By Kwame Bediako
The Ghana Football Association has launched an inaugural talent‑identification programme in the UK, bringing together 40 players of Ghanaian descent who were born in the UK and currently play in Category One academies.
The exercise, supported by the GFA in partnership with Coach Hene Sports Club, the Ghana High Commission in the United Kingdom, and Prince Lamona Consult, aims to identify and engage top young talents to strengthen Ghana’s national teams for the future.
Players aged U15–U20 from elite academies, including Chelsea, Everton, Manchester City and Arsenal, were assessed in a session held in Bromley.
The evaluation was conducted by a panel led by GFA Technical Director Prof. Mintah and FIFA Talent Coach Stuart McLaren, alongside coaches from Coach Hene Sporting Club, who closely monitored standout performers throughout the day.
The GFA intends to expand the programme to include Category Two and Three academies, as well as grassroots football structures across the UK and eventually beyond, widening the net for players of Ghanaian heritage who could feed into the Black Stars, Black Meteors, Black Satellites and Black Starlets pipelines.
This initiative reflects the GFA’s growing focus on harnessing the diaspora’s talent pool to enhance Ghana’s long‑term national‑team competitiveness.
