In 2006, FIFA made far-reaching structural changes to the management of club football through the introduction of the Club Licensing System. Youth football became one of the five core thematic areas of the new framework. Consequently, player development emerged as the central objective of every activity within the football value chain.
The works of administrators, coaches, referees, sports psychologists, doctors, nutritionists, and other stakeholders are ultimately directed towards developing players. A well-developed player progresses to represent his or her country with pride at the senior world, continental, regional, and zonal competitions. The journey to that level begins with youth development.
Youth development is undeniably the key to the future of our football. One of its most important components is the effective management of football academies. From the inception of organised football competitions on the Gold Coast, young players have developed through the traditional “colts system”. Talented youngsters were nurtured on a non-residential basis, while school sports complemented this development pathway.
Across Europe and the Americas, boys and girls traditionally combined education with sports, as schools served as the primary avenue for talent development. In contrast, football in Ghana was, for many years, wrongly perceived as a career for school dropouts. Empirical research in Europe and the Americas has consistently proven that players who combined football with formal education often achieved greater success than those who abandoned school.
A notable example was Yugoslavia’s men’s football team at the 1988 Olympic Games, which included highly educated players, some of whom held Master’s and PhD degrees. It was a practical demonstration that football was never meant exclusively for school dropouts.
Recognising this reality, the Ghana Football Association (GFA), in its Business and Development Plan (2006–2010), set a strategic objective that all players in Ghana’s junior national teams should possess basic educational qualifications. This objective was fully achieved with the female national teams.
In 2007, during the inauguration of FIFA’s current headquarters in Zurich—the Home of FIFA—Ghana’s “school-based” Under-14 Girls team won the gold medal at the first and only FIFA Under-14 Six-Nation Invitational Tournament. Members of that victorious team included Edem Atovor, Elizabeth Addo, Florence Dadson, and Myles Mills, among others. The management team comprised Nana Benyin Eyison, Francis Oti Akenten, and Evelyn Nsiah Asare. The success of that Under-14 team strengthened our commitment to combining football development with formal education. The policy recorded successes with the female national teams. Ghana’s Girls’ under-17 national football team has qualified for every FIFA World Cup since 2010. The women’s under-20 national team has repeated the same feat since 2009. Although we are yet to replicate the same feat with the Black Queens, the policy of combining football with formal education has, to a large extent, been successful with the female teams.
The success of the policy with the female teams reinforced the need to establish comprehensive guidelines, rules, and regulations for the management of football academies in Ghana. Following the approval of the GFA Business and Development Plan (2011–2016), it became imperative to operationalise the Rules and Regulations for the Management of Football Academies. This coincided with the rapid growth of football academies, inspired by the success of pioneering Academies such as Liberty Professionals, Feyenoord, Red Bull, now WAFA, and the Right to Dream Academies. These academies became central to the GFA’s youth development strategy.
The key licensing requirements included:
1. The establishment of age-group programmes for Under-8, Under-11, Under-13, Under-15, and Under-17 players.
2. Recognition and licensing by the GFA based on compliance with established standards.
3. Mandatory provision of both football development programmes and formal education.
4. Appropriate infrastructure for football training and academic instruction. Where an academy lacked educational facilities, formal arrangements had to be made with a nearby accredited educational institution.
5. Adequate nutrition and feeding programmes.
6. Medical facilities and healthcare arrangements, including access to an ambulance.
7. Reliable transportation for players and officials during official and private engagements.
8. Qualified technical and academic personnel.
9. Certification and licensing only after inspection and approval by the GFA Technical Directorate.
Ghana must be interested in the curriculum of instruction administered by academies. For instance, Arsene Wenger’s Four Foundational structure for youth development could be a standardised guide to all academies. FIFA’s technical director, Arsene Wenger, identifies four stages of youth development as: Techniques (ages 7-14); Physicality (ages 14-17); Tactics (ages 17-18) and Mindset (ages 18+)
Unfortunately, financial constraints have resulted in many football academies operating without meeting these licensing standards. In many respects, this situation is akin to the challenge of illegal mining, popularly known as “galamsey.” It is an area that requires urgent attention, stronger regulation, and sustained investment if academies are to serve as effective centres for talent identification and development. My close observations of the Right to Dream and Red Bull football academies provide ample justification for greater investment in this sector.
