GFA, British High Commission and English FA hold talks on women’s football

Members of the Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association led by its president, Kurt Edwin Simeon Okraku on Thursday held a fruitful discussion with officials of the English Football Association and the British High Commission in Ghana via video conference.

The discussion follows an earlier engagement by the GFA president with the British High Commissioner in Accra and the English FA in London in March.

According to a GFA statement, officials of the British High Commission in Accra and their counterparts from the Football Association were scheduled to visit the headquarters of the GFA this month but that meeting was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The parties discussed varied topics ranging from Women’s League football structure, understanding of women’s football in Ghana, strategy, challenges and opportunities.

The engagement is expected to continue as the GFA seeks strategic international partners for women’s football.

The Ghana Football Association was represented by Kurt Okraku, the association's General Secretary, Prosper Harrison Addo; Deputy General Secretary, Alex Asante; Hillary Boaten (chairperson of the Women's Premier League Committee) and her deputy, Rosalind Amoh. Others included Cleopatra Nsiah Nketia (member of the Women’s Premier League and a club owner) and Barbara Yankah, Secretary to the Women’s Premier League Committee.

The British High Commissioner to Ghana, Iain Walker, and Jasmine Griffiths (Head of Strategic Partnerships and Diaspora Relations) represented the commission in the discussion.

Rachel Pavlou, National and International Women's Football Development Manager for the English FA, led a three-member team which included Maria de León (Senior International Relations Manager) and Siobhan Burke (International Relations Manager).