GFA to launch youth development plan

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) would launch its Five-year Youth Development Plan in the Northern Regional capital, Tamale on Saturday 17 August 2002.

Speaking at a meeting with the Ghana Soccer Coaches Association (GHASOCA) in Accra on Monday, Mr Ben Koufie, chairman of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) said there would be series of courses for all stakeholders in football across the country.

He said "immediately after the launching, there would be basic courses for coaches through out the country to train them for the implementation of the project." The chairman said two coaches would be selected from each of the ten regions of the country to take part in the course in addition to teachers, retired footballers and personnel from the security services.

Mr Koufie said coaches would be taken through new developments in football as well as the ethics of the profession, but warned that, "coaches who would be found guilty of taking bribes from parents, players and club officials would be seriously dealt with."

He said referees would also be trained during the period since "poor officiating has been the bane of the country's football." The chairman said as part of the project, all Regional Football Associations would be re-enforced and well equipped with communication facilities to keep proper records on players, especially, the under-aged ones.

"This will ensure that players do not falsify their ages in order to gain entry into the junior teams," Mr Koufie added. He said in order to unearth more talents, schools of excellence would be organised during holidays in Accra, Winneba, Kumasi and other parts of the country.

Mr Koufie said graduates of such schools would enrich the local league with a lot of talents and the problem of the premier league being one sided would be avoided. The chairman said the FIFA Development Fund is meant to groom talent and the supporting staff and the money would be used for that purpose. He expressed the hope that the projects would attract sponsorship in due course.