We will insist on education for footballers-Nyantakyi

President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kwesi Nyantakyi, has said his outfit will insist on education for footballers because it is the key to sustainable development in football.

He said the GFA as part of its development plans has made education a key component of their strategy for player development and will ensure all players selected into the juvenile teams are educated and acquire the requisite knowledge.

“If we discover a player who is not educated, we as an institution will arrange an evening class for the player to ensure that his/her level of education is raised to an appreciable level. After that, the player will be made to join main stream education”. He stated.

Mr Nyantakyi said this at the launch of the second edition of the Aitel Rising Stars event in Accra on Tuesday.

He added, “that is why we are providing a physical structure at the Ghana Soccer Center of Excellence at Prampram, which is part of the academy to provide formal education for our players.

“At the academy, players will have their skills polished here and will as well receive formal education, so that they will become complete footballers”. Nyantakyi added.

Nyantaki said the GFA has been successful in implementing its football and education policy with the current members of the Black Princesses who were selected from schools as a test case.

The GFA President, said the continuous progress of the team to the World Under-19 Women World Cup is ample evidence of the success of the project and stressed on the need for footballers to take their education and studies serious.

According to the GFA President, the era when football is perceived to be a reserve for school drop-outs are over, noting that, educated footballers are better than the uneducated ones.

He said football is an unpredictable business since injuries could set in and derail one's career, hence the need to find alternative source of living by ensuring better education for players.

Nyantakyi said, “educated players could always find an alternative source of living if their career ends abruptly through injuries”.

He said the policy will not generate instant success but a gradual one and must be supported by all to make it a success.**