Ashanti, Brong Ahafo Host Final Trials for GFA Elite Academy Programme

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has shifted its nationwide Talent Identification Programme to the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions for the final phase of player assessments, as it moves closer to selecting the next batch of youngsters for its Elite Academy Schools.

The exercise represents the concluding stage of the Association’s grassroots talent search under FIFA’s Talent Development Scheme (TDS), which aims to identify gifted young footballers and provide them with a structured pathway to combine education with elite football training.

The final screening will take place at Nana Ofosu Gyeabour Park in the Brong Ahafo Region and Urban Park in the Ashanti Region. Players who impressed during the regional scouting exercises have been invited to undergo further technical and physical assessments before the final selections are made.

In all, 72 boys and girls from the two regions are expected to participate in the exercise. They will be assessed by a team of GFA technical instructors, accredited coaches and talent scouts, who will evaluate their technical ability, tactical awareness, decision-making, physical attributes and overall potential.

Outstanding performers will secure places at the GFA’s Elite Academy Schools located at Bolgatanga Senior High School, Prempeh College in Kumasi and Achimota School in Accra. The programme enables selected players to pursue their academic education while receiving high-level football development under qualified coaches. The Achimota-based academy became fully operational earlier this year, completing the GFA’s nationwide Elite Academy network.

The Talent Identification Programme forms a key part of the Football Association’s long-term youth development strategy and complements other elite competitions, including the FIFA TDS Elite U-15 Championship and the MTN Elite U-19 Championship, both of which serve as platforms for identifying future national team players.

Since its introduction, the programme has created opportunities for talented youngsters from every region of Ghana to be scouted through a transparent selection process, regardless of their background or location.