Sports
GFA cuts sod for the construction of 40-bed accommodation facility at Prampram
The President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, today August 26, 2024, cut the sod for the construction of a 40-bed accommodation facility at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram.
The President was supported by members of the Executive Council, delegates to Congress, former GFA top officials including former Vice-Chairman Fred Pappoe, former General Secretary, Emmanuel Gyimah, and the media to perform the ceremony at the new-look Technical Centre.
The construction of the 40-bed accommodation facility marks a significant and pivotal step towards upgrading the centre to meet international standards.
The construction of the new edifice is part of a grand plan by the leadership of the Ghana Football Association to give the Technical Centre a befitting status in the scheme of African and World football.
Funded in part by the World Cup 2022 allocation from government, the project aims to elevate the centre’s infrastructure to accommodate various national teams and host matches.
President Simeon-Okraku applauded Government for the support as he cut the sod for the start of the legacy project, which is expected to be delivered in accordance with very high standards and specifications.
“I am very excited to see today and celebrate the decision to construct a 40-bed accommodation facility here in Prampram. I want to use this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Executive Council and members of Congress for their support for such a major project for the forward march of our game,” President Simeon-Okraku said
He said, “I am equally grateful to the Government for showing leadership in offering financial support in ensuring the realization of this fantastic project. The project includes many basic amenities to create a professional environment that will directly serve the national teams and contribute to the growth of Ghana football.”
“The effect of what I spoke about is what is manifesting and I hope that when we gather here again, we’ll be happy to inspect a fully constructed 40-bed accommodation facility.” he concluded, amidst applause.
The installation of floodlights at the AstroTurf and the construction of top of range natural grass pitches, as well as the construction of a gymnasium, swimming pool and Futsal Arena are additional components of the comprehensive upgrade of the facility.
These enhancements signify the GFA’s commitment to bolstering football infrastructure and providing adequate facilities for training and development.
Since its inception, the Ghanaman Soccer Center of Excellence has served as a key training and camping base for several of Ghana’s national teams.
With these planned improvements, the centre is poised to further solidify its role in nurturing and developing football talent while facilitating the growth of the sport at the national level.
Ghana Premier League side, Nations FC, may have suffered the drop in the just ended Premier League and are destined for a fresh campaign in the Division One League (DOL).
But they stand a huge chance of remaining in the elite stage of the game as they face Dreams FC in an epic MTN FA Cup final at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium tomorrow at 6pm.
Dreams FC have been there before; going ahead to taste the honours in the 2022-23 season after defeating King Faisal.
Coming from a season that saw them crawl from the initial stages of the league to finish on a respectable fourth position, they come in as strong favourites to double their honours in the nation’s second top football competition.
History favours them in this regard. On their first final, they conquered and based on this, connoisseurs of the game have tipped them to make it ‘two-on-two.’
But Nations FC have been empowered by the age-old adage that “He that is down need fear no fall.”
Nothing can be worse than suffering relegation and exiting the limelight as far as exposure is concerned.
But the FA offers a decent opportunity to make them stay relevant.
Conquering Dreams FC would not just make them MTN FA Cup champions. It will grant them the prestigious slot to represent Ghana in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) second tier club competition- the Confederations Cup.
With Dreams FC harbouring the same ambitions, the stage is, therefore, set for a final that promises to be explosive and uncompromising.
The situation of Nations FC might have come to many as a surprise, considering their promising start to the season, with their defence especially, marshalled by Black Stars defender, Razak Simpson, and colleague central defender, Raymond Grippman, earning a lot of reviews.
But despite the struggles they endured at certain times of their campaign, the MTN FA Cup always provided slices of good fortunes as they managed to navigate their way to the final.
Road to the top
Nations FC began the MTN FA Cup competition on a promising note, enjoying some good runs with a win over DOL Zone Two side, Ebony FC, in the Round of 64.
That landed them in a tricky encounter with another high-flying Zone Two candidate, AshantiGold SC, a side that eventually won the title from the zone to qualify to the Premier League, but escaped.
At the round of 16 stage, they encountered and defeated Ghana Premier League side, Swedru All Blacks, 2-1 to gain progression to the quarter final stage where they edged Berekum Chelsea on penalties.
A dicey semi-final awaited them against Aduana FC in Swedru. It was a game Nations was given little chance to escape considering Aduana FC’s form but once again, they conquered to secure a final berth.
In total, the Abrankese-based club have scored eight goals and conceded only two throughout the competition, making them one of the strongest defensive sides in the tournament.
For Dreams FC, they defeated Division One League Zone Three side, Semper Fi, 2-1 to progress to the next stage of the competition where they accounted for Division Two side, Asanska FC, 2-0.
That handed them a quarterfinal berth where they faced Inter Allies and drew one all before winning 4-3 on penalties.
The happiest moment in their success story was a 3-2 semi-final win over GPL winners, Medeama SC.
With that feat, Dreams have been touted as potential winners as the match comes at a time the Nations FC side may be psychologically down over the weight of the challenge they face in the next season.
However, the competition has gain notoriety for not following any form guide and outcomes mostly coming as major surprises.
In this regard, Dreams may be tipped as favourite candidates but though Nations are wounded, the stakes could revive an insatiable desire to apply the brakes to turn the dreams of Dreams FC into a nightmare.
Support
The support from MTN Ghana has no doubt improved competition among the clubs with the attractive incentive packages for participating clubs.
MTN Ghana, which is celebrating 30 years of operations in Ghana, formally became headline sponsors of the Ghana FA Cup in the 2010/2011 football season after the competition had returned from an eight-year hiatus.
The first edition under MTN sponsorship was won by Nania FC, who defeated Asante Kotoko 1–0 in the final at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Since then, the competition has been known as the MTN FA Cup, with MTN renewing its sponsorship several times — in 2013, 2017, 2020 and again for subsequent seasons.
By Andrew Nortey
The Black Stars have opened camp in Cardiff ahead of next week’s international friendly against Wales.
The team is being taken through training drills by head coach Carlos Queiroz.
Thirteen players trained at Dragon Park on Monday, with others expected to join the squad on Tuesday.
They include Ernest Nuamah, Brandon Thomas-Asante, Jordan Ayew, Caleb Yirenkyi, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, Elisha Owusu, Gideon Mensah, Marvin Senaya, Jerome Opoku, Benjamin Asare, Joseph Anang, Solomon Agbasi, and Alidu Seidu.
The Black Stars will train in Cardiff for one week ahead of the international friendly against Wales on Tuesday, June 2, before traveling to the United States of America.
Coach Carlos Queiroz will use the period to assess his players before naming his final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Twenty-six players will be submitted to FIFA on Monday, June 1, as mandated by the competition regulations.
The Black Stars are drawn in Group L with Panama, England, and Croatia. They will open their World Cup campaign against Panama on June 17 in Toronto before facing England and Croatia in their other group matches.
