Tophic Abdul Kadir
In a bid to bolster grassroots football development and foster the implementation of the Ghana Football Philosophy, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has announced a ground-breaking initiative to provide free CAF License D Coaching Courses to 900 juvenile club coaches over a span of three years.
This ambitious endeavour aims to equip coaches at the grassroots level with the necessary skills and knowledge to nurture young talents effectively, thereby laying a solid foundation for the future of Ghanaian football.
Tophic Abdul Kadir, the Senior Manager in charge of Communications at the GFA, unveiled this initiative during an exclusive interview with Guide Radio 91.5FM. He highlighted the GFA’s commitment to advancing football development nationwide, and emphasised the pivotal role of grassroots coaches in shaping the trajectory of Ghanaian football.
“The free course offering is a testament to our dedication to the Ghana Football Philosophy, which was launched in 2023,” Tophic remarked.
“By training a substantial number of coaches at the grassroots level, we aim to instill the principles of the Ghana Football DNA and ensure its proper implementation across all levels of the game.”
Under this initiative, each region in Ghana will witness the training of 90 coaches over the three-year period. This comprehensive approach ensures widespread coverage and facilitates the dissemination of best practices in coaching methodology and player development strategies.
The significance of investing in grassroots football cannot be overstated. It is at this foundational level that young talents are identified, nurtured, and honed into future stars of Ghanaian football.
By empowering juvenile club coaches with accredited coaching qualifications, the GFA is not only enhancing the quality of coaching but also nurturing a pool of skilled professionals capable of guiding aspiring footballers on their journey to success.
The announcement has been met with widespread acclaim from stakeholders within the football community, including coaches, players, and administrators. Many view it as a proactive step towards elevating the standard of football in Ghana and ensuring sustained success on the international stage.
“The FA has already trained about one hundred and ten women coaches for free in the same programme.
“The Ayobas who produced the likes of Mohammed Kudus and Majeed Ashimeru will now have the opportunity to add professionally structured coaching principles to their already existing knowledge of the game.
“When these colts coaches go through the coaching course which aligns with the Ghana Football Philosophy, what are we doing? We are putting it in them. Before they come to the national teams, they already have the philosophy from their clubs. They will continue from the national teams and it cuts across.”
The GFA now has its own elite academy in Winkogo in the Upper East Region of Ghana headed by former Medeama SC captain Joseph Tetteh Zuta.
The FA plans of adding extra two academies to the already established academy in the Upper East Region. There is going to be one in the middle belt and the other in the southern belt. But the FA is yet to decide which towns specifically to establish these remaining two academies.
Courtesy: Ben Osei Bonsu (BOB)