Veteran football administrator Fitzgerald Barkers Woode, popularly known as Nana Fitz, has questioned the Ghana Football Association’s progress in developing grassroots football in the country.
According to Nana Fitz, President John Mahama’s recent concerns over the state of Colts football highlight the urgent need for greater attention to the development of young talents.
President Mahama recently called on the GFA to prioritise grassroots football development and consider reviving the Colts League, which previously served as a major pathway for identifying and nurturing young footballers across the country.
Reacting to the President’s comments, Nana Fitz said the current state of grassroots football does not reflect claims of significant progress by the football governing body.
“For the President to come out and complain about Colts football tells you that not much has been done in that area. But if you talk to the FA, they will tell you so much has been done, yet we can’t see the results,” he told Graphic Sports.
The former Cornerstone boss welcomed the President’s recognition of the decline of Colts football and urged the GFA to take the concerns seriously.
Nana Fitz further called for a return to the principles and structures that once made the Colts system an important avenue for discovering and developing young football talent.
President Mahama has also expressed concern over the increasing number of promising Ghanaian players leaving the country at a young age, warning that the trend could negatively affect the quality and competitiveness of the domestic league.
With growing calls for reforms at the grassroots level, attention will now be on the GFA to strengthen its youth development structures and restore Colts football as a reliable pathway for producing the next generation of Ghanaian football stars.
