Sports News of Wednesday, 20 January 2021

Source: happyghana.com

Our junior national teams failing due to lack of colts football - Abdul Rahman Issah

The Black Starlets recently failed in their bid of qualifying to the African youth championship The Black Starlets recently failed in their bid of qualifying to the African youth championship

Former AshantiGold and Ghana youth star, Abdul Rahman Issah, has urged football authorities to revive colts football which is the only solution to strengthen the various national junior teams (Black Starlets, Black Satellites and Black Meteors).

Ghana has failed to make any meaningful impact in any junior tournament in the last decade since winning the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt.

According to the former Udinese defender, in the past, the national teams progressed or dominated because players who played in the team were all from the colt’s level which also contributed to the success.

Issah stated that the inability of the various national teams to dominate in competitions in recent times is as a result of the lack of colt’s football or leagues in the country at the moment.

Speaking in an interview on Happy FM’s special programme, “Where Are They”, on the need for the FA to revive colts football he said:

“If we don’t start colt’s league then we should forget about the national U17 team. If colts football collapse, then we are in trouble. It is through the colts we get players for the national team. All the teams that performed well in tournaments had their players from the colt’s level.”

“I will advise the football authorities to revive colts football,” he told Ohene-Bampoe Brenya on Happy 98.9FM.

Abdul Raman Issah also advised the youth to take education seriously if they want to venture into football.

“I will advise the young footballers to take education seriously. Education first and it is very important.”

Rahman Issah was part of the Ghana U-20 team that played at the FIFA World Cup held in Nigeria.

The Black Satellites were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Spain through the penalty shoot-out in that tournament.