an institutional crisis that could set it back for years. The ball, as they say, is now in the court of the association and the relevant authorities.
