MTN, GFA launch maiden Elite U19 Championship to uncover next generation of football stars
The Ghana Football Association (GFA), in partnership with MTN Ghana, has launched the maiden edition of the MTN Elite U19 Championship in Accra, marking a significant milestone in Ghana’s youth football development agenda.
The event, held at the GFA headquarters on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, brought together leading figures in Ghanaian football, including GFA President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, Chairman of the Championship Hon. Eric Edem Agbana, members of the GFA Executive Council, and all 10 Regional Football Association chairmen. Also in attendance were Black Stars Technical Advisor Winfried Schäfer, Assistant Coach Desmond Ofei, Black Satellites Coach Maxwell Konadu, and GFA Technical Director Professor Joseph Kwame Mintah.
The competition, scheduled to run from October 23 to November 2, 2025, at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram, will feature ten regional U19 teams. It aims to identify and nurture promising young players while instilling discipline, teamwork, and professionalism among Ghana’s emerging footballers.
In his opening remarks, GFA President Kurt Okraku hailed the initiative as a practical embodiment of the Association’s “Power to the Youth” vision. “This competition has come in handy in providing opportunities for young and talented second-division players. When we say ‘Power to the Youth,’ this is exactly what it means — creating enabling and thriving platforms for talent identification and nurturing the next generation of football stars,” he said.
Chairman of the Elite U19 Championship, Hon. Eric Edem Agbana, commended the GFA’s leadership for prioritising youth development and praised the Black Stars for their recent qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, describing it as a symbol of Ghana’s football resilience and excellence.
“Let me begin by extending heartfelt congratulations to our beloved Black Stars for securing qualification to the 2026 World Cup,” he said. “This achievement reinforces our belief that when systems work and talents are nurtured, Ghana can compete at the highest level of world football.”
The Ketu North MP described the MTN Elite U19 Championship as a “strategic platform designed to unearth and refine young talents across the country,” adding that the project was not just about football but also about discipline, teamwork, and the broader development of Ghanaian youth.
“On behalf of the organising committee, I commend MTN Ghana for its unwavering commitment to sports development. Your continued partnership demonstrates a corporate vision that goes beyond profit, to purpose and national impact,” Hon. Agbana noted.
He also offered words of encouragement to the young players expected to take part in the competition. “To our young players: this is your stage. Train hard, stay humble, and remember that talent opens the door, but character keeps it open,” he said.
MTN Ghana’s sponsorship of the Elite U19 Championship forms part of its long-standing support for Ghanaian sports. The competition aligns with the GFA’s broader youth development framework, which seeks to create a clear pathway for young footballers to progress from grassroots level to the professional and national stages.
As the championship begins later this month, it is expected to spotlight Ghana’s most promising young footballers and strengthen the foundation for the future of Ghanaian football.
