Meet the 16-year-old referee with a dream of being first Ghanaian to handle World Cup final

He is just a 16-year-old boy with a big dream.

A dream that keeps him awake at night and reminds him of how far the journey is from his current position.

A dream that spurs him on to keep pressing even when the odds are stacked against him.

A dream to achieve a feat that till date no Ghanaian with the job title of referee has accomplished.

A dream that makes him stand bravely at the centre of grass-less football pitches to officiate matches between teams with players twice his age.

A dream that if becomes a reality will see him become the proud owner of a medal at an edition of the world’s biggest football festival.

He is Christopher Okpoti Adjei and his lifelong dream is to be the first Ghanaian to handle a World Cup match.

Like every other dream or hustle, there always comes a time when the urge to throw your hands in despair and give up overtakes the desire to press on and Okpoti Adjei has had his moments.

Financial difficulties coupled with lack of support from home and friends nearly made him chicken out but a conversation with a member of the Greater Accra RFA gave him a mindset change and he is now more determined than ever to achieve what he set out to achieve.

It used to be a lonely journey for him but now he has Kurt Okraku’s GFA on his side.

He is the face of the FA’s new refereeing policy and every step of the way; he will get support from them.

Referee Laryea who is currently Ghana’s best shot at international competition is his idol and luckily for him, the GFA has made it possible for him to get mentorship from the more experienced referee.