The competition will take place at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence from November 8 to 15, 2026, bringing together the best U-17 regional Colts champions to compete for national honours.

Delivering the keynote address, GFA President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku described the tournament as more than a football competition, highlighting its potential to create opportunities for young players to showcase their abilities, represent their communities and advance their football ambitions.

“Today, we are not simply launching another football competition. We are unveiling an opportunity for young footballers across our regions to showcase their talent, compete at a higher level, represent their communities with pride and take another important step towards realising their football dreams,” he said.

GFA steps up investment in Colts football

The GFA President highlighted the GFA’s investment in Colts football over the past six years, including an annual commitment of US$100,000 towards the procurement of footballs for grassroots development.

He also recalled the interventions announced at the launch of the 2026/27 Colts Football Season, which include 3,000 footballs, 15,000 football kits and additional logistical support for Colts clubs.

The Association will further distribute 15,000 pairs of casual shoes, alongside 15,000 jerseys and 10,000 footballs, as part of efforts to improve the conditions for youth participation and ease the operational burden on clubs.

Simeon-Okraku noted that the interventions reflect the GFA’s determination to strengthen the foundations of the game and ensure that young footballers have access to the essential resources needed to develop.

Kivo partnership to drive grassroots development

The President commended KIVO for partnering the GFA to deliver the competition, with JLAB serving as supporting sponsor.

He described the initiative as a strong example of the impact of collaboration between football authorities and the private sector, stressing that developing the game requires a collective effort from clubs, Regional Football Associations, government, corporate Ghana, development partners, parents, coaches and the media.

He urged participating players to approach the tournament with discipline, courage and respect, while calling on coaches and administrators to prioritise their welfare, safety and development.

The ceremony was attended by GFA Vice-President Mark Addo and Executive Council members Nana Sarfo Oduro, Eugene Nobel Noel, Alhaji Abu Hassan and Samuel Aboabire.

Also present were KIVO Marketing Manager Evans Koffie, Central Regional Football Association Chairman Robert Otieku Duncan, Ashanti Regional FA Chairman Osei Tutu Agyemang and Eastern Regional FA Chairman Lindford Asamoah Boadu.

Proudly sponsored by KIVO, with JLAB as supporting sponsor, the maiden KIVO U-17 Regional Champions Cup forms part of the GFA’s broader drive to revitalise Colts football, promote regional competition and create more pathways for the next generation of Ghanaian football stars.

Source:Fiilasports/ghanasoccernet

Speaking to the media in Parliament on Thursday, November 5, amid growing controversy over the World Cup fundraising exercise, Mr Adams explained that an initial group of seven to 10 raffle winners had their travel documents processed after a meeting with the organisers.

According to the Buem MP, the group was subsequently refunded but asked to resubmit the money to Rambell to proceed with the original travel arrangements.

However, almost all the winners declined the request and opted to keep their refunds.

Mr Adams further disclosed that a second raffle, organised by Mpuntu, produced 31 winners. Although travel documents were processed for all 31 participants, only five managed to secure US visas.

He maintained that the money raised through the second raffle had not been spent and remained in the custody of the fundraising committee to compensate those who could not travel.

“Every pesewa of the raffle that was run by Mpuntu has not been touched. That money has not been touched. The fundraising committee is still holding on to those funds to make sure that everybody is appropriately compensated,” he said.

The minister also dismissed allegations by the NPP Minority in Parliament concerning the use of foreign telephone numbers in the fundraising exercise, describing the claims as false.

“If the NPP Minority in Parliament is running a story and talking about foreign numbers and what have you, that’s a complete lie,” he added.

Source:Fiilasports/ghanasoccernet

Speaking to the media in Parliament on Thursday, November 5, Assafuah questioned what happened to participants in the first raffle, which he claimed was cancelled without refunds before a second exercise was introduced.

He cited the example of a street hawker who could have spent as much as GH¢10,000 by purchasing multiple GH¢10 entries, only for the government to cancel the exercise without returning the money.

Assafuah wants the government to disclose whether participants in the first raffle received refunds, how many winners travelled to the United States or Canada and what arrangements were made for those who could not secure visas.

