Use soccer to build up youth for development of nation- Musah

Cape Coast, Aug. 8, GNA - Manager of Oguaa Football for Hope Centre, Mr Abdul Wahab Musah has noted that football has the potential of being a viable platform for building up talents of the youth into a core human resource for the development of various communities and the nation.

Mr Musah said a number of products from the Centre who are players in major leagues abroad have made lucrative use of their talents for financial gain and that football has now become the most appealing, passionate and most celebrated sporting game on the globe.

The Manager said this at the opening of a three-day “Adidas exchange programme” being held at the Oguaa Football for Hope Centre in Cape Coast, which will include theory of coaching as well as practical sessions on the football pitch.

The Oguaa Football for Hope Centre is a FIFA-funded Football Academy which trains school drop-outs between the ages of 15 and 23years with interest in football and offering them education in health, sports and formal education.

The workshop, which is the second to be held in the country is being attended by 50 participants from 16 ECOWAS countries including Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso, and is aimed at developing the capacity of coaches, players and other football officials in the sub-region.

Mr Musah said he was hopeful that the workshop would enhance the capacities of the Centre to use football as a medium for touching and bettering the lives of children in ECOWAS States and beyond so as to be better placed to also change the fortunes of their communities.

He said the workshop was an opportunity for participants and stakeholders to re-affirm their personal and professional relationships as well as enhance their competencies to perform their functions better.

Nana Kwame Adu V, Tufuhen of the Oguaa Traditional Area who opened the workshop lauded the programme and noted that football has become a huge industry the world over with everyone being actively involved.

He therefore advised the participants to make good use of the workshop and accept corrections as well as work hard in order to change their own lives and that of others.

Mr Parlos Manogolou, a Representative of FIFA Streetfootballworld and Adidas said the workshop, which was part of their social responsibility was to help participants improve and also learn new skills to better their careers.

Mr. Kuuku Dadzie, Coach of the Black Queens lauded the programme and for FIFA's efforts at trying to raise the standard of football all over the world and hoped the participants would make judicious use of what they learn at the workshop.