In a bid to uncover hidden football talents and foster unity among the youth, Akosua Asaa Manu, popularly known as Kozie, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency has organised a grand football gala.
The event, featuring 96 teams from local communities, aimed to create opportunities for young people, while promoting peace and non-violence ahead of the elections.
This initiative was to uncover soccer talents and create employment opportunities for the youth of Adentan. Kozie envisions this program as a long-term policy that will serve as a conveyor belt for nurturing young talent within the constituency.
By investing in the youth, she hopes to build a brighter future for Adentan.
Winning Team
The Stars of Lakeside Football Club, a local team from the Adentan Constituency, emerged victorious at the Kozie Football Gala held in the Adjiriganor community.
They were followed by Mamba FC, while Kozie 11 FC and Zion Movement secured third and fourth places respectively.
The prizes awarded included; GHS 10,000, branded jerseys and medals for the first-place team. The second-place team received GHS 7,000 along with branded jerseys and medals for all the players.
Additionally, teams that finished in third and fourth places were awarded GHS 5,000 and GHS 3,000 with jerseys and medals respectively.
Abdul Bashiru and Boakye Peter from Lakeside Stars FC were named the best player and goalkeeper of the tournament, each receiving GHS 1,000.
Furthermore, Adentan Corner Stone was the Disciplined Team of the Year, also receiving a cash prize of GHS 1,000.
Kozie expressed her vision for the gala as a means to identify and nurture talents from the constituency for premier and national teams.
She emphasised that the Adentan constituency has benefited from the Nana Akufo-Addo and Bawumia-led Astroturf initiative, which has been implemented in various communities.
“I have witnessed first-hand the dedication of these vibrant youth who train as late as 1am. As a passionate sports woman, I am committed to creating a value chain of opportunities for young people through sports, while also seeking job opportunities and skills training for them,” she stated.
Regarding her parliamentary ambitions, Kozie highlighted her capacity, commitment and competency over the past year, as evidence of her dedication to her constituents.
“The unresolved issues in the constituency motivated me to stand for the people. I have garnered support from various partners who believe in my vision for our community,” she added.
Kozie expressed optimism about winning the parliamentary elections on December 7, 2024 stating, “I believe it will be a sweeping victory for me and the New Patriotic Party. I am counting on the constituents to recognise the difference in leadership over the past year, compared to the four years they experienced under the current MP.”
Commendation
Former Black Stars midfielder, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, commended Kozie for her commitment to discovering football talents in the area.
He noted that it is uncommon to see a football gala organised by a political figure focused on unearthing youth talents while promoting anti-violence behaviours, ahead of the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.
“Organising a sports gala of this nature is no easy feat. She has done a commendable job and we need to support this initiative regardless of political affiliation. This is truly commendable work,” he remarked.
