By Issah Olegor
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has intensified its commitment to sports infrastructure development with the ongoing construction of two new natural grass pitches at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence (GSCE) in Prampram.
The initiative, funded under FIFA’s Forward Programme, underscores the GFA’s broader strategic vision to transform the centre into a regional hub for elite football training and talent development.
This latest project brings renewed focus to GSCE, which has served as the technical heartbeat of Ghanaian football since its establishment in 2004.
Historically used for training national teams and hosting technical courses, the centre has often faced criticism over inadequate facilities.
However, under the current administration led by GFA President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, the centre is undergoing a dramatic facelift aimed at positioning it among the finest in Africa.
Upon completion of the two new natural grass pitches, the GSCE will boast a total of three natural grass surfaces in addition to two modern AstroTurf fields, one of which is equipped with floodlights.
This expansion will significantly enhance the centre’s operational capacity, enabling simultaneous training sessions, youth development camps, and hosting of competitive matches across various age categories and levels.
The pitches are being constructed to meet international standards, making them suitable for both domestic and international fixtures.
This is expected to reduce Ghana’s reliance on foreign venues for pre-tournament training camps and create more local opportunities for player scouting and development.
President Simeon-Okraku has made infrastructural reform a central pillar of his leadership since assuming office in 2019.
Beyond pitch upgrades, his tenure has seen the installation of floodlighting systems, procurement of vehicles for Division One and regional associations, and ongoing plans for a 40-bed accommodation facility at Prampram to support residential training and scouting programs.
These interventions are being delivered with crucial support from FIFA’s Forward Programme, which provides targeted investment to member associations to ensure sustainable growth.
The collaboration between the GFA and FIFA has been pivotal in shifting Ghanaian football development from rhetoric to action, offering tangible improvements at the grassroots and elite levels.
The revitalization of the GSCE is not only symbolic of the GFA’s renewed focus on infrastructure but also a statement of intent to build a professional, technically adept football ecosystem in Ghana.
