The First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, on Wednesday, November 3 underscored her commitment to empowering Ghanaian women when she made a pledge to see to it that Ghana will build West Africa’s first female Soccer School of Excellence to boost women’s football on the continent.
This School of Soccer Excellence which has been tentatively earmarked to be constructed in Gomoa in the Central Region will help groom women footballers, administrators, women physios, coaches, referees and other careers associated with the women’s game.
At a colourful ceremony held at the First Lady’s office on Wednesday evening to officially launch the First Lady’s Cup, Mrs Akufo-Addo mentioned the need to address the challenges confronting women’s football and women’s empowerment in Ghana and Africa.
She mentioned low salaries and wages, poor infrastructure, lack of equipment, transport and inadequate women personal in the various teams as some of the challenges confronting the women’s game that needs to be solved.
She thus used her office, which had invited many decision-makers and captains of industry in both the private and public sector to raise seed capital for the construction of the School of Excellence, as well as the organisation of the maiden’s First Lady’s Cup which comes off on December 11.
At the end of the ceremony, the First Lady had helped raise over GHS1.2m towards the projects and she promised, with the help of The Ghana League Clubs Association of Ghana to do more in the coming months to empower women in the football ecosystem.
"If we must develop women's football, we must start with building a solid foundation. I am excited that the Ghana Football Association, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Education are pursuing a school programme to develop the girl child's football talent In line with FIFA's book for boots project," Mrs Akufo-Addo said.
“I hope with the help of other stakeholders we will empower the advancement of the girlchild and women in Ghana through soccer.
What is the First Lady’s Cup?
This is the first time GHALCA, together with Primeval Consult is organising the First Lady’s Cup. It is in essence a tournament billed as the female version of the Ghana League Clubs Association's (GHALCA) Presidents Cup.
It will come off on December 11 in Accra.
But before then, there will be seminars held across the Southern and Northern Zones of the country to address some of the opportunities and challenges in the women’s game and to also empower women in the football space.
Important Dignitries
The ceremony was graced by Ghana Chief of Staff Frema Osei-Opare, the Second Lady Samira Bawumia, as well as the Minister of Youth and Sports Mustapha Ussif, GFA President Kurt Okaraku, MPs, CEOs of corporate Ghana and many others.
