Sports
A second look at FA’s U-19 directive
Kurt Okraku
A new season of football festival will commence this weekend with high expectation from fans and stakeholders.
And when it does, one of the things to look out for would be the implementation of a directive at the recent 30th Extraordinary Congress of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) held at Prampram.
By the directive, clubs from the Premier League division through the Division One League (DOL) to Division 2 were mandated to include a number of U-19 players in their match day squads.
This may not be something new for the respective clubs. It has been captured in their discussions but without any clear commitment to it, the FA deemed it necessary to use the Congress platform in order to force it down the throats of the clubs.
Surprisingly, it appears the clubs at the moment have no reservations about the directive to gently compel them to include U-19 players in their match day squads.
It is either the clubs have not given it a considerable thought or would not want to put a dent on the atmosphere at the Prampram Congress which looked more like a carnival or festival for the ‘football people’ as they enjoy the feeling with the facelift of the facilities there.
Of course, every lover of football would applaud such an initiative that aims to strengthen football at the grassroots and serve as a bedrock for the teams at the top tier.
But with every major decision, there are bound to be a few nonconformist ideas not to scupper the entire but take a deeper look and ponder over the long term effects.
Under the new rules announced by FA President, Kurt Okraku, Premier League clubs will be required to include a minimum of four U-19 players in their match day squads, with at least two of them starting the game.
Division One League (DOL) clubs would be required to include six U-19 players in their match day squads, with three of these young players starting each game.
For Division Two clubs, the mandate is even more extensive. These clubs must include eight U-19 players in their match day squads, with four of them starting the game.
This measure is designed to accelerate the development of young players at the grassroots level, ensuring that they are ready for the demands of higher-level football as they progress in their careers.
President Simeon-Okraku explained that the directive was part of a broader strategy to enhance the overall quality of football in Ghana by focusing on youth development.
What the FA must also consider is what will become of juvenile leagues which naturally provides the platform for U-19s considering the numbers that would be consumed by clubs at the top three divisions.
In my view, the FA would have delivered a better arrangement by announcing a recompense for clubs that featured such players at the end of the season rather than forcing such arrangement on the clubs, some of who I suspect hide behind the directive to justify their poor performance.
In the spirit of competition, clubs should be allowed to field the very best in their fold and not be forced to drop top players to make space for U-19s just to make the FA happy.
Selection into match day squad should be on merit but by the Okraku directive, the hands of clubs are being forced to satisfy a particular rule.
It looks even more serious with the DOL and DTL levels where they have to start three and four U-19s, respectively. At best, it should be okay to have a few in their squads but issues about starting must either be justified or earned because the rule as it is brings memories from George Orwell’s Animal Farm.
By Andrew Nortey
Black Stars captain Jordan Ayew says Ghana will leave nothing on the pitch when they face England in today’s World Cup Group L decider at Gillette Stadium.
With both teams on 3 points, Ayew said his job is to ease pressure on the younger players and hold everyone accountable, himself included.
“I’m doing my best to guide the boys, make them comfortable, take pressure off them, and help us perform,” Ayew told reporters. “I have to perform too. They have to perform too. It’s teamwork. We’re helping each other.”
Ghana come into the Foxborough clash after a 1-0 win over Panama in Toronto. England beat Croatia 4-2 in their opener.
The captain’s message was simple, “We’re going to give our 100% and we’re going to fight. I’ll make sure when we come off that pitch, we have no regrets.”
The winner takes control of Group L. Kickoff is 4:00 PM ET at Gillette Stadium.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Black Stars forward Brandon Thomas-Asante insists Ghana will carry no pressure into Tuesday’s World Cup showdown with England at Boston Stadium, saying the team’s self-belief and sense of purpose outweigh outside expectations.
Brandon provided a 95th minute assist that helped Ghana beat Panama 1-0 in Toronto.
The win left both Ghana and England level on three points in Group L following the Three Lions 4-2 over Croatia in their opening match.
Speaking to ghanafa.org Thomas-Asante is adamant that external doubt only fuels the squad.
“Everything to the best ability, it’s very much a case of we back ourselves, we believe in ourselves. Whether people on the outside doubt us, believe us, or anything that’s not what we think about. We think about why we’re here. We’re on a mission,” Thomas-Asante said.
The Coventry City forward said that mission removes any weight of expectation. “That means there’s no pressure. It’s even less pressure for us,” he explained.
“We know our fans believe, but we know that some people might want to overlook us. We use that to our advantage preparing properly and believing that we can go and do something,” He added.
England and Ghana both sit on three points heading into the Foxborough clash, with the winner set to take control of Group L. Kickoff at Boston Stadium on Tuesday.
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