The National Sports College, Winneba’s Soccer Academy recruitment exercise has gotten off to a promising start, with 25 talented young footballers applying to take part in the program.
The exercise, which aims to recruit and groom players between the ages of 14 and 16 for a four-year program, is being mentored by some of the best coaches in the country.
Dr. Prosper Ogum, a renowned coach and former head coach of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, expressed his delight at the quality of players who have applied to join the program.
“I am happy to be part of this process. We’ve seen how good some of you are and I think with the right development path, you’ll be able to make it,” he said.
“Each of you, you have a quality that you can build on. Some have speed, some have skill, some have strength, but the basic thing is skill.”
Hearts of Oak coach, Mas-Ud Didi Dramani, emphasized the importance of talent and character in developing young players.
“Talent alone is not enough, you need the character behind it which is mostly the attitude, the attitude to stay very focused, the attitude to reflect on what you did before the day’s session,” he said.
“We as coaches try as much as possible to learn from our own players, we also try as much as possible to learn from the opponents, and we also learn from the game itself.”
Former Technical Director of the Ghana Football Association, Mr. Francis Oti Akenteng, commended the organizers for their vision and approach.
“It’s nice going through exercises of this nature,” he said. “We want you to do your best and make sure that the development continues.”
He added, “We don’t stop. We want to make sure that we develop you into the national level. And then probably even to the international.”
The Director of the National Sports College, Winneba, Mr. Bawah Fuseini congratulated the young players for taking part in the exercise and assured them of the college’s commitment to providing them with the best training and support.
“We will give you the best that you can get in terms of training, in terms of career progression, in terms of your football career,” he said.
The National Sports College, Winneba’s Soccer Academy is set to become a hub for football development in Ghana, with the potential to produce world-class players.
The college’s commitment to fairness, transparency, and equity will ensure that the best talents are identified and developed, regardless of their background.
The selected players will be placed in schools around Winneba, allowing them to train and attend school without stress.
Note that the door is still open for new players, and the coaches will continue to scout for talented individuals to recruit into the academy.
