Ghana FA boss Kwasi Nyantakyi

Ghana FA President Kwasi Nyantakyi has described 2012 as a remarkable year.

Ghana football under the calendar year started on a disappointing note with the Black Stars failing to win a medal at the 2012 Nations Cup.

The Black Stars finished fourth after losing against Zambia in the semi finals and then Mali in the third-place playoff in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Ghana then chalked perhaps the most significant feat in the calendar year when the national women’s U17 team, the Black Maidens became the first African side to win a medal at the World U17 Championships.

This huge achievement was however preceded by  a poor display of the Black Princesses and the qualification of the Black Satellites and Starlets to their respective African competitions.

The Black Stars then secured qualification for the 2013 Nations Cup but blew hot and cold in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers where they have won one and lost the other in the two games played.

Berekum Chelsea also impressed in their debut season in the CAF Champions League while Asante Kotoko won the domestic championship and will represent Ghana in the next edition of Africa’s flagship competition.

In summing up the year, the GFA boss says his highlight of the year is Ghana’s qualification to the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

“The highlight of the year was when we qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations by beating Malawi home and away and sealing a qualification to South Africa 2013, I think that is the highest point in the year” he told TV3.

“In 2012 Ghana qualified to the African Cup U17 for boys for the first time in five years, the last time we qualified was in 2006 where we participated in the 2007 edition and since then we had failed on two successive attempts.

“Ghana also qualified again for the African Cup for the U20 and I am also very excited about the commencement of the first ever women’s national league.

“This year also saw Ghana training coaches to the highest level – license A and we also continued with our usual training programs for referees.

“So 2012 has been a remarkable year, it has been a great year and a year that was used to lay the foundation for Ghana football in the hope that we will have a swift take off in 2013.”