GFA makes strategic reform in youth football

The Ghana Football Association has introduced a strategic educational reform that will be binding on all juvenile footballers in the country.

Faced with the age-long issue of players abandoning any form of academic work for football, the GFA has approved plans to give its Juvenile Committee more mandate to run a development programme for youngsters who pursuing footballing careers.

George Afriyie has exclusively told Ghana Football that a mandatory basic school enrollment criteria for considering players for the national colts league.

The GFA's executive approved plans comes into force next year and is an initiative by the sport body to develop the talents of children through education.

Afriyie, also member of both the Executive and Emergency Committees of the GFA, has hailed the approved measures.

“This is an initiative by the GFA to ensure that every child who plays football at that level is in school,” Afriyie said in an interview with Ghana Football.

“We (GFA) have realized that a lot of these players who play at the colts level are extremely talented but many of them don't want to go to school. We don't want a situation like that.

“They may be talented in football but it is also very important that they don't miss their education because they are playing football.

“It's very simple; if you are not in school, you will not be considered for registration to feature in the colts league.”

Afriyie said the reform measures will however grant certain exceptions in a bid to rope in talents while getting them in school.

“It's a strict rule but there will be exceptions on rare occasions. The exception is a player with exceptional skill who is not in school may be considered for registration, but after that such a player would have to go to school.

“Such players may be considered for scholarships in the GFA's academy at Prampram.”

The reforms will also see the number of registered colts clubs throughout the country cut significantly.

Seven of the ten regions will have only twelve registered colts clubs whiles Greater Accra, Ashanti and the Brong Regions will have 24 clubs each.