Ibrahim Sannie Daara says Number 12 documentary 'destroyed' Ghana football's reputation

Confederation of African Football (CAF) Media Officer Ibrahim Sannie Daara has described the aftermath of the Number 12 documentary as one of the most damaging periods in the history of Ghana football, saying the investigation severely affected the country's reputation and disrupted the systems that had been built over many years.

Speaking on Kafui Dey's platform, the former Ghana Football Association (GFA) Communications Director reflected on the far-reaching consequences of the investigative documentary released by journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas in 2018.

The expose alleged widespread corruption within Ghana football and secretly filmed then GFA President Kwesi Nyantakyi accepting $65,000 from undercover reporters while allegedly promising to use his political connections to facilitate business opportunities.

The documentary led to Nyantakyi's resignation as GFA president, his departure from the FIFA Council and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), as well as a FIFA ban that was later reduced from life to 15 years on appeal. Criminal proceedings brought against him in Ghana were dismissed in 2025 after prosecutors failed to produce key witnesses.

According to Sannie Daara, however, the effects of the investigation extended well beyond the individuals involved.

"It destroyed a lot of the things," he said.

"Referees were afraid to officiate Ghana matches because people would conclude they had been bribed."

He explained that match officials became overly cautious whenever Ghana was involved, fearing any decision in favour of a Ghanaian team or the national side would immediately attract allegations of corruption.

Sannie Daara also said the documentary damaged Ghana's standing within African football, eroding years of goodwill that had been built through the country's contributions to the game.

"A lot of the goodwill we had built was destroyed," he said.

He recalled an incident during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations that illustrated how perceptions of Ghana had changed across the continent.

"When one of the guys introduced himself as a journalist from Ghana, the president of a federation just got up and left. He said he didn't want to hear about Ghanaian journalists."

Beyond the reputational damage, Sannie Daara believes the scandal disrupted the structures that had supported Ghana football's success for years.

"The systems that we had built for success to continue were disturbed and collapsed," he said.

Despite the challenges that followed, he argued that many of the problems originated from within Ghana's football fraternity itself, adding that the events of 2018 continue to influence conversations about governance, accountability and the future of football administration in the country.