The Football Association’s nationwide hunt for promising young footballers enters its final phase in the Brong Ahafo and Ashanti Regions, with 72 boys and girls set to compete for places at the 2026 Elite Academy Schools.
The latest talent identification exercise will be staged at Nana Ofosu Gyeabour Park in the Brong Ahafo Region and Urban Park in the Ashanti Region. It will bring together some of the most promising players to have emerged from the earlier stages of the Football Association’s Talent Identification Programme (TID).
Those selected will be assessed by trained and accredited technical staff and talent scouts from the GFA. The process is intended to identify young footballers who can demonstrate not only outstanding ability, but also the dedication required to combine their sporting development with academic achievement.
Successful candidates will be offered admission to the GFA’s Elite Academy Schools at Bolgatanga Senior High School, Prempeh College in Kumasi and Achimota School in Accra. They will continue their football education within those institutions while also receiving a quality academic education.
The selection events in the two regions represent the final stage of the process to identify the players who will join the 2026 Elite Academy Schools programme. The 72 participants will therefore be assessed in a phase designed to determine which young talents have the qualities needed to progress through the GFA’s structured development pathway.
The programme is one of the Football Association’s flagship youth development initiatives. It is designed to give gifted young players from every part of the country an equal opportunity to be identified, developed and supported through an organised route into football.
By taking the final assessment stage to Nana Ofosu Gyeabour Park and Urban Park, the GFA will complete the latest regional phase of its search for the country’s brightest young footballers. Players who have already been identified during the earlier stages now have the opportunity to earn a place at one of the three Elite Academy Schools.
The initiative places equal emphasis on football potential and commitment to education. Its stated aim is to ensure that players who progress are able to develop their ability on the pitch while continuing their academic studies.
The GFA’s technical staff and talent scouts will oversee the evaluations, with the 72 boys and girls from Brong Ahafo and Ashanti undergoing further assessment before the final admissions decisions are made.
The Talent Identification Programme continues to provide the framework for the Football Association’s nationwide search, ensuring that young footballers are given the chance to be discovered and nurtured regardless of where they come from in the country.
GFA Communications
