President John Dramani Mahama has called on the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and club administrators to take urgent steps to improve the standard of domestic football and revive the defunct Colts League.
President Mahama made the call when officials of Medeama SC, Nations FC and Ampem Darkoa Ladies FC paid a courtesy call on him.
He expressed concern about the declining quality of the domestic league and the growing trend of promising Ghanaian players leaving the country at an early age in search of opportunities abroad.
According to him, the development is depriving Ghana’s domestic football of some of its best young talents and limiting the opportunity for them to gain adequate experience before moving to foreign leagues.
“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,” President Mahama said.
He stressed the need for stronger structures to nurture young footballers and provide them with a pathway from grassroots football through the domestic league and ultimately to the international stage.
President Mahama also called for the revival of the Colts League as part of efforts to strengthen grassroots football development and create a sustainable pipeline for identifying and developing young talent.
He urged the GFA and club administrators to work together to restore the competitiveness and attractiveness of Ghana’s domestic football while creating better opportunities for young players to develop their careers locally.
