Ghana Football Association (GFA) president Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku has announced plans to formally launch the association’s Diaspora Strategy, an initiative designed to strengthen links with Ghanaian footballers overseas and increase the number of players available to the country’s national teams.
Simeon-Okraku made the announcement at the 32nd Ordinary Session of Congress at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram on Thursday, 20 August 2026.
The strategy will build on the GFA’s first Talent Identification Programme in the United Kingdom, which the association has described as a successful pilot. It is intended to give the GFA a more organised way of engaging with Ghanaian players who are developing their careers outside the country.
“Building on the success of our first Talent Identification Programme in the United Kingdom (UK), we will formally roll out the GFA Diaspora Strategy to strengthen relationships with Ghanaian players abroad, identify emerging talents and broaden the pool of players available to our national teams,” he said.
Under the planned framework, the Football Association will work to identify emerging players with Ghanaian heritage, follow their progress and establish closer links between them and the national-team structure.
The initiative is also expected to improve the GFA’s ability to scout across international football markets. It will complement existing domestic talent-identification programmes by giving the association a broader and more systematic view of players who may be eligible to represent Ghana.
The United Kingdom will serve as the starting point for the strategy, following the GFA’s initial talent-identification programme there. That pilot has provided the basis for a wider diaspora network, enabling the association to strengthen its engagement with footballers developing within systems outside Ghana.
The long-term aim, according to Simeon-Okraku, is to expand the range of players available to Ghana’s various national teams. The strategy will therefore form part of a wider approach to talent identification, rather than replacing the GFA’s work within the country.
It is expected to operate alongside the association’s investment in domestic youth development. That work includes the Power to the Youth policy, Elite Football Academies and grassroots competitions.
By linking those domestic programmes with a more structured relationship with Ghanaian players abroad, the GFA hopes to create a more comprehensive national talent-identification framework. The association’s plan is focused on building stronger connections with eligible players overseas, tracking their development and ensuring that emerging talent can be considered for Ghana’s national teams.
The announcement was made during the GFA’s 32nd Ordinary Session of Congress, with the United Kingdom pilot providing the first practical foundation for the formal roll-out of the Diaspora Strategy.
