The first batch of participants for this year’s Ghana Football Association (GFA) License D coaching course has successfully ended in Tamale after a short closing ceremony at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium on Monday 19th April, 2021.
The training programme which is organized by the GFA in collaboration with the Northern Regional Football Association (NRFA) is the first of its kind this year throughout the country. A total of thirty participants took part in the first batch which begun last Monday 12th April, 2021 with the second batch of another thirty participants expected to begin on Tuesday 20th April, 2021 and will also run for a week ending on Monday 26th April, 2021.
Dignitaries present at the closing ceremony included Mr. Abdul Rahaman Gado who is the Risk Manager at the National Investment Bank (NIB) Northern Zone who was the special guest, Professor Joseph Kwame Mintah, Director of Coaching Education at the GFA, Instructor Maxwell Konadu, Instructor Shaibu Ibrahim Tanko, Director of Sports at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Instructor Baba Nuhu Mallam, coach of the Black Maidens, NRFA chairman Alhaj Rhyzo, NRFA vice chairman Mr. Musah Ibrahim Kessie, NRFA Division Two working Committee chairman Mr. Mohammed Tahiru. The rest are NRFA Juvenile Committee chairman Alhassan Yakubu Dawuo, Referees Committee chairman and referees manager for Northern Region referee Alhassan Alidu Alhassan and NRFA Women Football Committee chairperson Hajia Zelia Iddi.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Director of Coaching Education at the GFA Professor Joseph K. Mintah urged the participants to see this as the beginning and aspire to the highest level in their chosen career. He said it was a privilege to see young and upcoming ones embrace coaching in the manner in which the participants had shown throughout the week long session. He thanked the NRFA chairman Alhaj Abu Hassan Rhyzo for the organization and particularly commended him for taking the time out of his busy schedules to enroll as a participant. Prof. Mintah said it was the first time he had witnessed such a feat.
The special guest at the ceremony was Mr. Abdul Rahaman Gado who is the Risk Manager at the National Investment Bank (NIB) Northern Zone. In a short remark, Mr. Gado said the future of football and the upbringing of the younger generation of footballers depended so much on the participants and encouraged them not to disappoint in their work in this direction. He also reserved some words of commendation for the instructors saying they had taken the participants through with patience and dedication.
When it was his turn, NRFA chairman Alhaji Abu Hassan Rhyzo explained the motivation in him joining the course. He said it was born out of his desire to have an experience in every facet of the game of football. He said he has played football in his early life, served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at juvenile, division two with Zanwara FC and division one with Guan United for many years. He added that he has also served as supporters chairman for Accra Hearts of Oak in the Northern Region for twenty years now coupled with media work as an analyst on radio. He said he wanted to add a bit of coaching to these in order to have a fair idea about the technical aspect of the game. Alhaj Rhyzo ended his address by fulfilling the promise he made at the start of the course to refund half of the total course fee of GH₵ 600 to the three female participants who enrolled onto the course. Hence, an envelope of GH₵ 300 each was presented to Mohammed Rahama, Abdul Rahaman Samira and Imoro Salmu at the ceremony.
The week long training saw participants taken through the rudiments of coaching in both theory and practice. A written test was the climax of the training as participants who will pass are entitled to the coaching license D certificate.
The three female participants who took part in the training in an exclusive interview with Diamond FM Sports said they were each delighted to be part of the training and said they hope their exploits will encourage young girls to also follow in their footsteps.
This license D coaching course is part of the current GFA’s resolve to roll out all the CAF license coaching badges (license C, B, A and Pro license) for Ghanaian coaches to assist in furthering their career.
A participant by name Omopaul Kuwesia Omoruyi who described himself as “the only foreigner during the training” since he is a Nigerian said the course was timely as he has an aim of pursuing coaching to the highest level. He thanked the GFA, NRFA and the course instructors saying they had a nice time together.
A former Black Stars player who was the first player from the Northern Region to play at a World Cup in 2006 in Germany, Shilla Illiasu participated in the course.
