Participants in the 2026 MTN Elite U-19 Boys Championship have completed an orientation programme focused on discipline, safeguarding and tournament procedures, one day before the competition begins at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram.
The session, held on Monday, August 24, brought together players, coaches, team officials and other stakeholders preparing for the youth tournament. Organisers said the programme was designed to ensure participants understood the standards required for a safe, well-organised and successful championship.
Enoch Agyare Addo, Vice-Chairman of the MTN Elite U-19 Championship Organising Committee, opened the event with a welcome address. He called on the competing teams to uphold discipline, respect, fair play and sportsmanship throughout the tournament.
He also underlined the wider importance of the championship to Ghanaian football. The competition provides a platform for identifying and developing promising young players, while giving them exposure that could help them progress into Ghana’s various national teams.
Michael Daasebre Adu Asare, Regional Football Association Coordinator, then outlined the operational rules governing the use of the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence. His presentation covered the responsibilities of participants while staying and working at the facility.
Mr Adu Asare reminded those attending that the Centre’s infrastructure and facilities must be protected. He also emphasised the need for participants to maintain discipline, respect and professionalism both on and off the pitch.
Safeguarding was another central part of the orientation. Obed Tufuor, Compliance and Integrity Officer, spoke to the participants about protecting young players and creating an environment that is safe and respectful for everyone involved in the championship.
Further presentations and motivational talks addressed medical preparedness, player welfare, matchday behaviour and general tournament protocols. The sessions were intended to ensure that teams were familiar with the procedures and expectations that will apply throughout the competition.
The orientation also gave players, coaches and officials the chance to raise questions, clarify issues and gain a clearer understanding of their responsibilities before the opening matches.
The 2026 MTN Elite U-19 Boys Championship will begin on Tuesday, August 25, at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram. Regional teams from across Ghana will compete for the title in a tournament regarded as an important part of the country’s youth football development structure.
MTN Ghana is the competition’s sponsor. The championship forms part of the Ghana Football Association’s “Power to the Youth” initiative, which aims to create a structured route for young footballers to move from grassroots football towards the professional game and national teams.
Members of the MTN Elite U-19 Championship Organising Committee attended the orientation. The committee was led by Vice-Chairman Enoch Agyare Addo and also included Samuel Owusu Amoah, Michael Fiaduse and Edem Kofi Ansah, among other officials.
