Land security concerns delay GFA legacy project at Ghanaman Soccer Centre - Winnifred Mawudeku

The Ghana Football Association’s (GFA) planned legacy projects at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence have been delayed by security concerns over the land, according to the facility’s director, Winnifred Mawudeku.

The GFA announced plans a year ago to construct a 40-bed accommodation facility at the centre to serve as a dedicated residential and training base for Ghana’s national football teams.

However, Mawudeku says work had to be paused to secure the land and install fencing to prevent interference from land guards.

Speaking to Sporty FM, she explained that the measures were necessary to ensure the project could proceed safely.

“The legacy project has been delayed a bit because we needed to secure the land at Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence and fence it so that we don’t have land guards coming to worry us when the project is going on.

“So we had to pause the project to do the fencing for the project to continue safely,” she said.

The project is being funded with proceeds from Ghana’s participation in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

According to Mawudeku, the development is expected to include a four- or five-star hotel that will provide accommodation for the senior national team, the Black Stars.

“Funding for the legacy projects was given to us after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. So it’ll be built here at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence. It’ll be a four- or five-star hotel for the Black Stars to use,” she added.

The proposed facility is also intended to provide residential, training and retreat accommodation for Ghana’s national teams, from the under-17 sides to the senior men’s and women’s teams, the Black Stars and Black Queens.

Once completed, the project is expected to strengthen the centre’s role as a key base for the preparation and development of Ghana’s national football teams.