Mr Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, the President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has paid a working visit to the Sissala East Municipality, as part of efforts to deepen grassroots football development in the Upper West Region.
Addressing football stakeholders, traditional leaders and sports enthusiasts, at separate fora, Mr Simeon-Okraku said the GFA’s current leadership took office at a difficult time for Ghana football following the 2019 crisis that brought the game to a standstill.
“When we took over in 2019, football had suffered and had virtually stopped. Our responsibility was to revive football in this country, and we could only do that by working with club owners, players, referees, investors, chiefs and politicians,” he said.
He noted that the turnout at the event in Tumu was evident that passion for the game had returned saying, “If I had come here and found the place empty, it would have meant we had failed.
But seeing people from all parts of the football ecosystem here tells me how far we have come”, he stated.
Mr Okraku highlighted several interventions by the Football Association (FA), including the introduction of the U-15 Girls League across all regions, the increased investment in juvenile competitions, the provision of footballs to clubs, and renewed focus on refereeing and grassroots development.
He admitted, however, that there remained challenges, particularly around quality playing pitches in the Region.
“As I drove through the region, I couldn’t find a good FIFA-standard pitch. That tells us clearly that we still have a lot to do in fixing the fundamentals,” he said and assured that the FA would work with government and partners to address the infrastructure gaps.
Mr Bening Adamu Yakubu, the Sissala East Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) appealed to the GFA President and corporate bodies to support football development in the area by adopting the local teams.
“We are appealing to you to help us adopt teams in this area so that football can grow. With the right support, the talent here can be nurtured to serve both the region and the nation,” the MCE said.
As part of the visit, Mr Okraku paid a courtesy call on the Tumu traditional Council, where special prayers were offered for Ghana’s national teams ahead of major international assignments this year, including World Cup and the AFCON qualifiers.
Alhaji Ahmed Baba Pele, the Municipal Sports Unit Chairman, appealed to the GFA President to pay special attention to the Sissala area because of the many football talents in the area.
The Chief of Chinchang, the Kuoro Ahmed Hor said football in Sissala area was struggling due to lack of support.
He appealed for modern facilities for the Astro turf to enable the area to host major matches.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/ Christabel Addo
05 Feb. 2026
Picture caption: GFA President in a group picture with footballer stakeholders
