Ghana FA shuns state-owned national academy

The Presidential Commission of Inquiry is surprised to learn of the existence of a national juvenile academy fully funded by the state of which the Ghana FA makes no use of.

Director General of the National Sports Authority Joe Kpenge made this revelation on his turn before the commission set up to primarily gather facts on Ghana’s disastrous World Cup campaign in Brazil.


According to Kpenge, the football academy is part of the National Sports College in Winneba.


He also revealed the college ‘struggles’ to have just a few number of its products invited into the various aged national teams even though according to the commission, should be the bedrock for especially the Ghana U17 team.


“We have a football academy at the National Sports College fully funded by government,” Joe Kpenge told the Commission on Tuesday.


“We accommodate, feed them and pay for their fees all from state funds.


“This year for instance, we struggled to get five of our players into the Black Starlets but eventually only one is left in the team.”

The Ghana FA commits huge resources towards the identification and selection of players into the various junior national teams.


Coaches are given the task to go around virtually the whole country in search of talents to form the national teams when they could easily tap into the talents at the state’s football academy in Winneba.


Kpenge adds that several pleas to the Ghana FA by even previous Sports Ministers have all fell on deaf ears.


“I remember very well during my time at the college, pervious sports ministers have appealed to the various national team coaches and the GFA to make good use of the academy but nothing comes out of it.”


The Sports College in Winneba is responsible for unearthing talents including Samuel Inkoom and Michael Anaba who have both played for Ghana at the World Cup at the senior and junior level respectively.