FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, Arsene Wenger, has unveiled plans to establish an academy in Ghana as part of its Talent Development Scheme across Africa.
Ghana is among five African nations, including Cameroon, Liberia, Ivory Coast, and Zambia, slated to benefit from FIFA’s initiative, which aims to set up 75 academies worldwide by 2026.
Speaking to FIFA’s website, Wenger shared, “Over the next six months and one year, it’s to open more academies,” Wenger told Supersport in an interview.
“We are now close to opening a new one in Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Ghana and Zambia and we want to develop five new academies there and, at the end of 2026, we’ll have 75 academies all over the world.
“That means football education has moved forward and that’s what we’re focusing on at the moment. We want the game to be more competitive and of better quality and there is only one way to do it: it’s the quality of the education and quality of the competitions,” the former Arsenal manager added.
Meanwhile, pressure has mounted on the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports to enhance sporting infrastructure within the country. A recent protest dubbed the “Save Ghana Football” demonstration urged accountability from football authorities.