President Akufo-Addo (M) with the Kotoko legends
When five Kotoko greats including but not limited to James Kuuku Dadzie, Opoku Nti, Papa Ako, Malik Jabir, and George Kennedy decided to visit President Akufo-Addo Wednesday evening, it was not for their selfish gains.
Rather, it was for the development of the sport and the welfare of players.
Top on the agenda was how to develop football as a game at the local level, with the infusion of experienced players.
President of the Association of Kotoko Legends, George Kennedy, who led the delegation, noted with concern how the country was losing young talents due to the poaching activities, especially of foreign player agents.
At a very tender age in football, he said these players are poached and sent abroad at the peril of local football development.
He, thus, called on the government to intervene to save the situation in the interest of Ghanaian football.
He, however, noted that government could engage some of these ex-footballers to help develop talents at the local level.
Considering the fact that education and professional football go in tandem, he said they will ensure that while they gather the kids to train, their education is not affected.
He, therefore, asked that the various astro turfs in the communities, for instance, could be entrusted in the care of an ex-footballer who is situated in that area, for proper coordination and to ensure the kids did not abuse the facility, such that school periods would not be used to play football since it affects academic work.
He also spoke about the welfare of ex-footballers and pleaded with the President to intervene, a plea President Akufo-Addo assured that he would pick it up, especially for national team players.
Kotoko Legends is an association made up of former players of the porcupine team, who have come together to seek the welfare of each other.
It has over 200 members across the world, some of whom are former national team players.
On his part, President Akufo-Addo welcomed the idea, saying “to develop football at the local level, with the infusion of experienced players, will do a lot of good. It is one of the things we have lost here. It was previously there and that’s how all of you (referring to the delegation) came.”
He promised to helped assist the ex-players to maximise their potential in the larger interest of the nation.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu