The Ghana Football Association (GFA), with support from FIFA, has successfully completed the FIFA Member Association (MA) Young Talent Refereeing Programme aimed at developing the next generation of top-level match officials in Ghana.
The training programme, which was held at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram, brought together promising young referees from different parts of the country for an intensive period of technical, practical and physical development.
The initiative forms part of FIFA’s global efforts to identify, train and support young referees with the potential to officiate at the highest levels of football.
It is also in line with the GFA’s Catch Them Young Refereeing Policy, which seeks to create a clear pathway for nurturing referees from the grassroots level to professional football.
During the programme, participants took part in classroom sessions, practical field exercises, fitness training and performance assessments.
The activities were designed to improve their understanding of the laws of the game, decision-making abilities, match control skills and physical readiness required in modern football officiating.
The course was led by experienced FIFA instructors Essameldin Abdelfattah Hassan Abdelhamid from Egypt and Boubakar Hannachi from Tunisia.
The two instructors shared their international experience and guided the referees to help them develop the qualities needed to succeed in competitive football.
At the closing ceremony, GFA Referees Manager Alex Kotey and Chairperson of the Referees Appointment Committee, Christine Ziga, praised the participants for their dedication, discipline and willingness to learn throughout the training period.
They encouraged the young referees to continue improving themselves and remain committed to the standards expected of professional match officials.
