President backs youth to emulate good role models

President of the Ghana Football Association has challenged youth footballers to fulfil their dream of becoming world stars and emulate good world stars.

Kwesi Nyantakyi on Friday granted a session to six selected players from the Airtel Rising Football competition who have started a soccer clinic in South Africa.

The GFA President who was joined by ex-internationals Sammy Osei Kuffour and Anthony Baffoe to bid farewell to the selected players tasked them to be good ambassadors of the country, be open to new cultures and ideas but reminded them to remain disciplined.

"You should count yourselves privileged to have been selected. Your hardwork and quality has earned you recognition but this is just one of the many steps in your football careers. Be worthy ambassadors of this proud nation.

"Embrace this opportunity and make the best out of it. To achieve your dreams of becoming world stars, you must put in hardwork and stay disciplined. Players like Sammy Kuffour and Anthony [Baffoe] would not have played at the highest level if they had failed to work hard and make sacrifices," Kwesi Nyantakyi said.

"As you take this long road, never drop your academic work. Education is very crucial. The life span of a footballer can never be determined, the sport comes with all sorts of risks and you should be able to live after ending your dream careers."

Four boys, Amos Addai (Ashanti Region), Arcadio Attinu (Brong Ahafo Region), Daniel Abaa (Upper East Region) and Nurudeen Azeed (Upper West Region) together with Joyce Baah (Western Region) and Priscilla Okyere (Ashanti Region) left Accra on Saturday and would be based in the Airtel rising stars Football Camp in Capetown.