GFA to compel Premier League clubs to have U17 sides for the 2018/19 season

In an attempt to keep juvenile football on a progressive toe at a galloping speed, the Ghana Football Association has proposed that all Premier League clubs must have an U17 side for the 2018/19 season.

This proposal is subject to the approval of the GFA Congress set for January 2018.

The Executive Committee of the Ghana FA came up with this proposal after the 3-day football summit held in the Central Regional capital, Cape Coast, to brainstorm for the way forward for Ghana football.

The Ghana FA President Kwesi Nyantakyi, who addressed the press after the summit which saw all stakeholders invited including the media, announced that starting the U17 league from the Premier League clubs level is one of the strategies to strengthen the juvenile football development.

“Youth football is of extreme importance to the GFA and from the 2018/19 season, we are asking all Premier League clubs to own an U17 side.

“We used to have an U20 to play the reserve league and we abolished it. We are re-introducing an U17 to be part of our efforts to fulfil the requirements of the Club Licensing System,” Kwesi Nyantakyi announced.

He further explained how the league for the U17 clubs will played:

“And so the U17u sides of the Premier League clubs will play carton raisers to every Premier League game that will be played in the country,” he added.

Following the announcement, several questions have popped up regarding how the new U17 league can survive considering how the U20/Reserve League collapsed and has not been played for close to five seasons now.

The proposal will be tabled at Congress for thorough discussion and a concrete decision will be taken at the Ordinary Congress of the FA in January.