FIFA Disciplinary Committee chairman Justice Anin Yeboah set to resign from position

The Chairman of FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee, Justice Anin Yeboah, has vowed to resign from his position with world's football governing when he is approved as the new Chief Justice of Ghana.

The Ghanaian, who has been a glowing success with the Swiss-based organisation since taking charge two years ago, made the promise on Monday when he was interviewed by the Appointments Committee of the Ghana Parliament.

He is 99% likely to be approved for the new post which means he is on the verge of leaving his football roles.

The long-standing football legal brain is an important member of FIFA and also serves on the CAF/FIFA Reform Implementation Taskforce for African football thanks to his deep knowledge of the game.

However, the Anin Yeboah is the only person in the running for the Chief Justice of Ghana after President Nana Akufo Addo nominated him for the vacant position.

However he needs parliamentary approval before he can take the post with key concerns being his ability to combine the highly demanding roles within world and African football as well as the highly demanding Chief Justice position of Ghana.

"I will resign from FIFA when you clear me," Anin Yeboah told the Appointments Committee of the Ghana Parliament on Monday when asked about his future roles in football.

Anin Yeboah's departure would be a huge blow for FIFA as he has helped the world governing body to smoothly discharge some of its disciplinary obligations with aplomb.

His exit from football will also affect the CAF/FIFA Reform Implementation Taskforce as they near the full implementation of suggested changes that would help African football improve the administration of the game on the continent.

Yeboah was elected as the Chairman of Committee at the 67th FIFA Congress in Bahrain in May 2017.

He was overwhelmingly endorsed for the position after polling 98% of the votes.

The Disciplinary Committee pronounces the sanctions described in the FIFA Statutes and the FIFA Disciplinary Code on member associations, clubs, officials, players, intermediaries and licensed match agents.

Anin Yeboah has also served in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Ghana Football Association (GFA).

He is currently the fourth longest-serving Justice of the Supreme Court.

He is a graduate of the Ghana School of Law in 1981, he was appointed to the Supreme Court by President John Agyekum Kufuor in June 2008. Prior to that, he had served as a Justice of the High Court from 2002 to 2003 and a Justice of the Court of Appeal from 2003 to 2008.

Apart from being a Supreme Court Justice, Justice Anin Yeboah is also a part-time lecturer in Civil Procedure and the Ghana Legal System at the Ghana School of Law.

In May 2017, he was appointed the Chairman of FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee Chair..

In September 2019, named onto the CAF/FIFA Reform Implementation Taskforce team for African football.

He was appointed along with five others to carry out reforms within African football.

He also served as the Chairman of the Appeal’s Committee of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) from 2004 to 2008.

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