The Ghana Football Association (GFA) on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, presented five brand-new pick-ups to support football development across the country.
The vehicles were allocated to the Northern Regional Football Association, Greater Accra Regional Football Association, the GFA Technical Directorate, the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram, and the GFA headquarters. The handover took place at a short ceremony at the GFA Secretariat in Accra under the FIFA Forward Programme.
Addressing the media, GFA President Kurt Okraku expressed gratitude to FIFA for its continued support.”First of all, we are extremely grateful to FIFA, led by President Gianni Infantino, for supporting football via the Forward Programme. When we speak about the Forward Programme, Ghana has been a big beneficiary, and we have utilized this programme for the benefit of the Ghanaian game,” he said.
The latest donation follows the distribution of eight pick-ups to regional offices about a year ago, with a promise to add more.
“These vehicles are used for the development and promotion of football at the grassroots level, where the foundation of the sport is so important,” Okraku added.
He tied the initiative to his administration’s broader vision: “I’ve always spoken about fixing the fundamentals. This strategy via the Forward Programme fits directly into that plan. Because the foundation of the sport is at the regional level — where colts football is played, where girls’ U15 leagues are played, where Division III, Division II leagues are played. Any form of support is needed for the development of the sport.”
“Today we are adding five more pick-ups to the collection. This shows the FA is committed to meeting the needs of not only our members, but our constituent bodies,” he noted.
Okraku emphasized that beyond transport, the GFA is working on a wider development strategy. “We’ve made provisions for our Technical Directorate, which is the foundation of football development, and also the Technical Centre in Prampram where all our national teams train. And lastly, the headquarters here, where core services are delivered.”
GFA Technical Director Professor Joseph Mintah said the vehicle came as a surprise but was badly needed.”At our last EXCO meeting, the Technical Directorate was mentioned as a beneficiary. I was surprised, but I know the leader of this organization thinks about every unit. Football is a Technical Directorate — we deliver at every level,” he said.
Detailing his demanding schedule, Prof. Mintah explained: “I had to leave Prampram at 5:00 a.m. this morning because I’m running a CAF License A course. Next week, I’ll be in Koforidua. A week after that, we return to Prampram for the CAF License B third module. Then I’ll be at Legon for CAF License D, before returning to Prampram again. You can see how busy we are. Without transport, we are stuck.”
He added that the directorate is currently running the third module for CAF License A and B courses, plus an all-women FIFA-sponsored CAF License C course.
Greater Accra RFA Chairman and GFA Executive Council member Samuel Aboabire said the pick-up will transform operations in the region.
“It will help us a lot. About a year ago, eight regional chairmen received their pick-ups, and they’ve testified that the vehicles have enhanced their operations,” Aboabire said.
He outlined the scale of football in the region: “We have over 1,000 football clubs here. Over 300 colts clubs, another 350-plus third-division clubs, over 77 Division Two clubs, and 20 Women’s Division One clubs. The numbers in Greater Accra are huge.”
“We cannot be in the office using the telephone to run football. Sometimes you have to meet them physically and address their challenges. This vehicle came at the right time to help grassroots football,” he added.
Northern RFA Chairman Alhaji Abu-Hassan Rhyzo also welcomed the support, citing the logistical challenges of covering the region.
“The Regional Football Associations are highly delighted. We thank the FA President, the Executive Council, and by extension FIFA for these pick-ups,” Rhyzo said.
“In the Northern Region I supervise about 26 District Football Associations. The distances are vast — from Kpandai to Bole is like Accra to Kumasi. The Northern Region covers about one-third of Ghana’s land mass,” he explained.
“You need a very strong vehicle, like the one just presented, to coordinate activities, organize competitions, conduct coaching courses, and ensure grassroots football is put on a very high level. Beyond logistics, transport is key,” Rhyzo concluded.
