Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku says President John Dramani Mahama’s recent call to revive Colts football has drawn further attention to the GFA’s plans to rebuild the grassroots game.
Mahama recently questioned the disappearance of the Colts League and called on the GFA to revive the competition as part of efforts to strengthen Ghana’s football development.
Speaking at the launch of the new Colts Football League, Okraku thanked the President for highlighting the importance of juvenile football.
“Thank you to President John Mahama for speaking about Colts football. That singular decision placed a huge spotlight on what I have been preaching before being given the chance to serve football, ‘fixing the fundamentals of football’,” Okraku said.
The GFA President said the revival of Colts football fits into his broader vision of addressing the foundations of the game in Ghana.
He revealed that the association had already been working towards the return of Colts football before Mahama made his public comments.
“Our President spent time to speak about Colts football. I’m sure in his dream the Almighty God may have told him that the FA have planned a grand launch of Colts season,” he added.
Okraku believes the President’s intervention has reinforced the need to invest in the foundations of Ghanaian football, particularly at the juvenile level.
Mahama had raised concerns about the state of grassroots football during a meeting with representatives of Ghana Premier League champions Medeama SC, MTN FA Cup winners Nations FC and Women’s Premier League champions Ampem Darkoa Ladies at Jubilee House.
“I do not know what happened to it, so I want to ask the Football Association: what has happened to the Colts League?” Mahama asked.
The President also expressed concern about the early departure of promising Ghanaian players to foreign clubs, arguing that more talented players should remain in the domestic league longer to gain experience before moving abroad.
“We must find a way to keep our talented players longer, give them opportunities in the national team, allow them to gain international experience, and then let them move abroad after they have matured,” Mahama said.
Okraku’s comments come as the GFA seeks to restore Colts football as an important part of Ghana’s player development system.
The return of the competition is expected to provide young players with a structured platform to develop their talents and create a stronger pathway into professional football and Ghana’s national teams.
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