Football for Hope Centre opened in Ghana

A new Football for Hope Centre was on Saturday opened in Ghana as the country joined a list of 20 nations on the continent to benefit from the FIFA-sponsored project.

The project, an idea of FIFA President, Sepp Blatter is a lasting legacy for Africa following the successful hosting of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

And the centre's aim is to promote public health, education and football in disadvantaged communities across the continent.

"Ghana is privileged to be one if the few beneficiaries of FIFA's South Africa 2010 legacy and we are very grateful to FIFA," President of the Ghana Football Association, Kwesi Nyantakyi said at the opening of the centre in Cape Coast.

"The Executive Committee of the GFA had no difficulty at all in unanimously approving Cape Coast for this project. It was for obvious reasons; Cape Coast is the birth place of football in Ghana.

"This project is line with the GFA's vision of developing children through football and education.

"We will be liasing with the management of Right to Play to listen to the needs of this centre and commit ourselves to some of them.

"I urge the management to take good care of this facility so that in many years to come, it will continue to benefit young children."

The facility in Cape Coast, in the Central Region of Ghana has an artificial pitch, office and ICT block with classrooms.