He also called for transparency over the financial arrangements for the advertised prizes, the contract with the raffle operator and whether the National Lottery Authority (NLA) licensed or partnered in the exercise.

The MP further demanded an account of the 2,922 World Cup tickets purchased with public funds, including how many were allocated to raffle winners and whether they were eventually used.

He wants the Auditor-General to examine both raffles, held on November 4 and March 18, 2026, as well as the World Cup fund.

Assafuah has also urged Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee to include the raffle arrangements in its ongoing investigation into the controversy surrounding the government’s World Cup travel plans.

In addition, he has called on the Data Protection Commission to investigate how the passports and personal information of raffle winners were collected, stored and shared.

His demands come amid growing scrutiny of the government’s travel arrangements after Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams revealed that only five of the 31 winners of the second raffle secured visas to travel to the United States.

Adams has said the government is working on a compensation package for those who could not travel, while maintaining that the money raised through the second raffle remains untouched.

Source:Fiilasports/ghanasoccernet

The demonstration, led by National Women’s Organiser Mavis Hawa Koomson, is also intended to press authorities to take decisive action and strengthen measures to protect students from sexual abuse in schools.

The allegations against the headmaster, Zakaria Abdulai, include rape, sexual harassment and sexual assault. Madam Koomson has raised concerns about reports that complaints may have reached school authorities as far back as March 2026, while institutional records reportedly point to similar misconduct dating to 2021.

“These revelations represent a catastrophic failure of the duty of care owed to our children,” she said.

Although the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Ministry of Gender and the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service have taken steps to address the matter, the NPP Women’s Organiser insists that more decisive action is needed.

She has called for a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the allegations, including the conduct of school authorities and other officials who may have failed to act on earlier complaints.

She has also urged investigators to examine the headmaster’s previous postings to establish whether similar allegations had been reported.

Madam Koomson further called for stronger safeguarding measures in schools, including confidential reporting channels, toll-free lines and counselling services to support students who experience abuse.

“We will not allow this to be swept under the carpet. We are formally requesting constant update from the investigating authorities. We want answers. The public wants answers,” she said.

The demonstration is expected to amplify calls for accountability and justice for the affected students and their families.

Source:Fiilafmonline/Adomonline

He said the government would monitor changes in road crashes and fatalities following the activation of the system on November 1, 2026, to determine whether the technology was helping to reduce accidents and save lives.

Speaking at a meet-the-press session at the Jubilee House on Thursday, November 5, President Mahama urged motorists to observe speed limits, particularly the 50-kilometre-per-hour limit in urban areas, as authorities intensify enforcement through technology.

“I can assure you, if we bear with this TraffiTech system, when you see the results of reduction in accidents at the end of the year, because it started November 1st, we’ll do a month-to-month comparison with last year,” he said.

“And you yourself will be surprised at the number of lives this TraffiTech system will save.”

The President explained that the system was designed to replace manual speed monitoring by police officers with automated technology that detects speeding offences and provides motorists with evidence of their violations.

He cited road safety statistics to justify the introduction of the system, saying 2,151 people were killed in road crashes in Ghana last year, including 474 pedestrians who died in knockdown incidents.

He added that a significant number of the pedestrian fatalities involved schoolchildren who were knocked down while returning from school.

According to Mr Mahama, excessive speeding reduces drivers’ ability to stop in time when pedestrians unexpectedly cross the road, increasing the risk of collisions.

“The general speed limit in any urban centre, including Accra, is 50. And so you are not supposed to go above 50,” he said, urging motorists to adhere to the limit to improve their chances of stopping in time to avoid hitting pedestrians.

Mr Mahama clarified that the speeding enforcement module was the only component of the TraffiTech system currently operational.

Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews

The Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Energy Committee, Collins Adomako-Mensah, said the levy should not be reintroduced after the suspension period, arguing that it had placed an additional burden on motorists and transport operators.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Thursday, November 5, 2026, the Afigya Kwabre East MP said the Minority had consistently opposed the levy and welcomed the government’s decision to suspend it.

“We still insist [it] should have been abolished. What this means is that after two months or a month, that one Ghana cedi will come back,” he said.

He maintained that the suspension did not address the Minority’s longstanding objection to the charge, which it believes should be removed entirely.

