Former Black Stars midfielder, Derek Boateng, has advised the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to pay more attention to juvenile football in the country.
According to him, it’s about time the country’s highest governing football body turned its attention away from the senior national team to look at the development at the grassroots level.
Ghana’s juvenile football has suffered in recent years due to little or no attention going to it and has also contributed to the failure of the junior national teams in the country.
However, Boateg believes a closer look at the junior teams should be the priority of the GFA.
“For me, it’s about time that the FA focused [on juvenile football] and left Black Stars alone. Let the Black Stars be and focus on grassroots football…” he said on Joy Sports Link.
Ex Black Stars midfielder, Derrick Boateng on football academies in Ghana: "It's about time the GFA leave the Black Stars alone and focus on juvenile football in the country."#JoySports #SportsLink pic.twitter.com/JcoQ1e7AoF
— ⬅️ #JoySports (@JoySportsGH) May 8, 2023
“When you go to the U17 and the kid is not doing well, you have a lot to talk to him about. You can advise him and bring him back to the game. You will have words of encouragement for him. Where is the care when it comes to grassroots football?
“There is nothing and they should saying ‘We are bringing colts back and we will make our junior national teams good.”
Derek was a product of the junior national team who went through the ranks before playing for the Black Stars during his football career.