GFA’s Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence land sold to private developers - Report

The Ghana Football Association on Friday Aug. 5, 2011, broke ground for the construction of a Football Academy at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in the Dangme West District of the Greater Accra Region, making the third African country after Cape Verde and Cote d’Ivoire to benefit from the FIFA Goal IV Project.

The facilities were funded by world soccer governing body, the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) through their Goal Project Programme earmarked for National Associations.

Goal One was used for the construction of the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence, Goal Two was for a hostel facility and pitches whilst Goal Three was channeled for a multipurpose dining hall complex.

The Ghanaman Soccer Centre Of Excellence was prioritized by the new Ghana Football Association (GFA) administration as an eight-member committee was set up to ensure the facility is rejuvenated and developed to meet international standards.

GFA President Kurt Okraku toured the facility in 2019 with some Executive Council members and promised to revive the facility after years of neglect, which led to the setting up of the committee led by Daniel Awuah- Darko as the chairman.

Other members of the committee were:

Kofi Abban (Vice Chairman), Richard Anane (member), Nana Oduro Sarfo (Member) J.F. Mensah (Member), Frank Nelson (Member) Rockson Cofie, (Member) and Francis Oti Akenteng (Member)

The committee’s main duty was to rejuvenate the Ghanaman Soccer Centre to achieve its purpose which includes but not limited to;

a) Providing a base for all coaching and technical development by the GFA.

b) Being the training and preparation grounds for all national teams including Beach Soccer and Futsal.

c)Providing training for clubs and national team administrators and officials.

d) Providing training and technical assistance to clubs which compete in WAFU, CAF and FIFA club competitions.

After all these measures by the current administration, Atinka Sports’ investigation has revealed that almost 40 acres out of 100 acres land given to the association for football development has been sold out to private individuals to build houses and other project without the FA’s consent.

Nana Sentse who was among the Elders of Prampram Traditional Council that gave the land to the Ghana Football Association told Atinka Sports that, all the 100 acres of land belongs to the FA because they gave them the place for free with the hope that the huge infrastructure will also provide job opportunities for the youth of Prampram. According to him, the GFA has in its possession the land indenture as well as the site plan.

“We gave the land to the FA for free; we didn’t sell it to them. They only paid bush fee which was then Gh¢2,500 and even that money was used to construct a clinic for the people Prampram township”

“They [FA]are the rightful owners of the land. It’s been long since we gave the land to them and I’m surprised they haven’t been able to fence the place , providing avenue for people to sell large portions of it,” he added.

As part of measures to help fight the coronavirus pandemic in the country, GFA offered Ghanaman Soccer Center of Excellence to government of Ghana to use as Isolation Center.

The facility, which was supposed to serve as national academy was in deplorable state and unable to house or camp any of the national teams. By the help government, some works were initiated to renovate the facility for the use of an Isolation centre.

The fencing and cleaning were carried out by the Ghana Army under the supervision of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Ghana Health service.

The face-lifting included fencing of the entire edifice, cleaning the environs, fixing of medical items, and putting the place into top shape to host persons who had tested positive for the deadly virus.