20 coaches receive coaching certificates

Accra, Oct 8, GNA - Alhaji Rashid Bawa Minster of State of Education, Youth and Sports on Friday presented coaching certificates to 20 Ghanaians who participated in a Level I, British Certificate Football Coaching in Accra.

The four-day course is an initiative of Nana Agyeman, former coach of Okwawu United who is also a British licensed coach.

The British Football Association, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Commonwealth Sports Awards also backed the course. It is aimed at developing football at the basic level and had participants from the St Theresa's School, Datus School, Ghana International School and some Basic Schools in the Accra Municipality.

According to Nana Agyeman, the Course Instructor, the participants have for the past days acquired adequate training and are ready to impart the basics of football to children at the basic education level.

He said this would help the nation lay a solid foundation for the future since almost every Ghanaian player has ever gone through a form of basic education.

Nana Agyeman said the course is a pilot project and plans are in place to introduce other levels of the programme to the participants in the near future.

Presenting the certificates to the newly trained coaches, Alhaji Bawa urged them to focus much attention on the art of goal scoring as they go back to their various schools to impart their knowledge to the children.

He expressed concern about the state of goal scoring in the country, saying it has become the bane of all the national teams and Ghanaian clubs.

The Minister said there is hope that the problem of goal scoring would no longer be a headache to the nation in future if children were taught the basic art of goal scoring at a tender age since it would go a long way in transforming it unto the national level.

He called on the trained coaches not to keep the skills acquired to themselves but to ensure that they share it with other colleagues to ensure equal development in all parts of the country.

Mr Ernest Boamah, a participant from the St. Theresa's School, Kaneshie told the GNA Sports that the course has exposed him to new techniques in the game and has improved his general knowledge in football.

He was of the view that his presence on the bench of his school team will see a massive improvement in their performances.