The Omanhen of Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II on Saturday inaugurated the FIFA Football for Hope Centre located in the Central Regional capital, Cape Coast.

The Centre, one of the legacies of the first ever World Cup on African soil held in 2010 in South Africa, seeks to provide educational and recreational opportunities for children in the Region and its environs.

The Centre is hosted by streetfootballworld network member, Play Soccer Ghana, a community-based organisation which promotes sustainable grassroots development through sports in 12 sites across the country.

Play Soccer Ghana with the establishment of the Centre will seek to consolidate its activities, establish its presence in the Cape Coast Metropolitan area and act as a hub for regional development.

Abdul Wahab Musah, Manager of the Centre said ‘the Oguaa Football For Hope Centre’ which cost about $350,000 boast of facilities such as a small-size soccer pitch (40x20m), classroom, ICT Laboratory, Library, Changing Rooms, Medical room, Administrative Block as well as a facility for disabled persons.

He said his outfit use football as a medium of teaching children certain basic social and health skills.

Kwesi Nyantakyi, President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) expressed gratitude to FIFA for selecting Ghana as one of beneficiaries of the World Cup legacy programme.

He said the project falls in tandem with the GFA’s vision of developing children through football and education, whilst pledging support for the sustenance of the Centre.

The ceremony was graced by personalities including Ebo Barton-Oduro, Deputy Central Regional Minister; Ian Mills of Streetfootballworld; Sampon Kablan, FIFA Goal Development Officer for West Africa, Nana Sam Brew Butler, a former Chairman of the GFA and Chairman of the Oguaa Football for Hope Centre Supervising Board amongst others.

Ghana is the sixth country to inaugurate their facility after South Africa, Mali, Kenya, Namibia and Lesotho.**