NPP flagbearer aspirant, Hon. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, has vowed to restore Ghana’s lost football culture by bringing the sport back under the direct attention of the presidency, just as Kwame Nkrumah once did during Ghana’s golden era of sports.
Speaking passionately about the declining state of local football, Agyepong said it was disheartening to see a once-glorious club like Asante Kotoko forced to play home matches away from Kumasi due to poor infrastructure.
“When I saw the number of people at Kotoko’s last match, I was sad,” he said.
“They came to Accra because their pitch is not good. It is one of the things I would work on. We need to get the passion back into football.”
He stressed that such issues symbolized a broader national neglect of sports, particularly football, which once served as a powerful unifying force across the country.
According to him, Ghana’s football revival must begin with strong leadership and national coordination. He expressed his commitment to make sports, especially football, a central pillar of national development — a model inspired by Nkrumah’s collaboration with Ohene Gyan that transformed Ghana into a continental football powerhouse.
Agyepong noted that in those days, football wasn’t just a game; it was a movement that connected communities, inspired youth, and generated pride across regions.
He lamented how commercialization and poor management had broken the traditional bond between clubs and their local supporters, leaving stadiums empty and young fans turning to foreign teams.
“Someone may be in Juabeng and still claim to support Aston Villa.”
“We have made the whites sell their football to us. I am not sure you will go to Spain and hear them talk about Kotoko.”
He pledged that, if elected, his administration would ensure football receives structured attention from the highest level of government. His vision includes investing in community-level sports infrastructure, reviving regional teams, and reigniting local league enthusiasm.
Agyepong believes this deliberate national strategy will not only rebuild Ghana’s football identity but also create jobs, develop young talent, and restore the joy and unity that the game once brought to millions of Ghanaians.
Story by Adwoa S. Danso
