The Ghana Football Association (GFA), in partnership with the KGL Foundation, officially launched the 5th edition of the KGL Foundation Inter-Regional U17 Colts Championship on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
The ceremony, held at the KGL House in Labone, Accra, demonstrates the Football Association's commitment to nurturing grassroots football talent.
The launch event drew high-level participation from GFA officials, KGL Foundation executives, and other key stakeholders in Ghanaian football. In his opening address, GFA President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku expressed profound appreciation to the KGL Foundation for its continued commitment to youth football development.
"Let me begin by offering the sincerest appreciation of the GFA to our committed and forward-looking partner—the KGL Foundation. For five consecutive years, the KGL Foundation has stood tall in support of youth football in Ghana. Through your unwavering sponsorship, you have not only fueled this prestigious tournament but also brought countless young dreams to life," he said.
President Simeon-Okraku emphasized that the Foundation’s support goes beyond financial contributions. "Your investment is a bold statement of belief in Ghana’s future. The KGL Foundation has become the bedrock upon which the GFA has re-engineered Colts football and elevated talent identification across the country," he added.
Since its inception in 2021, the Championship has significantly impacted Ghanaian youth football, serving as a critical platform for talent discovery. “Several of our current national U-17 players were unearthed through this very competition, including stars from our recent campaign at the WAFU Zone B U-17 Championship,” the President noted.
He also highlighted the visible legacy of the tournament: “From Colts' fields to Premier League stadia, past participants are thriving at both national and club levels.”
Looking ahead, President Simeon-Okraku reiterated the GFA’s long-term vision as part of the broader Ghana Football DNA initiative. “We will continue to invest in systems that allow talent to grow, be scouted, and developed in line with Ghana’s football identity,” he said. He also thanked members of the media for their role in amplifying the Championship’s impact and urged them to continue telling the inspiring stories that emerge from the competition.
Speaking on behalf of the title sponsor, KGL Foundation Chief Executive Elliot Dadey underscored the Foundation’s mission to transform lives through sports.
“Since 2021, we've invested in kits, equipment, training and, more importantly, in a belief system. We've helped turn football into a viable path for these young boys to chase their dreams,” Dadey stated. “This project has become more than a tournament. It’s a movement grounded in community and passion, reflecting Ghanaian integrity and determination on the global stage.”
He added, “As we open the 5th edition, we must remember that by investing in these young players, we’re not just shaping athletes, we're building a stronger, more vibrant Ghana for generations to come.”
As part of this year’s edition, each participating regional team will receive fifty footballs, two sets of cones, two sets of bibs, and two sets of match jerseys, courtesy of the KGL Foundation. In alignment with the GFA’s Catch Them Young Policy, young referees will officiate the tournament, further reinforcing the developmental ethos of the Championship.
Initiated in 2021, the Inter-Regional U17 Colts Championship has become a flagship youth competition, driving regional cohesion and player development. The Ashanti Region made history in 2023 by becoming the first region to lift the title. Western Region enters this year’s competition as defending champions, having defeated Eastern Region 2-1 in the 2024 final at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram.
The 2025 edition will maintain its established format, with each of the 10 football regions represented by a team selected from their respective local colts competitions.
Also in attendance at the launch were Executive Council members Samuel Aboabire and Nana Sarfo Oduro, the latter serving as Chairman of the Colts Championship as well as First Vice Chairman of the National Juvenile Committee (NJC), JoeSalam Abubakar and member Samuel Anim Addo. GFA Director of Marketing, Jamil Maraby, was also in attendance.
As the 5th edition kicks off in July, expectations are high that the tournament will once again spotlight the next generation of Ghanaian football talent, fueling dreams and propelling young stars onto the national and international stage.
GFA Communications