Gianni Infantino has commended the Ghana Football Association for its remarkable progress in football development over the past decade, highlighting the strategic use of FIFA’s Forward and other support programs as key drivers of growth.
His remarks underscore a period of transformation in Ghanaian football, marked by infrastructure upgrades, increased participation, and significant advancements in women’s football.
Infantino singled out the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence as a model of development.
The centre has undergone extensive renovations, including the installation of modern floodlights, the addition of a 30-bed accommodation facility for teams, and the construction of both artificial and natural turf pitches. Further expansion has been achieved with the inauguration of a new technical centre in Winkogo, strengthening football infrastructure in northern Ghana.
“Ghana has been one of the Member Associations who have made excellent use of the FIFA Forward and other FIFA Support Programmes over the years. The national technical centre, Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence, now has new floodlights, a 30-bed accommodation for teams and two new pitches (artificial and natural turf). Another technical centre has been inaugurated in Winkogo, in northern part of the country,” Infantino noted.
He also praised the leadership of Kurt Okraku, emphasizing his commitment to increasing participation across all levels, particularly in women’s football. Infantino highlighted the role of the FIFA Talent Development Scheme in supporting this initiative, noting its impact on the growth and professionalization of women’s football in Ghana.
“Women’s football has been accelerated with support from FIFA for the National Women’s League, which has played a pivotal role in the Black Queens’ qualification for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2024. Another impressive result has been the successive qualification of the men’s senior national team to the FIFA World Cup, first in Qatar in 2022 and now Canada, Mexico and the United States this summer,” Infantino added.
His remarks paint a picture of Ghana as a nation effectively leveraging international partnerships to elevate its football landscape, creating opportunities for talent development, facility expansion, and competitive success. The future appears promising for Ghanaian football, both on the continental stage and globally, as the country continues to build on a decade of strategic growth.
