Ghana, get ready for kick-off! In little more than one month?s time, Vibe Events and Ghana Television hit the road to tour all 10 regions in search of the football-loving nation?s best young stars. The nation?s biggest event organizers are proud to be involved in Ghana?s first-ever reality show and believe the chance to produce The Golden Foot will undoubtedly discover some world-class football stars ? a triumph for both the nation and the sport.
The timing couldn?t be better for Ghanaian football fans. After the Black Stars, the country?s national soccer team, starts preparation for their inaugural debut at the 2006 World Cup in Germany this June, it?s no wonder spectators nationwide have the black and white ball firmly on their minds.
The Golden Foot reality show, however, will linger long after the last bleachers have been swept and the last flags removed from Niedersachsen Stadium in Hanover. The reality show expects to begin filming at the end of April and anticipates a wrap-up near the end of September. The five-month endeavor will span Ghana?s capital towns, starting in the Northern Region and working its way down into Accra.
?We have over 2400 young players under-17 fighting their way through preliminary rounds to be among the top-40 players,? explains Vibe owner and producer Mike Cooke.
?Those who are successful will undergo intense training under Mohamed Polo and David Duncan.?
The two football scouts are no strangers to the pedigree-selection process. Polo, the Chief talent recruiter is also a former national football star coach, while Duncan is the highly esteemed present-day coach of the under-17 national team. Their combined experience and discerning eyes will ensure only the very best 40 players will participate in a final contest to be broadcast live at El Wak before an expected one million enthused spectators.
The Golden Foot doesn?t end there. Ghanaians will have their say in the final selection process by determining their favorite players, including Best Shooter and Sponsor?s 11. Public votes will be tallied through text messaging. By providing a user-friendly system, available to anyone with a mobile phone, organizers believe only the most talented and promising unknown stars will achieve their athletic dream.
This dream comes in the form of a $5, 000 USD check from the Sponsors and a 3-month development period under Polo?s personal training and tutelage. The goal is alluring enough to attract the most ambitious and hardworking young athletes.
This reality show, the first of its kind in an ever-growing world of real life television series, is expected to garner unprecedented attention on an international scale. Expect to see more than a few golden Ghanaian feet flying through the air this summer.