Sports
UNODC and GFA Foundation donate football & Sports items to Ankaful Prison
The Ghana Football Association, through the GFA Foundation and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), have presented football & various sports items and logistics to the Ankaful Maximum Security Prison, located in the Central Region, at an impressive ceremony.
The presentation of the football items and logistics is part of the GFA Foundation-Ghana Prisons Project, which seeks to use the power of football to promote the wellbeing, welfare, reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates of Ghana’s prisons into society.
The presentation of the sports items, including basketball hoops and balls, footballs, and volleyballs presented by the UNODC, was in line with the “Strengthening the compliance of the Ghana Prisons Service with the Nelson Mandela Rules” project.
The Ankaful Maximum Security Prison is the first prison facility under the second phase of the GFA Foundation-Ghana Prisons Project to receive football items including jerseys, footballs, goalkeepers’ gloves and sets of football hose.
The other items are whistles and caution cards (yellow & red cards) and ball pump needles.
In a short meeting with the Regional Commander and senior officers of the facility, the Director of the GFA Foundation, Malcolm Frazier Appeadu commended them for the hard work and the diligence which ensures the safe custody of prisoners.
He admonished them to make good use of the items donated so as to derive the maximum benefit from the project.
In response, the Regional Commander and the Officer-in-Charge of the Ankaful Maximum Security Prison, Deputy Director of Prisons, Alfred Codjoe thanked the GFA and the UNODC for the donation and the upcoming training programmes.
“Sports and especially football and other physical activities help in managing and safeguarding the welfare and security of prisoners especially those here with long prison sentences,”he added.
He further expressed his gratitude to the Central Regional Football Association for their continuous support and assistance in organizing football matches for the inmates and officers at the facility
The GFA Foundation – Ghana Prisons Project is based on three pillars: The first pillar is the donation of football items and logistics; the two other equally important pillars are coaching and refereeing training programmes for inmates and officers, and advocacy workshops to sensitize the public and the citizenry on the negative impact of discrimination and stigmatization of prisons and prisoners.
An exhibition match played between the officers and inmates ended in a goalless draw.
A former Black Stars player, Emmanuel Agyeman Badu who was the football legend and icon for the day, as part of the advocacy against the negative perception of prisons and prisoners, expressed his excitement at being at a prison facility for the first time and seeing the inmates in high spirits and interacting with them.
He encouraged the inmates to be of good behaviour and cooperate with the officers and be law abiding. “I will visit you again with my former Black Stars colleagues to play a match and I can assure you that we will win”, he stated confidently.
The UNODC Prison and Penal Reform Project-Ghana were represented at the presentation ceremony by Mr. Christoph Capelle, Project Coordinator, Helena Adobea Ofori, Associate Programme Officer, Caleb Elorm Agodzo, Administrative Officer, Mr. Tony Amaechi, International Consultant, and DSP. Stephen Aboagye, Focal Person for Training, GPS/UNODC/INL project.
Accompanying the Director of the GFA Foundation were Mr. Kwame Koramoah and Emmanuel Kpab from the GFA Head Office.
Senior Officers of the Prison facility present were Second-in-Command, Assistant Director of Prisons, Roger Azanya, CSP Jennifer Addae, Physician Assistant, Supt Frank Ameho, Head of Sports, ASP Emmanuel Otoo, Deputy Head of Sports, SCO Amoah Saah – Senior Chief Officer Administration, all of the Ankaful Maximum Security Prison and ASP Naomi Fainusatu Abdulai, Head of Ghana Prisons Football Teams.
The first phase of the GFA Foundation-Ghana Prisons project covered 6 prison facilities, these being the Senior Correctional Centre (Borstal Home) in the Greater Accra Region, Sunyani Male and Female Prisons in Bono Region, Akuse Local Prison and Nsawam Medium Security Prison in the Eastern Region and the Winneba Local Prison in the Central Region.
Sports
Black Starlets arrives in Morocco on U-17 AFCON mission …FA boss charges team to make Ghana proud
The Black Starlets, the national U-17 male team, have safely arrived in Casablanca ahead of the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The team departed Accra on Wednesday, travelling with a 35-man contingent made up of 21 players and 14 officials, all focused on delivering a strong campaign on the continental stage.
They completed a smooth five-hour flight to Morocco, where final preparations will continue before the tournament kicks off.
The technical team is expected to fine-tune tactics and build cohesion among the squad as they gear up for the competition.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Mr Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, was present at the Accra International Airport to bid farewell to the team.
Speaking during a brief farewell at the Airport, the FA President urged the team to carry a ‘never say die’ spirit into the competition.
President Simeon-Okraku emphasised the importance of mental strength and unity, particularly in difficult moments during matches. His message was inspired by the team’s recent friendly encounters against Cote d’Ivoire, where they bounced back strongly after an initial defeat.
“I’m very happy that when you lost to Cote d’Ivoire in your first game during your friendly matches, you were able to bounce back—not only to dominate but to outscore them in the second game,” he said. “I read a lot of meaning into that, and I want all of you to keep that in your heads—that, it’s not over until it’s all over,” he added.
The FA president stressed that the ability to respond positively to setbacks would be crucial in a tournament as competitive as the AFCON.
He encouraged the players to stay united and support one another when the pressure intensifies on the continental stage.
“When the chips are down, that’s when we need to hold each other together,” Okraku added. “So go out there and make Ghana proud.”
Ghana will compete in Group D alongside Algeria, Senegal, and South Africa, with their opening match scheduled for Thursday, May 14.
Twenty-three (23) players have been called up for this month’s international friendly against Mexico.
The squad is composed of star players from the domestic league and European leagues who are closely monitored by Coach Carlos Queiroz, as well as U-23 players who will soon represent Ghana in the upcoming Olympic Games qualifiers.
Notable names include Majeed Ashimeru, Felix Afena-Gyan, Razak Simpson, and Birmingham City’s Ibrahim Osman.
Ashimeru returns to action after a long spell on the sidelines due to a muscle injury that limited his appearances at both club and national level.
Also in the team is Felix Afena-Gyan, whose last appearance for Ghana was in May last year when he featured against Trinidad and Tobago in the Unity Cup in London.
Barcelona B’s Abdul Aziz Issah, Ebenezer Annan of AS Saint-Étienne, Ibrahim Osman of Birmingham City, and Paul Reverson of Ajax FC have also been included in the squad.
Midfielder Salim Adams, one of the key players for Ghana Premier League leaders Medeama SC, leads the group of home-based players.
Others are Heart of Lions’ Ebenezer Abban, Ebenezer Adade of Dreams FC, and Nations FC captain Razak Simpson. Ghana will travel to Mexico for the international friendly on Friday, May 22, 2026.
