GFA had planned Colts football revival before President Mahama’s call – Kurt Okraku

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) had already laid out plans to revive and broaden Colts football for the 2026-27 season before President John Dramani Mahama urged its resurrection. While some football analysts connected the GFA's initiative to the President's recent plea for more investment in youth football, GFA President Kurt Okraku had unveiled the Association's Colts football strategy weeks prior as part of a broader grassroots development program.

At a Congress at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram on August 20, Okraku announced Colts football's pivotal role in the Association's 2026-27 plans, with a scheduled launch in September in Accra. He emphasized that Colts football is "the heartbeat of our game," and investing in children is key to ensuring Ghana football's future.

Okraku revealed that there are currently 859 registered Colts clubs operating throughout Ghana's 10 football regions, offering structured competitions for boys at Under-13, Under-15, and Under-17 levels, as well as girls' Under-15 and Under-17 competitions. The GFA has also committed to a series of investments to enhance the grassroots game.

These include distributing $100,000 worth of footballs to Colts clubs nationwide for the third consecutive year and investing GH¢1.8m over the past two seasons to train 600 coaches through the CAF Licence D coaching program. Free player registration and digital licenses for up to 90 players per Colts club, along with extended training programs for scouts, referees, administrators, and other youth football stakeholders, are also part of the plan.

The Kivo JLab Under-17 Inter-Club Champions League will debut for the 2026-27 campaign, and the GFA has pledged GH¢800,000 to enable Regional Football Associations to organize Under-15 Girls Colts Leagues across Ghana. With the fifth edition of the Colts football program now underway, the GFA's focus shifts to ensuring these investments yield enduring opportunities for clubs, coaches, and the next generation of Ghanaian footballers.