Ghana FA Congress policy to disband U20 sides

Hundreds of young Ghanaian footballers are set to be rendered clubless and would have to settle for new clubs as a new Ghana Football Association policy is set to disband the U20 reserves league system in favour of an U17 league.

A proposal is pending before the Ghana Football Association’s Congress for consideration to introduce a new reserves league system drawing in U17 players to replace the current U20 system.

The main policy objective is to use the various Premier League teams as breeder agents for Ghana U17 selectors. A policy that is generating concern for all sixteen (16) Premier League clubs.

“It’s a policy that will rather help the national U17 teams and not the clubs,” a top club official told GHANAsoccernet.com.

It’s a policy that would mean we are helping the U17 team get players and it’s major worry is that, the rest of the players who will not be selected by the U17 team cannot be used immediately by the clubs as in the U20.”

All 16 Ghana Premier League clubs were made to set up U20 sides two seasons ago after the Ghana FA congress introduced a system in place.

But with the current system set to be in place, over 300 U20 players registered by all Premier League clubs for the reserves league will have to sort their futures out as clubs have already started ditching most of the players.

GHANAsoccernet.com visit to Ghana Premier League giants Hearts of Oak revealed the Phobians have segmented their squads into two and have already drafted their squad for the upcoming 2014/15 season without most of the U20 players.

The current financial burden crippling most of the clubs would not allow them to set up new U17 squads alongside their existing U20 teams.

Giants Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko have maintained their U20 sides over the periods and disbanding them mean they will have to set up new sides.

Kotoko used their U20 side to participate in the 2014 FIFA Blue Star Championship and finished in 5th place.