President John Dramani Mahama has questioned the Ghana Football Association (GFA) over the state of grassroots football and called for the revival of the Colts League.
He raised the concern when he met a joint delegation from Ghana Premier League champions Medeama SC, MTN FA Cup winners Nations FC and Women’s Premier League champions Ampem Darkoa Ladies FC at the Jubilee House.
President Mahama said Ghana must take steps to improve the quality of domestic football and create better conditions for young players to develop before moving to foreign clubs.
He expressed concern about the number of promising Ghanaian players leaving the domestic league at an early stage of their careers.
“We are too quick to sell our players. As soon as a player shows promise, scouts take him away, mostly to Europe, and that depletes the quality of our local league,” Mahama said.
He said talented players should be retained in Ghana for longer periods to gain experience and opportunities with the national teams before making moves abroad.
“We must find a way to keep our talented players longer, give them opportunities in the national team, allow them to gain international experience, and then let them move abroad after they have matured,” he added.
The President also raised questions about the Colts League, which previously served as a key pathway for developing young football talents.
“I do not know what happened to it, so I want to ask the Football Association: what has happened to the Colts League?” he asked.
Mahama further called for increased investment in women’s football, noting the achievements of Ghana’s women’s teams despite receiving less financial support than the men’s game.
“Our women have won more trophies for us than the men, and yet we put all the money into men’s football,” he said.
“In the spirit of affirmative action, we must support women’s football and help bring the women’s teams up.”
As part of government support for Ghanaian clubs participating in continental competitions, President Mahama presented a total of GH¢684,000 to the three clubs.
Medeama SC received GH¢342,000 ahead of its CAF Champions League second-leg preliminary-round match against TP Mazembe on Saturday, September 12.
Nations FC received GH¢228,000 for its CAF Confederation Cup campaign, while Ampem Darkoa Ladies received GH¢114,000 to support its continental campaign.
President Mahama also pledged increased allocations to the Sports Development Fund once it becomes fully operational to support sports development across the country.
The meeting was attended by officials from the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, the Ghana Football Association and the National Sports Authority.
