The Ghana Football Association has clarified that plans for the launch of the 2026/27 Colts football season were already well advanced before President John Dramani Mahama publicly called for the revival of the youth competition.
The Football Association re-launched the Colts football system in 2020 and has since sustained the programme as a key component of its grassroots football development agenda. However, recent public commentary has linked the current revival efforts to President Mahama’s call for the return of Colts football.
Contrary to such suggestions, GFA President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku had already announced plans for the 2026/27 Colts football season at the Football Association’s 32nd Congress on August 20, 2026.
“This year, Colts football will be at the forefront of a lot of things that we’ll be doing,” he said.
“In the month of September, we will be launching the Colts football season.”
Okraku described Colts football as “the heartbeat of our game”, saying investing in young players was essential to the future of Ghanaian football.
The GFA says 859 registered Colts clubs are currently operating across the country’s 10 football regions, with structured competitions for boys at Under-13, Under-15 and Under-17 levels, as well as Under-15 and Under-17 girls.
The Association also unveiled a series of investments aimed at strengthening youth football across the country.
For a third successive year, the GFA will spend $100,000 on footballs for distribution to Colts clubs nationwide.
It has also invested GH¢1.8m over the past two seasons to train 600 youth coaches through the GFA-founded CAF Licence D coaching programme.
In addition, the GFA will continue to provide free player registration and digital licences for up to 90 players per Colts club, while expanding training for scouts, referees, administrators and other grassroots football stakeholders.
A new Kivo JLab Under-17 Inter-Club Champions League will also be introduced this season, alongside an GH¢800,000 investment to help Regional Football Associations organise Under-15 girls’ Colts leagues.
According to Okraku, the initiatives, supported by partners including the KGL Foundation, Kivo and JLab, form part of the GFA’s wider effort to build a stronger grassroots football structure.
With the new season now under way, the focus shifts from the launch to whether the expanded competitions and increased investment can create a sustainable pathway for the next generation of Ghanaian football talent.
Source:Fiilasports/ghanasoccernet
