Kozie handing over the trophy to the winning team
The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Asaa Manu (Kozie), has organised a football gala featuring 96 teams from local communities and electoral areas in an effort to discover hidden talents and promote unity, peace, and non-violence.
Kozie envisions the initiative as a long-term policy that will serve as a conveyor belt for nurturing young talents within the constituency.
By investing in the youth, she hopes to build a brighter future for Adentan.
Winning Team
The Stars of Lakeside Football Club, a local team from the Adentan Constituency, emerged winners.
They were followed by Mamba FC in second place, while Kozie 11 FC and Zion Movement secured 3rd and 4th places, respectively.
The prizes awarded included GH¢10,000, branded jerseys, and medals for the first-place team. The second-place team received GH¢7,000 along with jerseys and medals for all players.
Additionally, teams finishing in third and fourth places were awarded GH¢5,000 with jerseys and medals, and GH¢3,000 along with jerseys, respectively.
Abdul Bashiru and Boakye Peter from Lakeside Stars FC were named the best player and goalkeeper of the tournament, each receiving GH¢1,000. Furthermore, Adentan Corner Stone was recognised as the Disciplined Team of the Year, also receiving a cash prize of GH¢1,000.
Kozie expressed her vision for the gala as a means to identify and nurture talents from the constituency for premier and national teams.
She emphasised that the Adentan Constituency has benefited from the Nana Akufo-Addo and Bawumia-led Astroturf initiative, which has been implemented in various communities.
“I have witnessed firsthand the dedication of these vibrant youth who train as late as 1am. As a passionate sportswoman, I am committed to creating a value chain of opportunities for young people through sports, while also seeking job opportunities and skills training for them,” she stated.
Regarding her parliamentary ambitions, Kozie highlighted her capacity, commitment, and competency over the past year as evidence of her dedication to her constituents.
“The unresolved issues in the constituency motivated me to stand for the people. I have garnered support from various partners who believe in my vision for our community,” she added.
Kozie expressed optimism about winning the parliamentary elections on December 7, stating, “I believe it will be a sweeping victory for myself and the New Patriotic Party. I am counting on the constituents to recognise the difference in leadership over the past year compared to the four years they experienced under the current MP.”
Commendation
Former Black Stars midfielder, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, commended Kozie for her commitment to discovering football talents in the area. He noted that it is uncommon to see a football gala organised by a political figure focused on unearthing youth talents while promoting anti-violence behaviours ahead of the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.
By Prince Fiifi Yorke