The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has made significant strides in women's football, according to its current Women's Strategy. The association has implemented various programmes, including "Football For Goals", "Football For Girls", and the FIFA Women's Football Campaign. These initiatives have taken women achievers into primary schools to engage girls, parents, and teachers, boosting interest in playing and refereeing.
A key aspect of the GFA's strategy has been the use of female match officials for women's matches. This policy has contributed to an increase in the number of women earning coaching licences. The GFA has sponsored free Licence D courses and partnered with FIFA on free Licence C training. Additionally, workshops have been conducted to strengthen the administrative skills of Women's Division One club officials.
A major milestone for the GFA is the launch of the U15 Regional Girls Colts League in all ten football regions. This follows successful pilots in the Northern and Greater Accra regions. A U17 pilot is also currently underway. The GFA's U15 and U17 Elite Girls Championships bring together the best talent from the regions to compete at the national stage.
Ghana's national teams have achieved significant success in recent years. The U15 national team has won the African Schools championship twice, in Ghana in 2025 and Zimbabwe in 2026. The U17 side has qualified for the World Cup. These achievements demonstrate the progress being made in women's football in Ghana.
The Women's Premier League has expanded to 20 clubs, with the winners of the ten regional Division One leagues earning promotion. An invitational Women's Super Cup features the top eight clubs. The GFA is now working to attract sponsors, raise visibility, and create sustainable revenue for the league through a commercial strategy.
To inform its new strategy, the GFA has begun an audit of the current strategy, covering player, coach, and referee numbers, attendance, and revenue. The next step is a stakeholder workshop with FIFA, commercial partners, clubs, government, and the media. This will help shape the new strategy, which is expected to be launched soon.
The GFA's efforts to promote women's football in Ghana are multifaceted and far-reaching. With a focus on grassroots development, talent identification, and commercial growth, the association is well-positioned to build on its progress and drive further success in the women's game.
Key points
- The GFA has seen an increase in women earning coaching licences through its sponsored Licence D courses and FIFA-partnered Licence C training.
- Ghana's U15 national team has won the African Schools championship twice, in 2025 and 2026.
- The Women's Premier League has expanded to 20 clubs, with an invitational Women's Super Cup featuring the top eight clubs.
