Ghana Football Association expands youth Colts football program

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has announced plans to relaunch and expand its Colts football program for the 2026-27 season. GFA President Kurt Okraku stated that these grassroots initiatives were planned prior to recent calls from President John Dramani Mahama for increased investment in youth football.

Currently, 859 registered Colts clubs operate across Ghana’s ten football regions, offering competitions for boys at Under-13, Under-15, and Under-17 levels, as well as girls’ Under-15 and Under-17 categories. To support this development, the GFA is investing in infrastructure and personnel. This includes a $100,000 annual distribution of footballs to clubs and a GH¢1.8 million investment in training 600 coaches through the CAF Licence D coaching programme, with a goal of reaching 900 coaches.

Additionally, the GFA is focusing on referee development through the ‘Catch Them Young Refereeing Programme’. The association has committed GH¢1.5 million toward educational support and allowances for young referees, alongside annual investments in uniforms and logistics to build a new generation of match officials.