Kwesi Nyantakyi wouldn't have been trapped if he kept his doors closed - Ibrahim Sannie Daara

Former Ghana Football Association Communications Director Ibrahim Sannie Daara believes Kwesi Nyantakyi's openness and accessibility played a significant role in the circumstances that led to his dramatic downfall in 2018.

Speaking in an interview with Kafui Dey, Daara reflected on his time working under the former GFA president, who resigned after the release of Anas Aremeyaw Anas' investigative documentary Number 12.

According to Daara, Nyantakyi maintained an open-door policy that made him approachable to everyone, a trait he believes ultimately worked against him.

"That's how he was trapped," Daara said.

"If he kept his doors closed, people wouldn't have trapped him the way they trapped him. Anas wouldn't have had the opportunity to trap him because he was very open."

Daara described Nyantakyi as a leader who treated people with respect regardless of their position.

"He dealt with people as if they were his colleagues. He would spend time to laugh. He was very, very open. You could walk into his office anytime."

Nyantakyi's football career collapsed in 2018 after the Number 12 documentary alleged he accepted cash from undercover investigators and claimed he could use political connections to facilitate business deals.

The fallout led to his resignation as GFA president, his departure from CAF and the FIFA Council, and a FIFA ban that was later reduced on appeal to 15 years.

Although he also faced criminal charges in Ghana, the case was dismissed in 2025 after prosecutors failed to present key witnesses.

Despite the controversy, Daara suggested Nyantakyi's accessibility was one of the defining characteristics of his leadership.