Accra, Sep. 20, GNA - The Ghana Education Service (GES) has pledged to assist the Retired National Footballers Association of Ghana (RENFAG) with the necessary support and encouragement to enable them achieve their avowed aims.

Ms Benedicta Naana Biney, Deputy Director-General of the GES said this at the launch of the Association's School Project in Accra on Thursday.

The project, which is a collaborative programme between the Association and the GES is aimed at providing young footballers in junior schools with the necessary educational training. Ms Biney recounted that last year, the Association made a request to the GES to undertake a school programme to impart soccer skills to the pupils at the primary school level.

She said the GES embraced the idea of collaboration and thus gave the Association the green light and was far impressed with the work being undertaken in a number of Districts across the country. The Deputy Director-General said since commercialisation has eaten deep into the fabric of Ghana football, it was necessary that the association operate a broad programme to benefit every child of school going age.

Nana Kwesi Gyau Gyan the third, President of RENFAG said the project was conceived and initiated by the association with the belief that formal education was a necessary tool by all to pursue professional excellence in football.

He noted that most footballers retire very early because the game is physical and energy sapping and as such it was necessary that the youth gain formal education to cushion them with the basic tools and skills for their future.

Nana Gyan advised footballers to make use of the Free Basic Compulsory Universal Basic Education to acquire formal education to develop their talents and profession.