“We don’t even want to hear the suspension of the one Ghana cedi. That one Ghana cedi, we still insist, should have been abolished,” he said.

Mr Adomako-Mensah recalled that the Minority had argued against introducing the GH¢1 charge per litre, proposing instead that any additional levy should be imposed per gallon to reduce the burden on consumers.

He said a charge of GH¢1 per gallon would have been less expensive than the per-litre arrangement, particularly for transport companies that rely heavily on diesel.

He also argued that the government should reconsider the tax and levy components of petroleum prices to provide more sustainable relief to consumers.

The MP said the continued uncertainty in international oil prices made it important for the government to review the structure of petroleum charges rather than repeatedly extend temporary interventions.

Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews

He said the students were enrolled in diverse fields, ranging from engineering and green technologies in Germany and France to public policy, medicine and social sciences in the United Kingdom, Italy, Hungary and the Nordic countries.

“From engineering and green technologies in Germany and France, to public policy, medicine, and social sciences across the UK, Italy, Hungary, and the Nordic nations, our young people are asserting their academic brilliance on the continental stage,” he said.

Iddrisu said the students gained more than academic qualifications, noting that they acquired technical competencies, intercultural skills and global networks that could contribute significantly to Ghana’s national development.

He made the remarks on Wednesday, November 4, at the maiden Study in Europe Fair, organised by the European Union (EU) Delegation to Ghana, in collaboration with GIZ and the Ghanaian-European Centre for Jobs, Migration and Development, at the University of Ghana, Legon.

The fair provided an opportunity for Ghanaian students to explore higher education opportunities in Europe and interact with representatives of European embassies and universities.

It also offered information on academic programmes, admission requirements, visa procedures and funding opportunities available to prospective students.

Activities included a dedicated Erasmus+ information desk, a CV clinic, a thematic session on preparing successful applications, and a networking session focused on young people.

Iddrisu said Europe remained a major destination for Ghanaian students seeking world-class academic and research opportunities, as well as rich cultural exposure.

He said the fair underscored the enduring partnership between Ghana and Europe, anchored in shared values, intellectual exchange and mutual growth.

Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews

The International Monetary Fund disclosed the changes in a statement issued on Thursday, November 5. It said the measures were corrective actions taken in response to declining reserves in recent months.

The Fund wants sustained implementation of both measures, alongside greater exchange rate flexibility, to rebuild Ghana’s reserves.

The statement did not disclose the size of the reserve decline. It also gave no figure for the higher gold sale requirement.

The changes come months after Ghana completed its IMF bailout programme and moved to a 36-month Policy Coordination Instrument (PCI). The new arrangement provides no financing but supports continued economic reforms.

An IMF team led by Ruben Atoyan visited Accra from October 22 to November 4 for the PCI’s first review.

“IMF staff and the Ghanaian authorities have reached staff-level agreement on the first review of the PCI,” Mr Atoyan said.

The agreement still requires approval from IMF Management and the Executive Board.

The Fund described programme performance as broadly satisfactory, with most quantitative targets met. But the reserve decline highlights continuing external pressures despite stronger economic indicators.

“Despite this progress, vulnerabilities persist, particularly from the external sector.”

Ghana remains exposed to swings in gold, cocoa and oil prices. Geopolitical tensions and tighter global financial conditions also pose risks.

At home, the IMF flagged substantial needs to refinance domestic debt. It also identified fiscal pressures in the energy, cocoa, and gold sectors, along with remaining weaknesses in the financial sector.

These risks persist despite 6.2 per cent economic growth in the first half of 2026. Full-year growth is projected at 5.7 per cent.

Inflation fell to 5.5 per cent in October, below the Bank of Ghana’s target range. The primary surplus is also on course to meet the year-end programme target.

The IMF said stronger reserves, prudent monetary policy and greater exchange rate flexibility remain essential to protecting these gains. It also called for a sinking fund to help repay maturing debt.

Ghana completed the final review of its $3 billion Extended Credit Facility programme in July. The transition to the PCI extended its reform relationship with the Fund beyond the bailout.

The first PCI review now puts rebuilding reserves firmly among the priorities for preserving that recovery.

Source:Fiilafmonline/JoyBuss