SONA2024: Akufo-Addo To Revive Ghana Football With New Presidential Policy

• Following the abysmal performance of the Black Stars in the AFCON, President Akufo-Addo has taken the reins into his hands to revive the game himself
• He said he will be launching a Presidential Policy on Football to unearth and nurture young talents in the country
• The long term approach will be spearheaded by the Ministry of Education's Sports department, the Ministry of Sports and the GFA

President Akufo-Addo has announced plans to revive Ghana football with a Presidential Policy on Football to be launched this year.

He had expressed disappointment in the poor performance of the Black Stars in the recent AFCON tournament held in Cote d’Ivoire where the national team had been kicked out at the group stages.

Describing it as the nadir of the performance of the Black Stars, he said that it was time for the government to take a far-sighted, long term approach to correct what had gone wrong.

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“It is time to return to scouting, grooming and developing talent at the district grassroots level under a Presidential Policy on Football that I intend to unveil,” he said.

Akufo-Addo’s Presidential Policy on Football

Akufo-Addo revealing a bit of his policy on the floor of the house during the reading of the State of the Nation Address, he stated that the School Sports Department of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Youth and Sports in collaboration with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) will build district, regional and national juvenile teams for both boys and girls.

He added that the many community astro turfs constructed across the country during his tenure will be the launching pad for these talents the government hopes to unearth.

“We should see a steady progression of talent up the ladder from the junior juvenile teams to the senior sides based on merit, and nothing else,” he said.

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The President is confident his plan will succeed as a similar approach undertaken by the erstwhile Kufuor administration in the early 2000s had unearthed talents including Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari, John Mensah, Derrick Boateng and later, Asamoah Gyan and Stephen Appiah.

“It takes time, dedication and patience. We cannot harvest where we have not planted and irrigated. I have no doubt at all that the Black Stars will rise and make us proud again,” he said.

Black Stars’ poor AFCON performance draws ire of journalists, supporters

YEN.com.gh had earlier reported that the poor performance of the Black Stars at the AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire had so angered fans and journalists they staged a protest demanding reforms in the management of football in Ghana.

Thronging the streets of Accra, the angry protesters among other things demanded the dismissal of Kurt Okraku, the GFA President and a complete overhaul of the GFA upper echelon stating that they had failed to deliver on their promises.

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Source: YEN.com.gh