The former president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kwesi Nyantakyi, has boldly refuted claims that he said he had the president in his pocket in the controversial “Number 12” investigative exposé by Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
According to Kwesi Nyantakyi, the allegation gained so much notoriety that it would be illogical for him to stand up to even contradict it.
He stressed that the statement was from somebody’s imagination just to discredit him, just to make him look very bad in the eyes of Ghanaians, which they succeeded in doing.
Speaking on the AM Show, Kwesi Nyantakyi reflected on the controversial “Number 12” investigative exposé by Anas Aremeyaw Anas, saying, “ I don’t hold any grudge, I can’t do anything to him, I don’t have the power to do anything to him, I leave him to God.
If there is a day of judgement which I believe there is, it will be an interesting record for us all to present our cases to the Almighty to judge us”.
When asked by the host whether it was true, he had the president in his pocket, Kwesi Nyantakyi stated, “I never said that, please, I challenge you on this network, by the end of the day, produce evidence that I said the President was in my pocket. I never said that.
But that allegation has gained so much notoriety that it will be illogical for me to stand up to even contradict it. But you are a journalist, prove it, call Anas and ask him to give you the evidence before the end of today and publish it for every Ghanaian to see. It was a statement of somebody’s imagination just to discredit me, to make me look very bad in the eyes of the public, and they succeeded”, he added.
It will be recalled that back in 2018, the “Number 12” investigation, which aired, brought shockwaves in Ghana’s football world.
The “Number 12” exposé brought to light the corrupt nature of Ghana’s football, with officials exposed for soliciting bribes and influencing refereeing decisions.
The video led to sweeping reforms in the GFA and the banning of several officials.
Kwesi Nyantakyi, then the GFA boss, was captured in the documentary receiving $65,000 from an undercover reporter and claiming he could leverage political relations to advance business interests.
The controversial “Number 12” investigative exposé by Anas Aremeyaw Anas. Revelations triggered widespread public backlash and led to his resignation from the GFA, CAF and FIFA.
He was also banned by FIFA for life in October 2018, a decision that was subsequently reduced to a 15-year suspension.
Some netizens reacting to Kwesi Nyantakyi stated, “I’m really concerned with our media and journalism as a whole. You invite someone with no research or documentation to the show, and he ends up challenging you, the journalist? Appalling!!”.
One more X user added, “Today our judicial system is working perfectly all thanks to 3y3 government now he can go all out to the court to protect his image because I know this man is a great man”.
“Why are Ghanaian journalists and media houses keeping making corrupt people more relevant than seeking accountability from them, crazy Ghana 🇬🇭 is a Christian country and the most corrupt country”, one X user added.
Another netizen added, “This man is a fool. We all watched the video, which kind call Anas again ??
This kind of mind games we are conversant with it wai”.
Watch the video below:
Number 12 exposé: I never said, “I have the President in my pocket” — Kwesi Nyantakyi. #AMShow pic.twitter.com/XeQL1ulpY7
— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) January 6, 2026