Prior to the coming into force of the academy regulations, the GFA had introduced another major youth development initiative. Every Premier League club was required to register at least fifteen Under-20 players and field an Under-20 team in a national youth league. These matches were played as curtain-raisers to Premier League fixtures. Apart from creating excitement and regular competition, the Under-20 League became an invaluable platform for identifying players for Ghana’s national youth teams.
Its benefits quickly became apparent.
In 2007, local clubs produced the bulk of players in the Black Starlets squad that competed at the African Championship in Togo and the FIFA U-17 World Cup in South Korea. They included Saddick Adams, Daniel Opare (Ashantigold), Philip Boampong (Hearts of Oak), Joseph Addo (Aduana Stars), Richard Mpong(Medeama), Ransford Osei (Kessben), Robert Dabuo (WaAllstars) etc etc.
The successful Black Satellites team of 2009 was built on this strong foundation. Among the key players were Daniel Adjei, Kassenu Ghandi (Liberty Professionals), Samuel Inkoom, Emmanuel Agyeman Badu (Asante Kotoko), David Addy, Bright Addae (Wa All Stars), Daniel Addo (King Faisal Babies), Jonathan Mensah (AshantiGold), and Ransford Osei (Kessben FC).
By 2010, it was inevitable that many members of Ghana’s FIFA Under-20 World Cup-winning team would graduate to the Black Stars. Indeed, eight players—Daniel Adjei, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Samuel Inkoom, Jonathan Mensah, Opoku Agyeman, Rabiu Mohammed, Dominic Adiyiah, and André Ayew—had already become key members of the senior national team.
The Under-20 League, together with other youth competitions, ensured Ghana’s continued participation at both the African Youth Championship and the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2013 and 2015, and the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India. Notable players who participated in the FIFA U-17 competition were Ibrahim Danlad, Gideon Mensah, Najeeb Yakubu, Edmun Arko-Mensah, Gabriel Leveh, Mohammed Kudus, Emmanuel Toku, Aminu Mohammed, Richard Danso & Eric Ayiah.
The 2013 U-20 squad featured Richard Ofori Seidu Salifu (Wa All Stars), Richmond Nketiah (Medeama SC), Jeremiah Akorful, Derrick Mensah, Moses Odjer, Francis Narh (Tema Youth), Lawrence Lartey (AshantiGold), Ahmed Adams (Berekum Chelsea), Ebenezer Ofori (New Edubiase United), Michael Anaba (Asante Kotoko), Kwame Boahene, Kennedy Ashia, Ebenezer Assifuah (Liberty Professionals).
The 2015 U-20 squad included Kingsley Fobi (Right to Dream), Owusu Bempah (Hearts of Oak), Kofi Yeboah, Joseph Adjei (Wa All Stars), Patrick Asmah (BA United), Joseph Aidoo, Prosper Kassim, Patrick Kpozo (Inter Allies), and Asiedu Attobrah (New Edubiase United).
Despite its undeniable success, the Under-20 League was eventually discontinued because of the significant financial burden it placed on participating clubs. Maintaining youth teams effectively doubled operational costs through player recruitment, coaching, travel, accommodation, feeding, medical care, and other logistical expenses. At one point, a delegation representing Premier League clubs and GHALCA met with the GFA/PLB and passionately appealed for the Under-20 League to be decoupled from the Premier League programme. In the absence of sustainable sponsorship, the competition was suspended the following football season.
The time has come to revive the Under-20 League. With meaningful collaboration among the Government, the GFA, GHALCA, clubs, and corporate sponsors, this important competition can once again become the engine of Ghana’s football development.
Youth football remains our surest strategic pathway to sustainable success. If Ghana’s national teams are to regain their place among Africa’s and the world’s football elite, we must recommit ourselves to investing in structured youth development, quality education, properly regulated football academies, and competitive youth leagues.
The future of our football depends on the decisions we make today.
Source: Kwesi Nyantakyi – Former GFA President
