Member of Parliament for Effia in the Western Region, Joseph Cudjoe has set an ambitious agenda for a number of the next generation of players for the country’s national team to hail from Sekondi-Takoradi.
He believes these players will have an unwavering commitment and an insatiable thirst in their quest for glory for the national team.
Ghana is arguably losing its spot as one of the best footballing countries in Africa following a series of disappointing showings by its national teams recently.
Fresh in the minds of many citizens is how the Black Stars failed to qualify for the group stage of the ongoing African Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
Mr Cudjoe opines that one surest way of setting the national teams on a winning streak is to nurture talents from the colts and guide them through the ranks.
“You will realise that the composition of players of national teams doing well over the world are those who started from the bottom, played among themselves and grew from one stage to another. That consistency has been missing in Ghana for a long time.
“Unfortunately, that style of waiting for a few days to a major outing before you call players to come and play is weak and bears no results. The players play in different leagues under different management and coaching styles. You cannot gather these players for a week and expect them to perform,” he said.
Mr Cudjoe said this in an interview with journalists after he commissioned a third Astroturf for Effia with representatives of the Ghana National Gas Company and other stakeholders on Thursday, January 25, 2024.
He envisions building more such recreational facilities to offer unrestricted access to the youth to exhibit their football talent.
“The reason for the plethora of recreational facilities in Effia is to use them as a vehicle through which football talents develop. These parks are where the awakening for the national teams we want will begin. Many of such Astroturfs will be built all over Effia.
“Already, I have the Effia Community League that has been running for years. And it is unearthing amazing talents. One of our lads had a call-up and was with the Black Stars in Ivory Coast,” he added.
He continued “Beyond the Effia Community League, there is the weekend system where people are encouraged to participate in early morning training sessions. During such sessions, exceptional talents get spotted for the necessary onward engagements.
Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at the Ghana National Gas Company, Francis Baidoe said the company will continue supporting initiatives to enhance the country’s human resources.
Barring any challenges, Ghana National Gas Company is expected to complete the project by the end of this year.