GFA President Kurt Okraku entreats UK to harness football as a development tool

Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, has called on the United Kingdom to embrace football not only as a cultural export but as a strategic tool for development, particularly across Africa.

Speaking at the launch of activities marking the 160th anniversary of Arthur Wharton in Accra, Okraku said Britain must move beyond viewing football solely as entertainment and instead recognise its power to drive social transformation and economic growth.

“The United Kingdom has long been a global leader in the governance, culture, and passion of football,” Okraku said.

“But I stand here today with a petition and a challenge: it is time for the UK to fully awaken to football as a genuine development tool, especially across Africa. In a world shaped by economic divides and shifting diplomatic priorities, sports diplomacy is not just a fringe soft power; it is a core strategy.”

The GFA President highlighted football’s unique capacity to unite cultures, educate youth, create jobs and rebuild communities, urging Britain to explore joint initiatives with Ghana ranging from technical exchanges and cultural projects to strategic investments and corporate partnerships.

Outlining Ghana’s own progress, Simeon-Okraku pointed to the country’s youth football programmes, elite academies, Prampram training complex, and women’s football initiatives as key pillars in building a competitive football ecosystem.

“Let today not be the end of a celebration, but the beginning of deliberate dialogue,” he concluded.

“As we honour Arthur Wharton today, let us pioneer new models of UK–Ghana football collaboration, supported by the English FA, the British High Commission, the diaspora and UK businesses.”

Arthur Wharton, the Ghana-born goalkeeper who became the world’s first Black professional footballer in the late 19th century, is celebrated as a trailblazer whose legacy continues to inspire conversations on football’s role in shaping society.